Dear colleagues,
As the COVID-19 pandemic advances, the care for children with cancer continues to be challenged around the globe. SIOP and St. Jude have joined forces to create a global resource center where we can all access the most updated information about COVID-19 and have a community space for engagement to support our programs and collectively create the new knowledge that we will need to build better practices during this trying time. This community site will also host live seminars and discussions with experts where we will all have the opportunity to learn as new evidence is generated.
We have also created an open registry that hopefully will help us characterize the disease in our patient population. The information will inform a global observatory where the data can be updated on real time, allowing all of us to monitor the impact of COVID-19 in children with cancer.
We realize that a lot more needs to be done; however, the advances in science required to develop better treatments and preventive measures take time. But we have each other and we can join efforts to share experiences and ideas, and collectively create a safer environment for our patients. And we have the resilience that we have learned from our patients and their families, always an inspiration to all.
These are very difficult times for patients, families, and providers, and we can only hope that the collective work of medical community, society, and governments can help us move past these challenging circumstances soon.
We hope this resource will provide us with the tools and the information that we will need to advance in our pursuit of a better future for our children.
Best wishes to all,
Prof. Kathy Pritchard-Jones, International Society of Paediatric Oncology President
Prof. Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, St. Jude Global Director
