Conferentie over Europese standaarden om kinderen met kanker te behandelen (en)

On 20th October 2011 in Warsaw, representatives of European paediatric oncology centres and European health ministries held a working meeting devoted to the care of children with cancer. Among other issues, the participants discussed problems related to the establishment of European Standards of Care for Children with Cancer.

The conference was organised by the Polish Ministry of Health in cooperation with the European Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOPE) in Brussels in connection with the Ministry’s participation in the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer project.

Opening the expert sessions, Minister of Health Ewa Kopacz emphasised the importance of early diagnosis in the treatment of cancer in children. ‘In the majority of cases, cancer in children is treatable. At present, two-thirds of children and young people have a chance of full recovery, and with some tumours this percentage exceeds 90%. The chances largely depend on the knowledge, experience, and medical intuition of general practitioners, and on early diagnosis,’ said the Minister. She also pointed out that work on the establishment and adoption of European Standards of Care for Children with Cancer is yet another step towards achieving the major priority of the Polish Presidency, which is to bridge the gaps in health across EU societies.