FORTEe – Get strong to fight childhood cancer – An exercise intervention for children and adolescents undergoing anti-cancer treatment

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News & Events

01 October 2025

10th Steering Committee Meeting

On 1st October 2025 we concluded our 10th Steering Committee meeting!
The FORTEe consortium exchanged the latest updates across all work packages: from management, ethics, the biomarker subproject to the clinical trial and our dissemination plans.
We are now entering the final stretch of this exciting journey – follow us to stay updated on our results and impact! 💪

07 July 2025

PEOC x FORTEe – Call for Abstracts Now Open until 30 Sept 2025

3rd Pediatric Exercise Oncology Congress – PEOC meets FORTEe
📍 Mainz, Germany | 🗓️ 16–17 April 2026

We invite researchers, clinicians, and professionals in pediatric exercise oncology to submit abstracts for the 3rd PEOC meets FORTEe Congress.

This international event will bring together leading experts and early-career scientists for two days of focused exchange on exercise interventions in pediatric oncology. The 2026 edition marks the first in-person PEOC meets FORTEe meeting – an ideal opportunity to share your work, expand your network, and gain international recognition.

Key Dates:
– Abstract submission opens: Monday, 7 July 2025
– Submission deadline: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
– Notification of acceptance: November 2025

More information and abstract submission via this LINK!
We look forward to your contributions and to welcoming you in Mainz in April 2026!

20 May 2025

#FORTEeExplained💡

What happens when children living with cancer are given the chance to move, play, and rediscover their strength – even during intensive treatment? 🤔

💬 This #LaySummary, based on the original publication by Dennis Wilke et al., offers insights into childhood cancer patients’ perspective on exercising during treatment.

⬇️ Download the lay summary.
🔗 Link to Original Publication.

Our vision

Cancer is the first leading cause of death from non-communicable diseases in children in Europe. Patients’ morbidity increases during cancer treatment due to physical inactivity, cancer-related fatigue, and reduced health-related quality of life. Specifically, adapted exercise training achieved remarkable effects on successful cancer treatment in adults with cancer. A similar effect has not been clearly demonstrated in children and adolescents yet. This is where FORTEe steps in to promote exercise therapy, which aims to make young patients stronger for fighting childhood cancer.

Objectives

Evaluate personalised and standardised exercise therapy for children and adolescents undergoing anti-cancer treatment
Prove the efficiency of an innovative exercise therapy tailored to the individual patient
Develop and use digital, innovative technologies such as augmented reality for more effective, age-appropriate, and personalised exercise training
Create new care pathways for patients using telehealth technologies
Increase the access to personalised exercise training to more patients, while maintaining physical distancing and isolation measures
Creation of new care pathways for patients using telehealth technologies to increase the access to personalised exercise training to more patients while maintaining physical distancing and isolation measures
Implement paediatric exercise therapy as an evidence-based standard in the EU