NEWS

Tell us a little bit about your background as Coordinator and of the Working Group?
I am currently Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery, Director of Specialization School in Pediatric Surgery  – Tor Vergata University of Rome and  Head of Surgical Department – Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital IRCCS in Rome, Italy.
Following in the footsteps of those who came before me (last but not least Prof. Giovanni Cecchetto), we continue the work of this group with renewed enthusiasm and constant spur. Together, we’ve accomplished so much, and we have numerous opportunities to further pursue our clinical and scientific aims. In recent years, pediatric surgery has developed new techniques and procedures that make the future of the discipline even more exciting and stimulating. We will continue to collaborate with all of our coworkers to accomplish new and more significant outcomes.

What is the overall goal and in addition a specific current goal of the WG?
The Pediatric Surgical Oncology Working Group is composed of Italian pediatric surgeons with a particular interest in Pediatric Oncology. Surgeons from different disciplines have been and continue to be involved in addressing the issues and opportunities (neurosurgeons, orthopedics, urologists…). The group intends to monitor, to the extent of its authority, the development of already-activated protocols and contribute in the formulation of those to come. In addition, it plans to examine the collected surgical material so that it might become a shared cultural asset and the subject of future publications.

What has been your WG’s greatest accomplishment?
Increasing the participation of young surgeons by teaching them not only technical and clinical skills, but also participation in national and worldwide research and publication networks.
In this respect, we have an excellent connection and fruitful clinical and scientific collaboration with the International Society of Pediatric Surgical Oncology (IPSO), as evidenced by the participation of several eminent members (Paul Losty,UK, President of IPSO; Sabine Sarnacki, France; Pablo Lobos, Argentina; Simone Abib, Brazil) as consultants for this Working Group.

What is your hope for the future of your field of work globally?
– To advance the science and art of surgical care for children and young adults with cancer, with the goal of achieving global excellence.
– To provide an educational forum for surgeons who treat cancer in children and adolescents.
– To ensure that every adult and child diagnosed with cancer has access to cutting-edge surgical treatment and global dissemination of best practices.
– To encourage and support collaborative projects with other professional organizations, such as cooperative clinical studies and educational projects, in order to enhance the care and prognosis for children and young adults with cancer.
– To advocate for proper palliative care strategies and long-term follow-up for cancer patients who are children and young adults.