History

On 3 July 1967, a small group of paediatricians, surgeons, pathologists and others met in the Paediatric Department "Service Milhit" of the Institut Gustave Roussy (IGR) in Villejuif/Paris, France. Everyone there knew SIOP’s now Honorary Member, Dr Odile Schweisguth, and shared a keen interest in paediatric oncology.

A decision was taken at this meeting, to form the Club d'Oncologie Pédiatrique (or Paediatric Oncology Club). During the second meeting of the Club, held at IGR in 1968, participants agreed to convene the following year in Madrid, hosted by the late Dr J Monereo, Paediatric Surgeon. It was during this memorable assembly that it became obvious that there was a clear and widespread interest in paediatric oncology and the Club was transformed to the Société International d'Oncologie Pédiatrique (SIOP) on 6 November 1969. The Founding Members of the Society, who were present at the founding meeting of the Society in Madrid and voted for the constitution, were Doctors Bouchon, Boureau, Brunat, Carton, Delemarre, Gerard-Marchant, Gompel, Gubler, Hitzig, Hurtado, Kaser, Lemerle, Massimo, Maurus, Monero, Neidhardt, Noel, Pages, Payan, Pellerin, Pluss, Orsini, Raybaud, Schlienger, Schweisguth, Sullivan, Voûte and Wagner - this category of membership is still in existence and is held in high esteem, although it is purely historically derived!

SIOP was initially a bilingual Society; French and English were both used during meetings. According to the Statutes, it is still bilingual; however English has now taken over as the conference language, but a French flavour remains!

Furthermore, SIOP has fulfilled its original intention of becoming a truly international Society and not restricting its influence and membership to one continent, or part of a continent.
Over the years, most of the annual meetings have been held in Europe, giving rise to the saying "doing Europe with SIOP", but this policy has been changed. At the moment the majority of our members are from Europe and North America but as SIOP’s influence spreads, members will be invited to "do the Continents with SIOP".

In the early years, the Society was mostly clinically orientated, promoting active involvement in clinical studies and trials, such as medulloblastoma, nephroblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma, for example. Clinical aspects were prominent when surgeons, pathologists, paediatricians and radiotherapists met together. However, in recent years, more basic scientific aspects of paediatric oncology have featured at the annual meetings.

SIOP continues to work in the interest of our patients, children with cancer, who wish to be cured to lead normal lives alongside other healthy children.

SIOP was legally established in 1969. Under the name of International Society of Paediatric Oncology there exists an association governed by the present statutes and by the provisions of articles 60ff. of the Swiss Civil Code. Its registered office is in Zürich, Switzerland.

The first annual general meeting was held in Madrid (Spain) in 1969 and was devoted to neuroblastoma, nephroblastoma, lymphosarcoma and immunology. Beginning with a few enthusiastic members to more than 1.400 active Ordinary Members, SIOP remains a friendly Society in which all the challenges of treating patients with malignancies are discussed in depth.  The central secretariat of SIOP is established in The Netherlands where one can receive detailed information on the Society. Address of the secretariat is:

SIOP Secretariat c/o Kenes Associations Worldwide
1 -3 Rue de Chantepoulet
1211 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 906 91 69
Fax: +41 22 732 2607
Email: irah@kenes.com