The European Standards of Care for Children and Adolescents with Cancer have been revised. These updated Standards aim to reduce inequalities across Europe and improve treatment outcomes for all children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer, regardless of where in Europe they live.
Childhood Cancer International – Europe (CCI Europe) and the European Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOPE) have jointly published the revised European Standards of Care for Children and Adolescents with Cancer. From the SPOG network, Prof. Dr. med. Katrin Scheinemann, President of SPOG and Medical Director of the Centre for Haematology/Oncology at the Eastern Switzerland Children’s Hospital, and Maria Otth, PhD, MD, Consultant and representative of SIOPE, were appointed to the project team and led the project together with four representatives of CCI Europe.
The European Standards of Care, first published in 2008, were the first evidence-based framework to ensure that every child and adolescent with cancer in Europe had access to specialised, high-quality care. More than 15 years later, the Standards were comprehensively revised in light of new scientific evidence and changing realities of life for families in order to reflect current requirements in paediatric oncology.
The updated standards are the result of a four-year collaboration involving 45 patient advocates and healthcare professionals specialising in paediatric oncology from 22 countries across Europe. They worked together in specialised chapter teams to revise each chapter in line with the latest scientific evidence and expert opinion. The revised document addresses not only medical treatment but also supportive care, psychosocial support, rehabilitation, survivorship, and equitable access to innovative therapies. By defining clear requirements for multidisciplinary teams, facilities, and care pathways, the Standards provide a roadmap for healthcare systems to deliver high-quality care to all children and adolescents with cancer.
The Standards comprise 11 chapters, each co-authored within chapter teams by experienced paediatric oncologists, young professionals, and patient advocates from CCI Europe. This approach ensured that both medical and human aspects of care were fully taken into account.
You can access the revised Standards here: Download PDF
References
CCI Europe: Information on the publication of the revised Standards (https://ccieurope.eu/launch-of-the-revised-european-standards-of-care-for-children-and-adolescents-with-cancer-driving-change-across-europe/)
Catia Gehrig
Catia Gehrig is Head Partner Relations at SPOG and is responsible for communications, fundraising and administration. She is a passionate communicator and networker for paediatric cancer research.
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