Overcoming Cancer with Research - Making Successes Public

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Making Successes Public

Last update on: 17/01/2011

further Videos (Interviews with Experts, Survivors, ... >>

co-productions of the DIRECT project team

TV documentary "Little heroes - great opportunities. Childhood cancer research in Europe": The impressive and moving film unveils the battle and successes of highly motivated paediatric oncologists, researchers, private foundations, parents' initiatives, children and adolescents with cancer and childhood cancer survivors in many different settings throughout Europe, such as the Viennese Children's Cancer Research Institute, the St. Anna Children's Hospital and the "Forest Pirates' Camp" in Heidelberg, Germany. Based on the scientific expertise of the Children's Cancer Research Institute and the St. Anna Children's Hospital and in collaboration with the German Childhood Cancer Foundation, the film was produced by the Austrian enterprise Pammerfilm, directed by Gustav W. Trampitsch. >>                                                                                         

Press release (in German) with press photos  >> 

 

"Mountaineers and Rainbow Tour Riders. Visions and encouraging campaigns of former childhood cancer patients. Designed for patients, family members, friends and potential sponsors" (PDF-10,8Mb): The aim in writing this book was to buttress  the childhood cancer message of the EC-funded TV documentary of the project OVERCOMING CANCER WITH RESEARCH (DIRECT) and raise awareness of the current situation of childhood cancer survivors. This book has been written in honor of the protagonists from two campaigns who, with their commitment and powers of communication, tell their personal experiences with their disease and with society in touching and honest words. The main objective of the stories and colorful  and awe-striking photographs of the Rainbow Tour and the Survivors' Grossglockner Tour 2009 is to encourage children and adolescents with cancer and their families to get through their taxing therapies together and to think about the bright colors of their future life.  

Press release on the Survivors' Grossglockner Tour 2009, in English

 

The brochure "What we must conquer: Cancer in Europe's children and teenagers" (PDF-5,6Mb) (in German and English) was created for the interested public, media representatives and potential sponsors to gain an insight into the current situation of children and adolescents with cancer in Europe and to become aware of the strong link between the support of childhood cancer research by private and public funding, such as by the European Commission, and the improved survival rates of young cancer patients due to continuously optimised treatment concepts and substantial advances in biomedical research. The brochure is a co-production of the German Competence Network Paediatric Oncology/Haematology (KPOH) and the DIRECT project team. 

 

Specific articles - summarized in MEMO (magazine of European medical oncology) - about established successes and future challenges in paediatric oncology. During the DIRECT symposium in Vienna (May 2008) substantial issues were discussed by international experts and major suggestions for taking remedial action were developed.  Two papers concerning the imperative of continual support for future advances in paediatric oncology were elaborated in collaboration with the Competence Network Paediatric Oncology and Haematology (KPOH, Germany). Further articles such as "Current situation and future directions in paediatric oncology in Europe" written by the paediatric oncologist at the St. Anna Children's Hospital Assoc. Prof. Ruth Ladenstein, MD,  and "Pharmacogenomics to improve childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia therapy",give an insight into the broad spectrum of cancers in children and adolescents. The special reprint is for free download if you register at Springer Medicine.at and create a free account which goes without any obligations. As new customer, you will have free access to the download of this special edition of the MEMO reprint. >>

Did you know that ... ?

Cancer during childhood and adolescents is currently curable in three out of four cases. Within the last four decade, we were able to record rapid progress in the area of child cancer medicine. Research has been a substantial contributor to this. >>

Despiteb our successes, all therapies must be improved to enable more children and adolescents, suffering from cancer to overcome their disease. Due to this there must be continual research.>>

Already today, there are several 100.000 people who have been cured from cancer during childhood. Temporary or permanent medical repercussions, psychological and social problems may also arise after overcoming child cancer. Due to the increasing chances of a cure, there is an increasing importance of specific aftercare programmes. >>

The initiative "Overcoming Cancer with Research", which is supported by the European Commission, applies creative measures to illustrate comprehensibly the outstanding achievement of childhood cancer research. With the use of events, symposia and a TV-movie we strive to also communicate complex aspects of this area. >>

 

We greatly appreciate your interest,

Helmut Gadner, MD, FRCP (G)

Medical Director of St. Anna and

of the Children`s Cancer Research Institute and

DIRECT project-cooridnator, Vienna, Austria

 

& the DIRECT project partners

German Childhood Cancer Foundation, St. Anna Children`s Hospital, Otto Pammer Filmproduction