Children's oncology

Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment

We base this nationwide programme on three main pillars, namely - diagnostics, state-of-the-art equipment, and cancer awareness. Within the framework of this programme we have: 

• opened 80 diagnostic centres for treating cancer in children (both at an early and advanced stage) working nationwide. We’ve equipped numerous diagnostic units and cancer clinics with 80 high-tech ultrasound scanners. 

• Furnished major Polish children’s cancer clinics with specialised equipment. Doctors can now quickly and, what is more important, precisely diagnose children. We started this stage of the program in the spring of 2010 when we bought 6 high-tech CT scanners, which play a crucial part in cancer diagnostics.

• Provided equipment necessary to establish a Central Laboratory of Genetic Research in Children's Oncology - ONCOLAB in Łódź. The laboratory is meant to provide genetic analysis of samples taken from children from the entire country, and the lab is furnished with equipment purchased by the GOCC for a sum of 2 500 000 PLN (over 580 000 EUR). 

• Worked to increase parents’ and family doctors’ cancer awareness through information campaigns. We also aim to encourage Polish authorities to develop appropriate mechanisms aimed at including diagnostic centres in domestic children’s health care system. First of all, we’d like to convince Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia (the National Health Fund) to supervise tests done in ultrasound laboratories established by the GOCC Foundation.

Every year around 1300 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer. Even though cancer is rarely diagnosed in children and adolescents, and treatment is getting more and more effective (currently 70-80% recoveries), it is still the second leading cause of death amongst children and adolescents (1+ year).

Diagnosing cancer at its early stage may increase the odds of a child’s recovery. In Poland, the rate of early diagnosis of early cancer is only 8%, while the rate in Western Europe is 25%.

We strongly believe that our activities in all three areas will enable us to achieve the most important goal - a definite improvement of cancer diagnostics at its early stage. This objective won’t be achieved without collaboration with oncologists, family doctors, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund.