In this interview, we meet Anne Blondeel from SIOP Europe in Brussels, Belgium.
Please introduce yourself and share with us why you joined PanCareFollowUp.
SIOP Europe joined PanCareFollowUp because improving the quality of life for survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer is one of the key objectives that SIOP Europe set out in the European Cancer Plan for Children and Adolescents where joint efforts are needed.
Explain your organisation and your role in PanCareFollowUp.
The European Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOP Europe) is the only pan-European organisation representing all professionals working in the field of childhood cancers. With more than 2000 members across 36 European countries, SIOP Europe is leading the way to ensure the best possible care and outcomes for all children and adolescents with cancer in Europe.
SIOP Europe’s role within PanCareFollowUp is to coordinate the work of WP4 on the Survivorship Passport and to contribute to WP6 on dissemination.
Why do you think PanCareFollowUp is an important project?
Thanks to better cancer treatments, there are now more and more childhood and adolescent cancer survivors in Europe. This group of survivors deserves the best possible survivorship care in order to improve their quality of life, despite the long-term effects of their cancer treatment. PanCareFollowUp addresses the important task of looking at how to best deliver this survivorship care to survivors.
What makes this project unique for you?
The large and varied group of stakeholders, from clinical partners to parent and patient organisations, professional societies and networks working together to make significant and lasting improvements in the quality of life for survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer is unique and of the utmost importance!
What do you hope this project will achieve?
SIOP Europe hopes that PanCareFollowUp will deliver materials and a clear guide to delivering survivorship care, which will be able to be implemented in countries across Europe.
What’s the biggest challenge of your organisation in PanCareFollowUp?
Our biggest challenge is to make sure all of SIOP Europe‘s stakeholdes feel informed, connected and involved in all of our collaborative projects, including PCFU.
What’s the most fun thing for you in PanCareFollowUp?
The best part of working on this project is the collaboration with our work package partners, some of whom we‘ve known for many years!
What’s the most important benefit of your participation in PanCareFollowUp?
SIOP Europe mission is to ensure the best possible care and outcome for all children and adolescents with cancer in Europe. Some of the ways we aim to achieve this is through integrating patients and parents across Europe, bridging the gap between family groups, professionals and policymakers, as well as by advocating for better policies for children with cancer. Participating in PanCareFollowUp fits perfectly within SIOP Europe’s mission!
What else do we need to know about your organisation or is there anything else you want to share?
Visit SIOP Europe‘s website at www.siope.eu to see all of our activities and to get involved!