IMPACT-EU kicks off to improve psychosocial care for children and adolescents with cancer across Europe
Utrecht, 1/10/2025 – The IMPACT-EU project has officially launched, marking the start of a Europe-wide effort to improve psychosocial care for children and adolescents affected by cancer. Co-funded by the European Union, this project aims to establish Europe-wide standards for psychosocial care in paediatric oncology, ensuring comprehensive support throughout the treatment journey, including the transition to adult care.
Background
In 2022, an estimated 14,000 new cancer cases and over 2,000 deaths occurred among children and adolescents in Europe. Despite survival rates between 74 – 90% (SIOPE OCEAN, 2024), childhood cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related death in this age group. By 2030, around 750,000 paediatric cancer survivors are expected in Europe. The emotional and social impacts of treatment (such as stress, cognitive deficits, and social isolation) remain significant, underlining the urgent need for comprehensive psychosocial support to improve quality of life and prevent long-term effects.
Many European healthcare systems still struggle to address these needs, leading to geographical inequalities in access to care. IMPACT-EU aims to help close these gaps by integrating medical and psychosocial care with advocacy and by working closely with patient organizations. The project focuses on improving the quality of life and well-being of children, their families, siblings, and relatives through coordinated mental, psychosocial, and medical support.
About the Project
Coordinated by SIOP Europe, IMPACT-EU unites 17 partners from 14 European countries, including hospitals, universities, and patient organizations. The project supports the EU4Health Programme’s goals of strengthening health systems and aligns with the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan priorities: Improving quality of life for cancer patients and survivors, reducing inequalities, and helping children with cancer.
Project Objectives
IMPACT-EU will deliver practical and sustainable results through four main actions:
- Developing a Europe-wide standard for psychosocial care in paediatric oncology to ensure consistent, high-quality support across countries.
- Mapping psychosocial services across Europe, both within and outside hospitals, to identify available resources, best practices, and existing gaps.
- Providing training and implementation tools to strengthen the skills and capacity of professionals and peer supporters delivering psychosocial care.
- Implementing psychosocial care standards in clinical practice, by piloting evidence-based tools in paediatric oncology centres across Europe.
- Advocating for and providing policy recommendations for national adoption of psychosocial standards in Europe
By combining research, training, and practice, IMPACT-EU aims to strengthen psychosocial care systems, build professional capacity, and promote the adoption of psychosocial standards across Europe. The holistic approach of the project will help ensure that every child, adolescent and family affected by cancer receives the emotional, social, and psychological support they need.
CCI Europe’s Role
CCI Europe is a leading organisation from a patient representative perspective on this project and is responsible for communication, dissemination, and policy work.
In addition, CCI Europe’s focus within the project is strongly on the topic of peer support. Not only will CCI Europe continue and expand our mapping of psychosocial services offered by patient and parent organisations in Europe, but it will also develop and implement a training concept, including a train-the-trainer manual for peer support.
About the coordinating organization
The European Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOPE, or SIOP Europe) is the single united European organisation representing all professionals working in the field of childhood cancers. With more than 2,700 members across 36 countries, SIOP Europe is leading the way to ensure the best possible care and outcomes for all children and adolescents with cancer in Europe (www.siope.eu).
About the scientifically leading organisation
About the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology
When a child is seriously ill with cancer, only one thing comes first: a cure.
That is why at the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology, we work together every day in a groundbreaking and passionate way to improve the survival rate and quality of life of children with cancer. Now, and in the longer term. Because children still have a whole life ahead of them.
The Princess Máxima Center is a research hospital, the largest pediatric cancer center in Europe. All children with cancer in the Netherlands are treated here. Our mission: To cure every child with cancer, with optimal quality of life. Over 450 researchers and 900 healthcare professionals work closely with Dutch and international hospitals on better treatments and new perspectives on cures.
In the Princess Máxima Center, Utrecht, Netherlands, the best healthcare professionals and scientists work together on a unique mission: to cure every child with cancer, with optimal quality of life. A mission that remains urgent, as one in four children with cancer dies, and many children who do survive experience the effects of radical treatments throughout their lives.
About leading organisation from patient representative perspective
Childhood Cancer International – Europe (CCI-E, or CCI Europe) represents childhood cancer parent and survivor groups as well as other childhood cancer organisations in Europe: more than 63 organisations in 34 European countries are members of CCI-E. CCI Europe works together with all relevant stakeholders for the same goal: to help everyone affected by childhood cancer thrive, free from lasting impact (www.ccieurope.eu – office@ccieurope.eu).
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.