Asian Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Group (APHOG) and SIOP Asia: Two wheels of a cart

• DOI: 10.1016/j.phoj.2020.03.004
• Publication Date: 2020-05-07T11:51:49Z
• Authors: Akira Nakagawara
• Keywords: SIOP Asia; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Childhood cancer; Asian pediatric hematology and oncology group; WHO Global initiative; Pediatrics; RJ1-570; APHOG; 3. Good health

Around 60–70% of the world population are residing in Asia and each year approximately 200,000–250,000 children and young adolescents aged less than 20 years are expected to develop cancer. The Asian continental branch of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP Asia) was founded in 1995 and its first meeting was held in Singapore in 2000. Since the SIOP Asia is an academic society under the umbrella of SIOP, foundation of its action team named as Asian Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Group (APHOG) was proposed and agreed to be built by the representatives from many Asian countries in 2012 at the time of the 7th SIOP Asia congress in Yogyakarta. APHOG is an Asian children’s cancer clinical study group which works as one of the two wheels of a cart with SIOP Asia. One of its new missions is to support the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer which was declared in 2018. The aim is to increase the cure rate of children with cancer up to more than 60% by 2030. The fundraising system for APHOG is now being established.