Childhood Cancer International Day

In France, childhood cancer affects 1 child in 500. It is the second commonest cause of mortality in those under 15 years of age. The number of patients cured continues to rise and today, 80% are cured of their cancer. At Gustave Roussy, all our professional staff work together every day to make the Child and Adolescent Cancer Department an innovative unit in research and care.

In 1950, Gustave Roussy created the first Paediatric Cancer Unit in France which is the origin of:

• innovative treatments which today are worldwide treatment recommendations;
• research studies to reduce sequellae due to the treatment and the illness;
• early trials on new medicines;
• a law to encourage the pharmaceutical industry to draw to a close the use of medicines for the treatment of children which are effective in adults.

Overseen by Dr Dominique Valteau-Couanet, this department manages all types of paediatric cancer: neuroblastomas, cerebral tumours, bone and soft tissue tumours, lymphomas, stem cell tumours and rare tumours. Each department physician is an expert at the National, European and International level.  

Special attention focuses on:

• Appropriate treatment and access to new treatments
• The quality of care within and outside the hospital environment
• The readaptation to life after the illness
• Long term survival.

In order to attain a better overall management, innovative and centred on the needs of young patients, the children and adolescent cancer department of Gustave Roussy has benefited from a thorough architectural restructuring. These new premises were inaugurated in December 2014.