Dear colleagues, members, and partners,
It has been quite some time since our last newsletter update, and I am delighted to reconnect with all of you. The last few months have been filled with exciting events and important milestones for our community, starting with our unforgettable face-to-face gathering in May 2024 in Milan. The 5th SIOP Europe Annual Meeting was truly a highlight of the year, where over 1,500 participants from around the world came together to network, exchange knowledge, and connect with the parent and survivors’ community, through the great collaboration with CCI Europe. A total of 133 sessions took place, including 4 educational sessions, 20 joint sessions, 105 open sessions, 5 plenary sessions, 4 satellite symposia, as well as 28 operational meetings. Together with the members of our Board, including Prof. Uta Dirksen, SIOPE President Elect who will take over the role of the President starting January 1st, 2025, we are particularly grateful to our sponsors, partners, the Operations and Scientific Committees, the local organizing team, the SIOPE Office and of course, you all - the participants, whose contributions made the event such a success.
This summer has been far from quiet for our community, as we prepared for what has become one of the most special times of the year - the Gold September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. A remarkable edition of our campaign has already been launched, with no fewer than 10 impactful initiatives, all aimed at raising awareness and attention for childhood cancer. For the first time ever, SIOP Europe introduced a comprehensive communication toolkit, making it easier than ever for our community to engage, share, and spread the message of hope. This one-stop-shop of resources empowered our supporters to take action, and we encourage everyone that missed out to check it out here.
As always, Gold September kicked off with a heartwarming transformation in Brussels. On 6 September, the beloved Manneken Pis statue was dressed as a paediatric oncologist, capturing the attention of the city and raising much-needed awareness for childhood cancer. This symbolic event, along with our renewed partnership with the Filigranes bookstores, where Gold September posters were once again displayed, reminded the public of the ongoing fight against this disease.
In September, we also co-hosted our annual Gold September Policy Webinar in collaboration with CCI Europe, tackling the important question of why childhood cancer must remain a top priority on the EU agenda. This insightful discussion was met with enthusiastic participation, and we are thankful to all who contributed to the productive Q&A session.
Another key moment was our participation in the Run to Kick 2024, organized by Kick Cancer. SIOP Europe and CCI Europe joined forces for this incredible event, with our joint “We love the EU” team proudly taking part in the run to raise funds for childhood cancer research.
I’m also thrilled to share two initiatives that allowed us to mobilize our community like never before. Together with CCI Europe, SIOP, ACCELERATE, and with the support of many others, we launched our first-ever SIOPE Virtual Awareness Wall. This platform allowed individuals worldwide to share their powerful messages and stories, creating a lasting legacy of awareness. If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to visit the wall here and be inspired by the collective strength of our community.
And of course, we couldn’t let September pass without celebrating the return of our cherished tradition, #WearGoldDay! On 27 September, we invited everyone to don their brightest gold or yellow outfits to show solidarity for childhood cancer awareness. The outpouring of support was incredible, and we are deeply grateful to all who participated and helped turn social media into a golden celebration.
September was undoubtedly a busy and rewarding month for our community, but the momentum continues as we move into Autumn. In honor of Children’s Rights Day, we are organizing a SIOPE policy event on 19 November—please mark the date and join us from 4 pm to 6pm at the European Parliament. This event will provide another opportunity to keep childhood cancer high on the political agenda and continue advocating for our children.
Additionally, SIOP Europe was recently present at the SIOP Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii, from 17–20 October, where the international paediatric oncology community gathered once again. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the organizing committee for a successful event and are excited to continue this valuable collaboration in the future.
As always, this newsletter highlights not only our Gold September actions but also shares updates on our other areas of activities. For instance, regarding ongoing projects - we’re excited to announce that the Polaris project has reached the rollout phase for AIEOP-BFM and ALLIC, and the pilot phase for ALLTOGETHER. Meanwhile, the ERN PaedCan project is embarking on an exciting new renewal phase—please explore the projects section for further insights on these advancements. Our policy activities have also been thriving, with the recent launch of the SIOPE Ambassador Network and SIOPE’s achievement of non-state actor status with WHO Europe.
For those interested in our education efforts, please check our education section for updates on recently completed initiatives like the three-year SIOPE Course and the first-ever SIOPE Summer School. Don’t forget to check the events-of-interest carousel at the bottom of this newsletter for information on upcoming events and congresses—mark your calendars and join us as we continue our important work together.
Thank you for your dedication and support as we move forward in our shared mission.
Prof. Carmelo Rizzari
SIOP Europe President