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Hematology-Oncology

David Gordon, MD, PhD
Division Director


The Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at University of Iowa Children’s Hospital is a pioneer in the care and treatment of childhood cancers and blood disorders. It is part of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), a national consortium of pediatric cancer centers. The COG is well known for its new and innovative ways of treating childhood cancer. The division has a long history of success in bringing hope to patients with programs such as our blood and bone marrow transplant, comprehensive sickle cell program, and comprehensive hemophilia center.

The mission of the division is to treat and cure children and adolescents with cancer and blood diseases who live in Iowa by delivering personalized multidisciplinary, state-of-the-art care, through participation both in nationally and locally designed protocols.

The clinical program provides state-of-the-art comprehensive medical treatments for blood disorders such as anemias, neutropenias, thrombocytopenias, disorders of iron metabolism, coagulation and bleeding, as well as childhood leukemias and cancers such as lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease, Wilm's tumor, neuroblastoma, and osteogenic sarcoma.

The division features the only program in the state of Iowa that performs pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant, and we are the Iowa Comprehensive Hemophilia Center. Psychosocial support for these children and their families is also provided with on-site social work and genetic counseling services. Nursing services, including that of a thalassemia, sickle cell and oncology nurse practitioner and infusion nurses, assist in the care and administration of medications, blood products, infusions and chemotherapy.

Research in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology is conducted by internationally renowned physician-scientists. Research projects are funded by the National Institutes of Health and various philanthropic organizations. The Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology has an ACGME- accredited fellowship program.