The Paediatric Palliative Care (PPC) Working Group has been quite active during the summer months, experiencing notable growth with the addition of new members. As a result, there are several important updates to share.
SIOPE Paediatric Palliative Care WG Website
Firstly, the group's webpage has been revamped. You can check it out for all the latest information and access the palliative care flyer, which is now available in multiple languages.
Recent Publication
Additionally, the group has published a position paper on the early integration of Palliative Care in Paediatric Oncology, marking a significant achievement in the field.
“No matter the course, the goal of providing care and comfort that supports a full life for all children with cancer must be supported and attainable.” This is a thought from a mother, who opens the recently published position paper from the SIOPE Palliative Care Working Group. We proudly invite you all to read it here. The authors advocate for the early integration of Palliative Care in Paediatric Oncology, whilst recognizing barriers and challenges that our Society and community must work to overcome. If you wish to be part of the change you can apply to become a member of the group.
The trajectory of paediatric cancer: all the possible events and uncertainty about outcome justifies the early integration Paediatric Oncology – Paediatric Palliative Care. The disease affects not just the child or young person but the whole family system. Survivors of paediatric cancer endure a number of more or less severe chronic sequelae, and face several adult life challenges, including vocational ones. Reprinted with permission (doi:10.1002/pbc.30561).
PPC Session at the Lustrum Symposium of the Princess Maxima Centrum
A member of the PPC was a speaker of the PPC session at the Lustrum Symposium of the Princess Maxima Centrum. Read below about her first-hand experience!
“On the 12th and 13th of June 2023 took place the Lustrum Symposium of the Princess Maxima Centrum for nurses and paramedics. It was a great opportunity to share knowledge and experience with nurses from different countries. The first day program included a paediatric palliative care workshop, during this workshop nurses from four different countries (Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Spain) shared their way of working in their Units by explaining ‘the patient journey’ of the same clinical scenario. The speakers tackled aspects such as communication, symptom management, ethics and advance care planning. During the second part of the workshop, the attendants could interact with the speakers in a round table discussion. It was a very interesting and useful Symposium with many ideas to take home!”
Announcement for an Open Call
BMC Palliative Care, one of the major journals in the field, has opened a call for a special collection on Paediatric Palliative Care, open until February 9, 2024.
This collection, aiming to describe existing gaps and achievements in pediatric palliative care, welcomes the submission of research articles, but should you wish to submit a different article type, please read the submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal.
Acting as guest editors are Laure Dombrecht (End-of-Life Care Research Group, Belgium), Ana Lacerda (Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Lisbon, Portugal; EAPC and SIOP Europe), Jennifer Snaman (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, United States) and Joanne Wolfe (Massachusetts General Hospital, United States; PPC Research Network).
Discover more details about this call here.