A little update..well, actually really big news for all our supporters who helped us make the MIBG Therapy suite a reality here in Charlotte.

In 2017 so many of you helped us raise $1,000,000 to fund the Isabella Santos Foundation MIBG Therapy Suite at Levine Children’s.  In 2018 that therapy suite was constructed and Levine Children’s treated it’s first MIBG patient by the end of the year. Since then there has been a rotation of children fighting neuroblastoma, treated in the specialized therapy room.  

Just this week Levine Children’s met another exciting milestone… they have been approved as an official treating facility for MIBG therapy through the Children’s Oncology Group (COG).  This was a long time in the making and we are so proud of the LCH staff for all they have accomplished to help make this a reality.

Simply put, this advanced treatment is now more accessible to kids fighting neuroblastoma.

So what does this mean?  

• 90% of children diagnosed with cancer in the United States are treated by a COG hospital. There are over 200 certified COG Hospitals across the U.S. and  Levine Children’s is one of them
• Being part of this network means that every child and care team have complete access to the latest research and world-class treatments at hospitals near them.  
• Levine Children’s has been working through the necessary steps for COG MIBG approval for the past 18 months
• Levine Children’s is now a certified COG MIBG treating center hospital
• Levine Children’s is now approved to administer MIBG Therapy to kids fighting neuroblastoma who are entered on the MIBG protocol through the U.S.
• Levine Children’s is currently the 18th hospital (1 of 3 on the east coast) approved to administer MIBG Therapy in the U.S.
• Neuroblastoma patients in Charlotte who are put on MIBG will NOT have to travel 
• Neuroblastoma patients from all over U.S. can now be treated at Levine Children’s for MIBG

MIBG therapy provides targeted radiation to pediatric neuroblastoma patients with minimal side effects. We are thrilled this therapy will now impact kids fighting neuroblastoma beyond the Charlotte region and equally thrilled that this helps Levine Children’s continue their impact on a larger scale.  Thank you to all of you who continue to believe in our mission. We are extremely grateful for your support.

Learn more about MIBG Therapy