ECCO Founding Member SIOP Europe (SIOPE) will mark International Childhood Cancer Day on 7 February 2012 at the European Parliament to raise awareness of child and adolescent cancer. Hosted by Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Mrs. Glenis Willmott (UK), this event involves a range of stakeholders involved in paediatric oncology and health policy issues to debate the many challenges childhood cancer presents and to jointly find a political pathway to instigate change.

Thanks to pan-European partnerships and quality-assured clinical care, the treatment of children with cancer can be considered a success story today, with approximately 80% of young cancer patients surviving in Europe. Childhood cancer is nevertheless a rare, non-preventable and life-threatening disease; treatments are complex and require specialist input in order to counter long-term effects and provide a good quality-of-life for the increasing number of survivors.
The revision of the EU Clinical Trials Directive, the EU Paediatric Regulation and earlier diagnosis campaigns will be discussed, particularly improved diagnosis of paediatric brain tumours.

• For further information on the event, please contact the SIOPE office (office@siope.eu)