Diversity and proportional composition of childhood cancers.
Abbreviations: CNS - central nervous system, LCH - Langerhans cell histiocytosis;
Source: German Childhood Cancer Registry (GCCR).
The most common paediatric malignancies in Western societies are leukaemias (34%), tumours of the central nervous system (20%) and lymphomas (13%). When suspecting cancer in a young patient, when taking care of the various problems of a childhood cancer survivor as a family physician or paediatrician, when being responsible as a caregiver during the intensive treatment on the oncology ward, or when, as a scientist, dealing with the current scientific and political challenges that paediatric oncology is facing in Europe today: Childhood cancer affects us all!
General information on paediatric oncology
Author: Gesche Tallen, MD, PhD, erstellt am: 2010/05/26, Editor: Dr. med. Gesche Tallen, Reviewer: Prof. Dr. med. U. Creutzig, English Translation: Dr. med. Gesche Tallen, Last modification: 2011/05/24
Childhood cancer only accounts for 1% of all human malignancies, but nevertheless, it is the number one killer among diseases and second only to accidents as the most common cause of death in European children older than 1 year. In Europe, 15.000 children and adolescents are newly diagnosed with cancer each year.
A fatal disease has become curable
Until the late 60ies, “Your child has cancer.” was like a death sentence, because the chance of cure was below 20% for most children and adolescents with cancer. To date, the 5-year-survival rates have increased to 75% - 80% for the majority of childhood cancer patients in industrialised nations.
Increase in 2- (until 1970) and 5-year-survival rates of children and teenagers with cancer in Germany since 1940.
Source: German Childhood Cancer Registry (GCCR), Competence Network Paediatric Oncology/Haematology (KPOH).
This dramatic success is a consequence of continuously optimised treatment concepts based on randomised prospective phase III clinical trials as well as of progressive developments in anaesthesia and surgery, supportive care regimens, and the discovery of effective drugs. The randomised clinical trial has thus been the backbone of paediatric oncological practice for decades. Also, research based on private donations by foundations and charities, or on public funds, respectively, have been contributing to the substantial advances in paediatric oncology so far by promoting both biomedical research and networking between patients, professionals, the public, scientists and survivors.
A story of success thanks to research networks
Initiated by the German Work Group for Leukaemia-Research (DAL) and the German Society for Paediatric Oncology, today joined as the German/Austrian Society for Paediatric Oncology/Haematology (GPOH), groundbreaking advances in diagnostic methods and treatment options were achieved. Continous optimisation of these results from continous networking of childhood cancer specialists all over the world.
For example, under the roof of the (International) Berlin-Frankfurt-Muenster-Study-Group (I-BFM-SG) and the International Society of Pediatric Oncology, European arm (SIOP-E), and mostly in collaboration with the GPOH, European children and adolescents with cancer are currently being taken care of in more than 250 specialised treatment centres throughout Europe. In these centres, diagnostics, treatment and research are continously being optimised according to the current status of medical knowledge.
Today, four out of five children and young adults with cancer in Europe survive. This progress made in treating cancer in the young is one of the undisputed stories of success in modern human medicine and to a great part a result of using of prospective, cooperative, multicenter, randomised clinical studies.
