Overcoming cancer with research: project to promote improved cure rates after childhood cancer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 23, 2009 -- “Today we can provide a cure for three out of four children who would have been considered incurable about 40 years ago”, states Prof. Helmut Gadner, head of the Children’s Cancer Research Institute and coordinator of the two-year project Overcoming Cancer with Research. Funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission, the Austrian-German team aims to make the connection between breakthroughs of child-cancer research, successful treatments and the need of continuous funding for further improvements more comprehensible.

Improved long-term survival from 20% in the 1960s up to 75% of children and youths afflicted with cancer represent one of the major biomedical advances of the past four decades. This success is attributed to systematic biomedical and clinical research, international and interdisciplinary cooperation of specialists in pediatric cancer units and standardised treatments according to the current status of medical knowledge.

Despite all successes, childhood cancer is a life-threatening disease, treated with toxic therapies. Survivors may suffer from side-effects, psychosocial strains and social barriers regarding education, jobs and insurance. “Previously the primary concern of research was to secure the life of our young patients. Today we can concern ourselves increasingly with the quality of survival and limiting long-term consequences”, states Michael Dworzak, senior pediatric oncologist, scientist and project-partner.

The spectrum illnesses found in children are substantially different from those found in adult patients. In contrast to cancers found in adults, cancers show a more aggressive growth behaviour, meaning that they progress faster in children. Children are usually affected by leukaemia, lymphomas, as well as embryonic tumours, which are also known as sarcomas. Carcinomas in children only make up approximately one percent. “The challenge of the upcoming years will be to decipher the biological factors of cancer types that are difficult to treat”, says project-coordinator Prof. Helmut Gadner.

Since cancers in children are rare, research is not financially attractive to the pharmaceutical industry, explaining its dependency on private donations and public funds for optimising qualitative and quantitative outcomes.

The tools to raise public awareness of these key messages include a multi-lingual website, public events, expert meetings and a tv documentary. A trip up to the top of an Austrian mountain and a bike tour in Germany with former childhood cancer patients are part of the project. These two events are designed to raise public awareness of the fact that the majority of the so-called survivors have the same physical and mental abilities as their peers who are in good health. In addition, the goal is to pass on hope, trust and courage to young cancer patients being currently under treatment.

For details, visit: http://www.overcomingcancerwithresearch.eu

7th Framework Programme     cancer in children     childhood cancer research     public awareness