Promising and significant are the data for the handling of Childhood Cancer in Greece, as evidenced from the Press Release that took place in view of the International Childhood Cancer honored every year on February 15th.
The Press Release took place at the Oncologic Unit of Children “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” on Tuesday February 11th 2025 from the Children’s Hospital “H AGIA SOFIA” and the Association “ELPIDA-Association of Friends of Children with cancer” in the presence of the Minister of Health, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis.
The Directors of the departments of the Oncologic Unit of Children “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” have presented, during the Press Release, detailed data for the daily operation, scientific activities and research co-operations with other hospitals abroad and all therapeutic data for the handling of the childhood cancer which has ranked the Oncologic Unit of Children “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” among the best hospitals of Europe. The Deputy Minister of Health, Mrs. Eirini Agapidaki and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, Mrs. Lilian Vildiridi were also present at the event.
Adonis Georgiadis: The conversion of the Oncologic Unit to an Oncologic Hospital could turn it at the best Oncologic Center in Europe.
The Minister of Health, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis has underlined the tremendous contribution of Marianna V. Vardinoyannis at the fight for the handing of Childhood Cancer by saying: “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis has left behind her an amazing work which it is our duty to continue, because whatever is produced here is the joy of the families that save their children. And what could be more important than that? And this is becoming every day a reality. This work makes Mariana V. Vardinoyannis an immortal person because she will be always alive in the hearts of these children”.
Mr. Georgiadis has also spoken in details for the importance of the conversion of the Oncologic Unit of Children “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” to an Oncologic Hospital which will be immediately become: “It has been signed the joint ministerial decision for the commencement of operation of the Oncologic Hospital and at the next week is issued the new Board of Directors and starts the change for the convertion of the Oncologic Hospital “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis – ELPIDA” to a Legal Entity of Private Law and the new potentialities which this new scheme will have. The good cooperation between the two hospitals will continue and the cooperation with the two pediatric hospitals “AGIA SOFIA” for the children and P.A. Kyriakou will not be interrupted. We just release the new entity enabling it to make the great lap forward in order to become the best Oncologic Children’s Hospital in Europe and reach to levels for which will be proud”.
Eirini Agapidaki: When a child is sick with cancer, all family is sick.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Mrs. Eirini Agapidaki has been committed that, the Ministry of Health will be an assistant at the fight against the Childhood cancer: “When a child is sick with cancer, all family is sick. You, who are working her you know it better than anyone else. It is a great pain especially for the mother but and the father also. A pain that it is difficult to be described. We are here to support this tremendous work so that, strengthening the hope because the great legacy that, Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis has left must be never be forgotten by anyone”.
Manolis Papasavvas: The perceptiveness and the offer of Mariana V. Vardinoyannis have changed the scenery about the Childhood cancer in Greece.
The joint Governor of the Children Hospital “H AGIA SOFIA” and P.&A. Kyriakou, Mr. Manolis Papasavvas mentioned significant statistical data for the 15 years of Oncologic Unit’s operation and emphasized the great contribution of Marianna V. Vardinoyannis who was a pioneer at the creation of substructures and application of innovative therapies in our country: “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis recognizing the strength of cooperation has early created a network with prestigious Oncologic Centers of abroad by encouraging the cooperation, views exchange and participation at international protocols and researches. The continuous search of everything that it is innovative and the perceptiveness of Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis who had from the very beginning realized the strength of medical accuracy has led us at a series of important initiations such as, the establishment of the first and sole until to date Center of gene and cellular therapy for children and teen agers and the establishment of specialized laboratories and outpatient clinics”.
Dora Psaltopoulou: “ELPIDA” for 35 years now is fighting for the Childhood cancer and offers medical substructures and full support to the children and their families.
The responsible for medical issues of the Association “ELPIDA”, Mrs. Dora Psaltopoulou-Dimopoulou, an internal medicine Doctor, Professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine of The School of Medicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, member of the Association “ELPIDA” B.D., has spoken for the Association’s offer at the level of substructures, equipment of modern technology and creation of cooperation’s with prestigious Oncologic Centers all around the world, mentioning among others:
The association “ELPIDA” within the 35 years as of its establishment has offered to the country significant medical substructures for the handling of childhood cancer supporting at the same time the children and the families,. Among the most important projects of ELPIDA are: a) the design and construction of the “Oncologic Unit of Children “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA”, a complex of ultra-modern buildings of 15.000 s.m. area similar with important corresponding foreign hospitals, b) the funding and donation of thousands of medical equipment of advanced technology. Having this ultra-modern medical equipment, Association “ELPIDA” covers the scientific targets of the Administration, the scientific needs of the Hospital’s medical personnel and above all those patients offering to them the most upgraded equipment for the handling of childhood cancer. It is identically mentioned: equipment for Γ-Camera and PET-C T and in general support and upgrading of the nuclear medicine, genetic analyzer such as NGS and technology and a further more upgraded technology and support, having as target the creation of an “Excellency Center” for “our little heroes”, with an automated system of storage & Management Pyxis for consumables and medicines , with the digital management of medical files and equipment as well such as magnetic separator of cells among other machineries and consumables, c) support and employment of specialized personnel such as holders of University scholarships, biologists, radiation physics expert, office employees among others, d) creation of the Guest House of Association ELPIDA located near the Children Hospital at Goudi where more than 2.000 families from Greece and abroad had been hosted and e) Psychological support – Social Service- Social Fund for the support of the sick children families in accordance with financial, family and humanitarian criteria.
