From Caterpillar to BUTTERFLY: supporting transformation of DCs in a paediatric oncology network

Every year, around 600 children in the Netherlands get cancer and one in four children dies from this illness. More than ten years ago, a group of parents and healthcare professionals in the Netherlands started working towards one national children’s cancer centre that could accelerate advances in treatment by centralizing all patient care and research in one building. Those efforts led to the creation of the Princess Máxima Centre for paediatric oncology: a unique centre that brings together all the highly complex care and research for children with cancer in the Netherlands. This concentration and integration of specialized paediatric oncology reflects our mission: ‘To provide a cure for every child with cancer while maintaining an optimal quality of life’. Only with innovative research we will be able to improve survival and quality of life for children with cancer. Our research covers the entire spectrum: from fundamental research to expose genetic and molecular characteristics of tumour cells to clinical trials to test improved treatment options. And from translational experiments to develop personalized therapy to psychosocial studies that monitor the wellbeing of the whole family. Collaborations within our center, between researchers and clinicians, but also partnerships with other institutes, nationally and internationally, are crucial to reach our goals. To contribute to this effort, the MAXIMA-BUTTERFLY programme will train the next generation of multi-disciplinary scientists in the field of paediatric oncology. For a successful implementation and to achieve a radical change in the society, the work needs to be translated to the academic community, the industry, health policy makers, regulatory authorities, insurance companies, doctors, patients, patients advocates, and the general public. Therefore, a multidisciplinary research team of scientists based in the Princess Máxima Centre are applying for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND grant for 28 DCs.