Our Mission is to provide comprehensive care and support for children with cancer across Hungary through modern medical equipment, ongoing education for specialists, and innovative personalized therapies.

In 1971, 10 specialized Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Departments established the Hungarian Pediatric Oncology Network, aiming to standardize diagnostic and therapeutic practices to improve the survival of pediatric cancer patients.

Concurrently, the National Childhood Cancer Registry was founded to monitor incidence and mortality for healthcare planning and international comparison. The HuPON, from the 1973 Cancer Registry, is located at the Pediatric Center at Semmelweis University (Budapest, Hungary), representing one of the oldest population-based childhood cancer registries in Europe. The establishment of the registry was based on the introduction of systematic and compulsory data collection on the frequency, disease characteristics, treatment modalities, and follow-up of cases. The diagnosis and treatment of cases have been performed using standardized methods in centers of the HuPON since 1971. Centralization of care was implemented by Health Ministerial decree in 1971: chemotherapy could not be administered outside the Network as costs were reimbursed here only.

Acknowledging its crucial role after four decades of operation by the Network, the registry has been granted permanent government support since 2012. Since 1973, the Hungarian Pediatric Oncology Network has operated the Childhood Cancer Registry, summarizing data on the epidemiology, treatment methods, outcomes, and long-term follow-up of childhood cancer cases. The Registry is located at the Pediatric Center of Semmelweis University. A significant shift occurred in data collection and reporting, transitioning to an online reporting system in April 2010, replacing the previous paper-based system. Data sources include the National Health Insurance Fund and the centers of the Hungarian Pediatric Oncology Network.

The Registry includes all Hungarian children aged 0–18 with a social security card, focusing on online data entry, with data verification and registry completeness monitored through strict written procedures. Data publication occurs in various forms, including annual reports, scientific publications, and presentations.

The establishment and ongoing operation of the Childhood Cancer Registry since 1973 has been crucial in evaluating treatment procedures and maximizing the return on healthcare investments in pediatric oncology.

In summary, we maintain a comprehensive registry to monitor and improve childhood cancer treatment outcomes. This database is crucial for tracking progress and ensuring the best care for every child.

MAGYAR GYERMEKONKOLOGIAI HALOZAT -MAGYAR GYERMEKONKOLOGUSOK ES GYERMEKHEMATOLOGUSOK TARSASAGA

Hungarian Pediatric Oncology Network (HuPON)

Miklós Garami

Miklós Garami

Miklós is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Pediatric Center, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University (Budapest, Hungary). This clinic is the center of the Hungarian Pediatric Oncology Network (HuPON), and he leads the Hungarian Childhood Cancer Registry.

He graduated from the Semmelweis University of Medicine in 1991 with an M.D. He holds a Ph.D. in human molecular genetics (2005) and an M.Sc. in health services management (2007), both from Semmelweis University.

Dr. Garami spent four years (1992-1995) at the Metabolic Research Unit, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF, California, USA). His research focuses on how genetic changes (gene expression profiles) drive the pathogenesis of childhood tumors. His areas of expertise include childhood cancer epidemiology, genetics, and treatment. He has extensive experience in childhood cancer database management, including data mining, indexing methods, and SQL.