Evgenios Gousetis: There are performed at the Center of Cellular and genetically therapy of the Oncologic Unit of Children “Maria V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” advance cellular therapies and it is for the first time in Greece conducted Clinical Study with CAR-T produced at the Center of Cellular and genetically therapies.
Evgenios Gousetis, Pediatrician Hematologist –Oncologist, Director of the Transplant Unit of hematopoietic cells and the Center of Cellular and genetically Therapy has presented the new advanced therapies performed at the Center of Cellular and genetically Therapy of the Unit: “the center’s activities apply both to the implementation of specific cellular and genetic therapies and to the clinical research as well with the design of its own clinical protocols of advanced therapies. More than 20 cellular therapies have been performed until to date for the handling of resistance transfusions after the transplantation with the production and giving of antigen T lymphocytes which are exclusively targeting at the pathogenic virus. It has furthermore started on 2023 the implementation of an advanced research protocol for the therapy of relapses of the acute lymphoblastic leukemia at children and young adults after the transplant. The object of study is the assessment of the effectiveness of the cellular therapy with CAR-T produced at our center. This specific CAR-T therapy has been performed at three children with an absolute success and achievement of heeling. It should be noted that, our center is one of the few centers in Europe and America and the only one in Greece with license of production of such therapies. Our target for the next 5 years is the extension of the program of production of therapies with CAR-cells to other types of childhood cancer such as the nuroblastoma which is sometimes resistant to the compatible therapy.
Antonis Kattamis: Development of a specialized Laboratory of “Translation research of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology” from the University Oncologic Unit of the Children Hospital “H AGIA SOFIA”.
Antonis Kattamis, Professor of Pediatric Hematologist –Oncologist, in charge of the University Oncologic Unit, has pointed out at his presentation: “The Unit’s largest achievement during the last years is the development of a specialized laboratory of “Translation research of Pediatric Hematology Oncology”. The Lab of “Translation Research” of the University Oncologic-Hematology Unit of the of the Children Hospital “H AGIA SOFIA”having its seat at the Building C’ of the Oncologic Unit “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” is an advanced laboratory of cellular genetics specialized at the translation research and provision of cellular tests at the sector of Pediatric Oncology and benign hematologic diseases”.
Vasileios Papadakis: The Greek Oncologists apply international cooperative Protocols for the children’s’ therapy.
Vasileios Papadakis, Director NHS of Pediatric Hematology, temporary head of the department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology referred at the international co-operations of the Oncologic Hematologic Department of the Unit with foreign entities for the development of international cooperative protocols: “ In our effort to understand the correct, modern and identical therapy of the oncologic patients all around Greece. We are, in our capacity the National Coordinators/representatives of the country abroad for the implementation of international cooperative protocols for the therapy of nuroblastoma, the acute lymphoblastic leukemia and its replace, the acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, myelodyplastic syndrome and hystiocytosis Langerhans (Rosai-Dorfman (RD) via the Hellenic Society of Pediatric Hematology . We have also developed at our laboratory the measurement of significant drug’s effectiveness for the leukemia (such as the Asparaginase) which we can now dispose to other departments and their patients”.
Dimitrios Doganis: The Survival Indexes in Greece are much higher than those of Bibliography exceeding the 85% percentage”.
Dimitrios Donais, Director ofNHS, temporary in charge of Oncologic Department “P.&A. Kyriakou” has underlying that: “Having achieved very high survival indexes , higher than those of bibliography since more than 85 from our 100 children are heeled, we aim not only to a further improvement including those who lived in order to have an excellent health and quality of life corporally and psycho-socially. The Oncologic Unit (OTAK) has been chosen, during the last years among international centers, for the implementation of a lot of research pharmaceutical protocols phase I-III (completed 6, in development 6). These studies offer, beyond, the research interest, access to medicines which would not be otherwise easy”.
Stelios Grafakos: The volunteers donors of Bone Narrow in Greece have nearly quintuple within a ten years period due to the work of the Association “ORAMA ELPIDAS”.
Stelios Grafakos, the scientific Director of theAssociation “ORAMA ELPIDAS”, has presented all new data relating with the volunteering donation of Bone Narrow in our country, underlying the great progress made within a decade as of the establishment of theAssociation “ORAMA ELPIDAS”: “The number of volunteers’ donors of Bone Narrow did not exceed before a ten years period the number of 40.000. As of the establishment of ORAMA ELPIDAS” on 2014, the spreading of volunteering message from the unforgettable, Marianna V. Vardinoyannis and the non-stop effort of information-sensitivity of people for the significance of the volunteering donation of bone narrow, we have registered until now at the National and World wide records of volunteers donors 178.000 new volunteers donors out of whom, 422 were found compatible and offered life to patients”.
On 2014 we have registered 21.909 new volunteers’ donors and 79 were found compatible and gave graft.
In order to understand the work of “ORAMA ELPIDAS” we must point out that, before 2014:
-The grafts for the Greek patients , due to lack of donors, were originating from abroad while today, the 40% percentage of the Greek patients are transplanted from a Greek donor and a lot of patients from abroad.
– At the World ranking the countries which belong at WMDA (57 countries worldwide), our country had the penultimate position while now, is reaching the 10 first positions of the World ranking.
– Within a 10 years effort of information throughout the country, we have developed co-operations with 300 entities creating in this way an unprecedented for our country humanitarian movement with more than 1200 volunteers and more than 178.000 active members, our Donors!!.
The volunteers donors of bone narrow of our country, registered at the National Transplant Organization are 258.000”.
The journalist, Michalis Kefalogiannis has coordinated the Press Release.
