International Society of Paediatric Oncology
Encyclopedia
The International Society for Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) is a medical association for pediatric
oncologists
. Founded in Zurich
in the late 1960s, the organization now has an international membership of 1,450 medical professionals and Continental Branches in Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, and South America
.” To that end, the association has a four-part mission:
, New Zealand
.
The SIOP Pediatric Oncology in Developing Countries (PODC) Committee focuses on improving care for and lower abandonment
rates of children with cancer in developing countries
. The PODC is composed of twelve working groups, the most prominent of which are the ICCCPO Parent Support Groups, the PODC Nurses Group, and the Supportive Care and Nutrition Working Group. The most former of these groups creates support networks
for parents in developing countries as a means to raise awareness of cancer treatment and provide the necessary supplies. The PODC Nurses Group focuses on finding ways to help nurses in developing countries. Its work is loosely affiliated with that of the SIOP Nurses Committee, which focuses on the role of nurses in helping child cancer patients in general. The Supportive Care Group is concerned with pain management in developing countries
SIOP hosts a Pediatric Psycho-Oncology Subcommittee (PPO). The subcommittee works to develop the association's relationship with professionals in the field of psycho-oncology
and thus improve SIOP's practices. The association also provides two International Pediatric Oncology Fellowships to medical professionals under 40 years of age. One of these awards, the Outreach Fellowship, is only available to a professional from a developing country
SIOP’s official scientific publication is the Pediatric Blood & Cancer journal, published by Wiley-Blackwell The journal was originally entitled Medical and Pediatric Oncology and became SIOP’s official journal in 1987. The publication contains original research and systemic reviews of malignant childhood diseases. It also has an international focus, with a feature dedicated to the needs of physicians in less affluent countries
. The journal is also the official publication of The American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
oncologists
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
. Founded in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
in the late 1960s, the organization now has an international membership of 1,450 medical professionals and Continental Branches in Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, and South America
Name
Although English is now the more popular language among its members, the acronym SIOP comes from the society’s original French name, Société Internationale d’Oncologie Pédiatrique. The association is known by both its English and French titles. SIOP's official language is English.Mission
SIOP’s vision is that “No child should die of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.” To that end, the association has a four-part mission:
- To ensure that each child and young adult with cancer has access to state of the art treatmentManagement of cancerCancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy or other methods. The choice of therapy depends upon the location and grade of the tumor and the stage of the disease, as well as the general state of the patient...
and care. - To ensure that all involved in childhood cancer worldwide, have access to the latest progress through meetings, networking, and continuing professional development.
- To support those caring for children and young adults with cancer to provide the best curative and palliative therapiesPalliative carePalliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients...
. - To advocate for appropriate long term follow up for children and young adults after treatment for cancer.
Activities
SIOP members meet at least once per year at the SIOP Annual Congress. The congress is focused on scientific and administrative issues. Speakers are taken largely from the society’s member base and present lectures on relevant medical treatments and scientific advances. Scholarships are available to help members travel to congresses. SIOP also produces education books and training guidelines based on the material shared at its congresses. The 2011 Annual Congress will take place in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
The SIOP Pediatric Oncology in Developing Countries (PODC) Committee focuses on improving care for and lower abandonment
Child abandonment
Child abandonment is the practice of relinquishing interests and claims over one's offspring with the intent of never again resuming or reasserting them. Causes include many social and cultural factors as well as mental illness. An abandoned child is called a foundling .-Causes:Poverty is often a...
rates of children with cancer in developing countries
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
. The PODC is composed of twelve working groups, the most prominent of which are the ICCCPO Parent Support Groups, the PODC Nurses Group, and the Supportive Care and Nutrition Working Group. The most former of these groups creates support networks
Support group
In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic...
for parents in developing countries as a means to raise awareness of cancer treatment and provide the necessary supplies. The PODC Nurses Group focuses on finding ways to help nurses in developing countries. Its work is loosely affiliated with that of the SIOP Nurses Committee, which focuses on the role of nurses in helping child cancer patients in general. The Supportive Care Group is concerned with pain management in developing countries
SIOP hosts a Pediatric Psycho-Oncology Subcommittee (PPO). The subcommittee works to develop the association's relationship with professionals in the field of psycho-oncology
Psycho-oncology
Psycho-oncology is a field of interdisciplinary study and practice at the intersection of lifestyle, psychology and oncology. It is concerned with aspects of cancer that go beyond medical treatment and include lifestyle, psychological and social aspects of cancer...
and thus improve SIOP's practices. The association also provides two International Pediatric Oncology Fellowships to medical professionals under 40 years of age. One of these awards, the Outreach Fellowship, is only available to a professional from a developing country
SIOP’s official scientific publication is the Pediatric Blood & Cancer journal, published by Wiley-Blackwell The journal was originally entitled Medical and Pediatric Oncology and became SIOP’s official journal in 1987. The publication contains original research and systemic reviews of malignant childhood diseases. It also has an international focus, with a feature dedicated to the needs of physicians in less affluent countries
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
. The journal is also the official publication of The American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
Governance
The current officers of the Board of Directors are as follows:- Dr. Gabriele Calaminus (President), University of MünsterUniversity of MünsterThe University of Münster is a public university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The WWU is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities...
, MünsterMünsterMünster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Prof. R. Maarten Egeler (Past President), Leiden University Medical CenterLeiden University Medical CenterThe Leiden University Medical Center or LUMC, is the university hospital affiliated with Leiden University, of which it forms the medical faculty...
, Leiden, The NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... - Prof. M.J. Coppes (Treasurer), Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - Dr. S.D. Macfarlane (Chairman, Local Organizing Committee), Starship Children’s Hospital, AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... - Dr. Bharat R. Agarwal (Secretary-General), B. J. Wadia Hospital For Children, MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... - Prof. Dr. R. Pieters (Chair, Scientific Committee), Sophia Children’s Hospital, RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, The Netherlands