“Treating children with #cancer is tough, and the job can feel like a constant battle. But when the children end up doing well – then it’s a wonderful job.” Alessia Pica, senior radiation oncologist and Head of Paediatrics at the Centre for Proton Therapy at PSI Paul Scherrer Institut. On 5 July 2004, exactly 20 years ago, a two-year-old toddler with a #tumour was irradiated under #anaesthesia at PSI for the first time. This treatment would not have been possible without the collaboration of the Department of Anaesthesia at the Kinderspital Zürich because, unlike adults, young patients require anaesthesia. “The collaboration the Children’s Hospital Zurich between and PSI is exemplary” says Georg Schäppi, CEO of the Kinderspital Zürich. “Here, the right people are working together and are performing small and large miracles.” Thanks to this collaboration, even very young patients in Switzerland can be irradiated with protons. 60 to 70 children and adolescents are treated at PSI every year. To date, more than 800 have benefited from this unique success story. The majority of these young patients suffer from #tumours of the brain, spinal cord and sarcomas, #cancers that originate in connective or muscle tissue. Thanks to thorough preparation and continuous support, children usually experience no anxiety when receiving radiation treatment. “Our close working relationship allows us to give our patients the best possible #treatment,” says Grotzer Michael, Medical Director of the Kinderspital Zürich. #ProtonTherapy #Health #Innovation #ResearchAtPSI
The collaboration with the PSI Paul Scherrer Institut is indeed exemplary, and we are proud to be part of this successful partnership. Our shared goal is to provide the best possible treatment for children with cancer. We look forward to many more years of successful collaboration and positively impacting even more children's lives.
Danke herzlich, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen vom PSI, danke herzlich, liebes Kispi-Team vor Ort, für diese wunderbare langjährige Zusammenarbeit zum Wohle unserer Patientinnen und Patienten!
Grossartige Arbeit. Der Leidensdruck der betroffenen Kinder ist unvorstellbar gross. Daher ist es wichtig, diesen Bereich der Forschung nicht zu vernachlässigen und alles daran zu setzen, um neue Methoden zur Heilung dieser Kinder zu finden.
Besten Dank für diesen wichtigen Einblick.
Read the full story: https://www.psi.ch/en/news/media-releases/joining-forces-to-cure-children