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Dr. Christina Fong

Christina Fong, MD

Pediatric Neuro-Oncologist

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Pediatric cancers
  • Pediatric brain tumors
  • Gliomas

My Specialties

  • Pediatric cancer care
  • Clinical trials
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Dr. Fong's Office Information
Languages: English
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Get to Know Me

I am a pediatric neuro-oncologist at MSK Kids who specializes in the care of young people with pediatric brain tumors. Examples of these cancers include low-grade gliomas, high-grade gliomas, ependymomas, and embryonal tumors. I see patients at Memorial Hospital in New York City.

I chose the field of pediatric oncology because I have always wanted to help children. I’m drawn to them because of their resilience. I’m reminded of a quote by the poet Maya Angelou, who said, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” It is such a worthy goal to help someone else feel that way. Helping someone through a difficult time can be very humbling, and it’s a privilege to be able to be there for someone who’s in such a vulnerable place. I’ve also always been fascinated by the brain and how it works.

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Where appropriate, I like to include children in the discussions of their treatment. I help them understand what is happening in their bodies and what to expect. Some people want more information, and some people want less. I share the information that I know with them and stand with them as we decide what to do next. Another part of my role is connecting families with the various specialists and services they may need here at MSK.I believe that every person and every situation is unique. I learn something new from each child and caregiver whom I meet. There’s no cookie cutter answer to their questions. I’m happy to work with them to figure out what works best for them.

In addition to caring for patients, I spend time doing research in the laboratory. I’m working to find new ways to use the immune system to fight cancer with fewer side effects. Specifically, I am exploring how to engineer immune cells called T cells to find and kill brain cancer cells. I received a Clinical Scientist Institutional Career Development Program Award from the National Institutes of Health to pursue this research.

What I Do at MSK

I'm a pediatric neurologist and neuro-oncologist, which is a doctor with special training in both neurology and neuro-oncology. A neurologist treats problems of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. A neuro-oncologist treats cancers of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. This includes tumors in the brain and central nervous system. I treat children and adolescents.

  • Instructor
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Pediatric cancers
  • Pediatric brain tumors
  • Gliomas

My Specialties

  • Pediatric cancer care
  • Clinical trials
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, University of California Los Angeles

Residencies

  • Pediatrics, University of California Los Angeles

Fellowships

  • Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

Awards and Honors

  • Research Scholar, K12 Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology (2024-2026)

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA and NYC retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Metroplus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

City Employee Health Plans (Gold and Gold Care)

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

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New Patients
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Current Patients
Request an appointment by calling your Care Team or messaging them in MSK MyChart.

Contact and Location

Dr. Fong sees patients at one location.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue New York NY 10065
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Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

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Clinical Trials

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Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

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Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Fong’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed