In its first year of operation, The International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organizations (ICCCPO) has begun its efforts to share information among childhood cancer organizations around the world, develop collaborative relationships with other international organizations with an interest in children's health issues, and adopt programs to assist in improving the treatment of childhood cancer in developing countries.

Currently ICCCPO has eleven Member Nations consisting of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Morocco, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and The United States of America. Iceland's status as a Member Nation had been approved by the Executive Committee and is pending ratification by the General Assembly. Applications from six other countries (France, Great Britain, Greece, Indonesia, Norway and Poland) have been received and a review of these will be completed once the additional required documentation is received.

The ICCCPO Newsletter has been created for the purpose of sharing informational articles and resources to childhood cancer organizations. Two issues have been produced, each with a circulation of about 300. These were copied or translated by several organizations in order to spread the information in their own country. Several organizations have made available to others copies of their publications which have been shown effective in their own countries. Among these include Chemo-Kasper from Denmark, Educating the Child with Cancer and Candlelighter's Guide to Bone Marrow Transplantation from the United States of America.

A one day session for parents was held during the 1994 International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) meeting in Paris, France. This session was attended by approximately 50 parents and representatives of childhood cancer parent organizations as well as several pediatric oncologists and psychologists. Presentations were made on the topics of Clinical Trials and Protocols, Sibling's Issues, The Informed Parents as a better Co-Therapist, Groups for Young Adults, and the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation. The success of this meeting has led to ICCCPO being invited to plan a session for parents at the 1995 SIOP meeting to be held in Montevideo, Uruguay, and the 1996 SIOP meeting in Vienna, Austria.

ICCCPO's efforts to collaborate with other international organizations have been successful. SIOP Chairman, Mark E. Nesbit Jr.,MD, pledged his support of ICCCPO and desire to work with ICCCPO to improve the treatment of children with cancer. The World Health Organization has also contacted ICCCPO regarding their Pain Guidelines. WHO is wanting to work with ICCCPO to distribute and promote these guidelines once approved among parents of children with cancer.

The Executive Committee held three meetings during the year. The first meeting was held in Paris in conjunction with the SIOP meeting. The second meeting was held in Monza, Italy, in March, and the third meeting was held prior to the General Assembly in Washington, D.C. At these meetings the Executive Committee began work on developing a program in which treatment centers and childhood cancer parent organizations in developed countries would collaborate to provide assistance, such as medicines, training and educational materials to treatment centers and childhood cancer parent organizations in developing countries in order to improve the conditions for children with cancer and their families is these areas.

Financially ICCCPO is sound with a balance of US$ 15.086,61. A $10.000 grant for operations was received from AMGEN and grants for the Second General Assembly were received from Astra U.S.A., Glaxo Wellcome Inc., and Bristol-Myers Squib Immunology/Oncology. The support of the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation serving as a Secretariat and the contributions of several of the organizations of Executive Committee Members to the cost of Executive Committee meetings has also allowed to limit the amount expenses incurred by ICCCPO.

As a new organization composed of individuals with language and cultural differences, ICCCPO has made tremendous strides in the first year. Entering the second year of the organization there are still many tasks and programs to embark on and procedural policies to establish. By keeping the common goal we all share of helping children with cancer and their families, we will be able to accomplish the tasks and to continue to grow as an organization in both numbers and influence.