International Childhood Cancer Day

February 15 is International Childhood Cancer Day. The event, which coincides with the tenth anniversary of the founding of Childhood Cancer Switzerland, will see the umbrella organisation drawing attention to the many challenges in this area. Since 2015, it has been working intensively with its member organisations to improve the situation of children with cancer and their families throughout Switzerland. Despite considerable progress, those affected still need help and support in many ways. The need for socio-political action therefore remains great.

Around 350 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every year in Switzerland alone. The diagnosis is devastating both for them and their families. Their everyday life is a world of worry, fear and great uncertainty for quite some time because, despite good chances of recovery, there is still one child dying of cancer almost every week. In addition, many former childhood cancer patients suffer from late effects of the disease and therapy. In 2015, the country’s largest childhood cancer organisations founded the umbrella organisation Childhood Cancer Switzerland in order to provide even greater support for those affected. “Our greatest aim is to ensure that all children can be cured in the future, that the late effects of therapy are kept to a minimum and that those affected receive the best possible care and support,” says Prof. Nicolas von der Weid (MD), President of the umbrella organisation and Head of Oncology / Hematology at the University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB).

Children are severely disadvantaged in the development of new cancer drugs and therapies

Because the types of cancer children and adolescents develop are different from those contracted by adults, they need research which is specifically tailored to their needs. However, progress in the development of new childhood cancer drugs and therapies is slow because childhood cancer is rare and is not very lucrative for the pharmaceutical industry. This is why research in this area is carried out at paediatric hospitals and academic research institutions. However, these are chronically underfunded and rely on donations and third-party funding. “Childhood cancer research has received funding of over CHF 1.1 million in recent years, but that is nowhere near enough. If we want to continue to treat children with cancer with the best possible and most cutting-edge therapies in the future, research urgently needs more funding,” says von der Weid.

Cured, however, does not automatically mean healthy

Even after successful treatment, around 80 per cent of survivors struggle with the late effects of the disease and therapy. “These can be very far-reaching, sometimes only appear years later and in some cases massively impair the quality of life and future prospects of those affected. This makes it all the more important to provide not only medical but also psychosocial support,” explains Elena Guarnaccia, interim CEO of Childhood Cancer Switzerland. The umbrella organisation set up a Survivors’ Centre in 2017 to provide better support for those affected and their relatives. This is the only contact point for survivors in Switzerland and closes an important gap in care. Even though follow-up care services have improved in recent years, the challenges remain significant, particularly with regard to the educational and professional integration of childhood cancer survivors.

More rights for children with cancer and their families

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, it affects the whole family. Childhood Cancer Switzerland therefore campaigns very successfully at a political level on behalf of those affected. Milestones in recent years include 14 weeks of paid care leave with protection against dismissal for parents of seriously ill children (in force since 2021) and better provision of life-saving medication for children with cancer (in force since 2024). The political commitment of Childhood Cancer Switzerland focuses on improving the legal framework for children, parents and survivors. To raise public awareness of childhood cancer, the umbrella organisation also regularly launches awareness-raising campaigns that have reached several million people in Switzerland over the last few years.

Ten years of commitment to children with cancer and their families

The Childhood Cancer Switzerland umbrella association was officially launched on 15 February 2015 on the occasion of International Childhood Cancer Day in Bern. Together with its member organisations, it works to improve support for families with a child with cancer, optimise treatment options and develop accessible therapies and medication for all those affected. In addition to its own projects in the areas of self-help and follow-up care as well as a national specialist Survivors’ Centre, the umbrella organisation promotes childhood cancer research, raises awareness of childhood cancer among the general public and campaigns for the interests of those affected at a political level. Its member organisations include ARFEC (Association Romande des Familles d'Enfants atteints d'un Cancer), the Childhood Cancer Research Group at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) at the University of Bern, Swiss Childhood Cancer Aid, Childhood Cancer Aid Central Switzerland, the Swiss Paediatric Oncology Group (SPOG) and the Basel Region Childhood Cancer Foundation (Regio Basiliensis). Childhood Cancer Switzerland relies on private donations and external project funding to finance its work.