Revolutionary therapy: Focus on sport for children with cancer!

Revolutionary therapy: Focus on sport for children with cancer!

A new therapy for children with cancer is taking shape: under the name BEPPO (exercise and sports therapeutic interventions under medical therapy in pediatric oncology), the focus is on promoting movement during treatment. The project, which starts in October 2025 and will be carried out until March 2029, will receive funding of 7.4 million euros over a period of 3.5 years from the Innovation Fund of the Federal Joint Committee. Of this, 1.3 million euros will go to the West German Tumor Center Essen and the Clinic for Pediatrics III of the University Hospital Essen, like uni-due.de reported.

The primary goal of BEPPO is to improve the mobility of patients aged 3 to 18 who suffer from a lack of exercise during their oncological treatment. Cancers not only cause health problems, but also have negative effects on muscle strength, cardiorespiratory performance, quality of life and can cause fatigue. A six-month, guided and individualized sports and exercise therapy, which is carried out both in the home environment and in inpatient facilities, is intended to address these challenges. Telemedical support is also part of the program, as well innovationsfonds.g-ba.de explained.

Scope and objectives of the project

346 children and adolescents from 13 pediatric oncology centers in Germany are involved in the BEPPO project. The effects of specific exercise therapy are compared with those of current standard care, especially inpatient physiotherapy. Evidence of the effectiveness of this intervention could lead to the program being integrated into regular pediatric oncology.

A central concern of the project is also the reduction of undesirable side effects, the maintenance of mobility and the early return of those affected to their everyday lives. At the same time, the overall treatment costs should be reduced. Over 20 consortium partners, including well-known health insurance companies and universities, are working on this project. For example, AOK Rheinland/Hamburg, BARMER and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin are involved innovationsfonds.g-ba.de describes.

Long-term perspectives and guidelines

In addition to physical support, the BEPPO project also aims to raise awareness among treatment teams and families about the importance of promoting physical activity. A guideline on exercise promotion and exercise therapy in pediatric oncology has already been published to ensure a comprehensive, quality-assured offer. This guideline creates a uniform level of knowledge in the interdisciplinary treatment team and explains the positive effects of exercise during and after therapy awmf.org emphasized.

In the long term, knowledge about exercise rights for chronically ill children and the positive effects of exercise should be expanded. The aim is to ensure sustainable financing of exercise therapy by health insurance companies in order to integrate the therapy concept into everyday clinical practice.