Long-term survivors of childhood cancer: cure and care—the Erice Statement (2006) revised after 10 years (2016)

Purpose: The number of persons who have successfully completed treatment for a cancer diagnosed during childhood and whohave entered adulthood is increasing over time, and former patients will become aging citizens.

Methods: Ten years ago, an expert panel met in Erice, Italy, to produce a set of principles concerning the cure and care ofsurvivors of childhood and adolescent cancer. The result was the Erice Statement (Haupt et al. Eur J Cancer 43(12):1778–80,2007 ) that was translated into nine languages. Ten years on, it was timely to review, and possibly revise, the Erice Statement inview of the changes in paediatric oncology and the number and results of international follow-up studies conducted during theintervening years.

Results: The long-term goal of the cure and care of a child with cancer is that he/she becomes a resilient and autonomous adultwith optimal health-related quality of life, accepted in society at the same level as his/her age peers.“Cure”refers to cure from theoriginal cancer, regardless of any potential for, or presence of, remaining disabilities or side effects of treatment. Thecareof achild with cancer should include complete and honest information for parents and the child.

Conclusions and implication for cancer survivors: Some members of the previous expert panel, as well as new invited experts, metagain in Erice to review the Erice Statement, producing a revised version including update and integration of each of the tenpoints. In addition, a declaration has been prepared, by the Childhood Cancer International Survivors Network in Dublin onOctober 2016 (see Annex1).