As of: February 7, 2024, 10:04 a.m
By: Andreas Beez
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A small patient in the children's cancer ward at the Munich Clinic Schwabing.
© Photo: Initiative for Children with Cancer Munich eV / Axel Griesch
Worldwide, a child dies of cancer every three minutes.
But in Munich the little ones have much better chances.
A Munich initiative is helping affected families.
There are staggering differences worldwide in the medical care of children with cancer.
While there are excellent treatment options in Germany and especially in Munich, in most countries the little ones are so poorly cared for that many die.
“Ninety percent of countries can only dream of adequate acute care.
The children's chances of survival are often far lower at a maximum of 20 percent," reports the "Initiative for Children with Cancer Munich eV" on the occasion of International World Childhood Cancer Day on February 15th.
Help for Munich families
In Munich, the “Initiative for Children with Cancer Munich eV” supports families in need financially, pays staff in the children's cancer ward at the Munich Clinic Schwabing, maintains parents' apartments, enables time out to recharge their batteries, offers information and advice and much more.
The association, originally founded in 1985 as a parents' initiative, has set itself the task of improving the living situation of children with cancer from diagnosis to aftercare, supporting families through their extreme stress, and giving them courage, strength and perspectives.
“In this way, we close gaps in the care of children with cancer and their families and thus enable comprehensive support from diagnosis to aftercare,” says the chairwoman of the initiative, Carlotta Diekmann.
In addition to all these aid measures, the initiative also supports research projects to stimulate innovation and increase the chances of recovery.
The donation account at HypoVereinsbank Munich has the IBAN: DE 83 700 202 700 002 440 0.
The chance of survival for children with cancer in Germany is 82 percent
The situation in Germany, on the other hand, is completely different: Here, the chances of survival for children with cancer have now risen to 82 percent.
This is encouraging news for Münchner Kindl - frightening for their fellow sufferers in poor parts of the world: “Whether a child survives cancer depends on where it is born.
In industrialized countries, the survival rate is very high due to good medical and psychosocial care, close cooperation between clinics and research and intensive aftercare,” says the Munich initiative.
Analysis by the Cancer Research Center: In Pakistan and India only one in three small patients makes it
International collaboration is particularly important in pediatric oncology in order to be able to develop new diagnostic and treatment options.
Here, scientists from partner countries in South America, Asia and Africa visit the Heidelberg laboratories to establish a precision diagnostic process in their facilities.
© German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
In other countries, the cure rate is 60 percent or lower.
In Pakistan and Indonesia, for example, less than 30 percent of children survive their cancer.
“There is a lack of precise diagnostic procedures, but also basic care and access to child-friendly cancer therapies.
In addition, in many countries there are only a few well-trained pediatric oncologists and experts in other disciplines that are needed for modern pediatric oncology," explains Stefan Pfister, director at the Hopp Children's Tumor Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), head of department at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and pediatric oncologist at the University Hospital Heidelberg (UKHD).
“In addition, in many countries there are hardly any reliable figures on cancer among minors, so the actual number of those affected is probably even higher.”