Experts have called for a new drive to improve care of children with cancer with the aim of boosting research into the rarest diseases.
The world’s leading child cancer specialists met in London over the weekend and called for the authorities and for pharmaceutical companies to join them in the project.
Called a "treatment alliance", the project would mean more global enterprises enabling researchers to focus on small groups of children, searching for key molecular and genetic factors and aiming to improve the quality of treatment as well as success rates.
The call was made at the conference of the International Society for Paediatric Oncology.
Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones, of Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK, said: "Cancer in children is a very unique disease, with many treatments designed for adults not suitable.
"Saving more children’s lives from the disease can only be achieved by collaborative research across continents, as more and more, new treatments are focused on small groups of patients based on the molecular characteristics of the cancer.
"Only by bringing together this ‘treatment alliance’ can we make the next leap in saving more children from cancer. Only in this way will the needs of these children be met first."
Improved treatments would aim to help reduce long-term side-effects given that a successfully treated child could live with its effects for decades, she said.
About 80% of UK child cancer patients now live at least five years after diagnosis – compared with about 30% 50 years ago.
Kate Law, of Cancer Research UK, welcomed the new drive.
She said: "Clinical trials are essential for making new treatments available to children with cancer, and Cancer Research UK is campaigning to cut the red tape that’s hindering clinical research across Europe, while maintaining a safe environment for patients."
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