A new chance in the fight against childhood and teens cancer with the help of EEA Grants

Published: Wednesday, 22 Jan 2025

Every hope for life given back to children with cancer is a victory in the fight against this relentless disease. And rapid access to appropriate treatment is essential for those facing the different types of the disease that claims millions of lives worldwide every year.

A big step forward has been made at the Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuță Oncology Institute in Cluj Napoca (IOCN), one of the largest hospitals in Romania dedicated to cancer patients, with tens of thousands of patients coming annually to benefit from preventive, curative and palliative oncology medical services.

The project "Increasing performance in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood and teens cancers by improving the technical equipment, purchase of modern equipment, training of medical staff and development of recommendations" aimed to increase access to high-quality and effective medical services for children suffering from different types of cancer and was carried out within the program "Challenges in public health at European level", managed by the Ministry of Health and funded by EEA Grants 2014-2021. With a funding of over 3.6 million euro, it was possible to equip the Oncology Institute Cluj-Napoca with high-performance equipment.

The initiative has supported the improvement of childhood cancer diagnosis and treatment through the purchase of equipment, training programs for health professionals on the use of the equipment and the improvement of their diagnostic and therapeutic skills, and the development and implementation of guidelines on diagnosis and treatment in pediatric oncology according to European standards.

The IOCN`s facilities are now up to international standards, with the purchase of modern, high-performance medical equipment

The IOCN`s facilities are now up to international standards, with the purchase of modern, high-performance medical equipment

Early diagnosis and access to state-of-the-art equipment are key in the fight against the disease

"This is an extremely dramatic diagnosis, but the message to the public is to mobilize early, get the necessary tests and labs, and check for any potential health problems children may have. A parent`s initial reaction to a cancer diagnosis is to seek medical support abroad, which can delay treatment. Through this project, medical care and cancer treatment have become increasingly effective in Romania as well", said Dr. Rodica Voichița Cosnarovici, Head of Onco-Pediatrics IOCN.

Children and teens suffering from  cancer receive the best oncology medical services at the Cluj Oncology Institute.

Children and teens suffering from cancer receive the best oncology medical services at the Cluj Oncology Institute.

It is known that early diagnosis of cancer, as well as access to advanced technological equipment, play a very important role in the fight against cancer for children and teens. The earlier the signs are discovered, the better are the chances of treating this relentless disease in an easier and less traumatic way for patients.

Therefore, having the tools to better control this disease is the main key to more effective cases of cancer management.

In addition to equipping medical facilities with high-performance equipment, increasing the level of training of medical staff also plays an important role in the treatment that small patients receive.

Two chemotherapy dilution robots purchased for the first time in the country

The project involved the purchase, for the first time in the country, of two chemotherapy dilution robots used to prepare substances used to treat cancer.

State-of-the-art equipment supports rapid cancer diagnosis and treatment.

State-of-the-art equipment supports rapid cancer diagnosis and treatment.

State-of-the-art equipment supports rapid cancer diagnosis and treatment.

In addition, a computer tomograph, with the capacity to simulate radiotherapy treatments, a vacuum system for the transmission of samples to laboratories and of drugs from the pharmacy to the ward, two anesthesia machines used in the computer tomograph exploration or for radiotherapy sessions in children, were purchased, as well as a stationary and portable ultrasound scanners for diagnostic and monitoring procedures relating in particular to thyroid cancers, a mobile radiology machine, a teleradiology system, 13 vital function monitors and two Echo Doppler ultrasound scanners for diagnostic and monitoring procedures for various types of cancers allowing contrast assessment, CT/MRI image superimposition in case of biopsy.

Oncological Institute Prof. Dr.  Ion Chiricuță Ion Chiricuță Cluj-Napoca has created friendly conditions for  children with cancer.

Oncological Institute Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuță Ion Chiricuță Cluj-Napoca has created friendly conditions for children with cancer.

„Increased performance in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancers has been achieved by improving technical equipment, acquiring modern, vital equipment, training medical staff and developing recommendations and diagnostic guidelines in pediatric oncology treatment", explained Ioan-Cătălin Vlad, manager of IOCN.

Specialized oncology courses - a long-lasting impact among specialist doctor

In the framework of the project, 256 Oncologists participated in specialization courses in the field of pediatric oncology and a guide for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children was developed.
Medical professionals have participated in training programs aimed at developing new skills to manage childhood cancer more effectively, anticipate, prevent and make personalized and tailored decisions more accurately on a case-by-case basis.

"The specialization courses carried out within the framework of this project have given me a detailed perspective on pediatric radiotherapy and have led me to devote more time to researching this treatment with concrete clinical application on little patients", said Andrada Țurcaș, project beneficiary and doctor at the Pediatric Oncology Department IOCN.

Bilingual guide available in Romanian and English, a result of the Romanian-Norwegian partnership

"Improving technical equipment was not the only problem overcome by this project. A key component was also the training of medical staff, as well as the development of therapeutic guidelines that help oncologists to have better results in treating cancer in children. We also encourage parents whose children are diagnosed with cancer to read these guidelines and respond promptly to the treatment solutions proposed by the treating physician," said Dr. Rodica Voichița Cosnarovici, Head of the IOCN Oncopediatrics Section.

The development of the guide was coordinated by Dr. Rodica Cosnarovici and Dr. Dana Cernea, from the Prof. Dr. I. Chiricuță Oncological Institute Cluj-Napoca, with the support of the Norwegian specialists in the field of oncopediatrics: Anne Grete Bechensteen and Eva Widing, as well as Conf. Dr. Monica Desiree Dragomir from Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu Oncological Institute Bucharest and Prof. Dr. Anca Coliță from Fundeni Clinical Institute.

EEA grants were the project`s chance

The project implemented with the support of EEA Grants 2014-2021 has become an example of good practice and inspiration.

Through a close collaboration, with a high level of expertise and effective exchange of experience, the partnership between the Oncology Institute Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuță, Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuță Oncology Institute in Cluj-Napoca, as Project Promoter and its project partners: the Norwegian Health Directorate Louis Țurcanu Children`s Emergency Hospital-Timisoara, the Regional Institute of Oncology-Iași and the Oncology Institute Prof. Dr. Al. Trestioreanu-Bucharest, carried out a project that changed the lives of the beneficiaries (children, parents) and opened doors to the future of pediatric oncology medicine.

More details about the project can be found here: www.oncopediatrie.com/ro/acasa/, and information on EEA and Norwegian Grants can be found at www.eeagrants.ro/

The EEA and Norway Grants are the contribution of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway to reducing economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area and to strengthening bilateral relations with the 15 beneficiary countries in Eastern and Southern Europe and the Baltic States. These funding mechanisms are established on the basis of the European Economic Area Agreement, which brings together the EU Member States and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as equal partners in the internal market. In total, the three countries have contributed 3.3 billion euro between 1994 and 2014 and 2.8 billion euro for the 2014-2021 funding period.