A special passport for a more carefree journey into the future
We provide children in remission from cancer with a better quality of life thanks to an innovative idea of care and support.
Surpass
The results
Patients identified for inclusion in the project
SurPasses in progress
SurPasses delivered
Speeches at national and international conferences
2019/2021
Concluded
In collaboration with: Associazione Oncologia Pediatrica e Neuroblastoma – OPEN Onlus
Project cofinanced by: Ri-Diamo Onlus nonproft association
THE CHALLENGE: transitioning kids with childhood cancer to adult medicine
Every year in Italy about 1500 children suffer from malignant tumours, but thanks to the current treatments, over 75% go into remission, joining the so-called group of Long-Term Survivors of childhood cancer.
Across Europe, it is estimated that between 300 and 500 thousand children become cancer-free 5 years after the diagnosis.
Many of them have reached or are about to reach adulthood. According to data from the Italian Association of Haematology and Paediatric Oncology (AIEOP), the current age of paediatric cancer survivors ranges between 6 and 55, with over 50% of subjects being already over 25 years.
Some of them are at a higher risk of developing late effects, which may vary according to the kind of treatment received and which may also result in the development of second, malignant tumours.
For this reason, it is important to ensure long-term follow-ups that persist far beyond paediatric age and support them during the delicate transition into adulthood.
THE GOAL: to ensure that Long-Term Survivors are supported in a personalised manner
The aim of the Long-Term Survivor Passport is to collect the information of children in remission from cancer, such as their illness’ history and follow-up care to monitor and prevent possible late effects from past treatments.
The goal of the project is to provide 600 children with the support of the European Survivorship Passport – SurPass, a document that will allow them to be followed and supported throughout their lives.
OUR PROJECT: to provide a life-enhancing support tool
The European Survivorship Passport – SurPass, the Long-Term Survivor Passport, is an electronic document that collects the entire clinical history of a child going into remission following paediatric cancer.
The project, conceived in partnership with the children’s hospital Gaslini in Genoa and Pausilipon in Naples, is gaining traction across Europe and foresees the creation of designated clinics within paediatric oncology centres, to issue the document.
The data added to the passport (cancer type, clinical characteristics, treatments received and any complications during treatment), permit the doctors who will follow the adult patient to advise which important organs might be most at risk, to recommend screening exams, and advice on managing any results showing any changes based on internationally shared guidelines.
In fact, it is possible that some Long-Term Survivors may lose contact with the hospital in which they were treated, making it difficult for them to provide the doctor seeing them in adulthood with adequate information about their cancer and the treatments received.
Everything is managed through an online platform within the European project and is automatically translated into multiple languages to support the patients wherever they may go.
