At Institut Curie, life goes on during treatment for children and their families

Growing up with cancer

When a child or teenager first walks through the doors of Institut Curie, their life is often turned upside down. But it is also the start of a comprehensive support program, where every detail counts: schooling, meals, sleep, friendships, passions, dreams— everything that makes up a childhood.

In the pediatric department, illness never makes us forget the child, nor those around them. “Our team is driven by two convictions: to ensure continuity in children’s lives, and to support families at every stage, from diagnosis through treatment,” explains Dr. Daniel Orbach, oncopediatrician and Deputy Clinical Director of Institut Curie’s SIREDO center.

A caring approach, from first to last day

From the moment they arrive, children and their parents meet an attentive team of pediatricians, nurses and medical assistants. All are committed to making the young patient feel at ease. “Our role is to support the young patient and their family, along with the other caregivers: nurses, childcare assistants and hospital staff,” emphasizes Marjolaine Renouard, senior nurse.

Care can be long, complex and exhausting. To make it more bearable, strategies are used: virtual reality headsets during blood tests, educational dolls, hypnosis or relaxation. Meals are adapted by hospital staff, while educators provide playful, soothing moments.

A child’s life in the hospital

At Institut Curie, the hospital is also a place for living. Music, theater, visual arts, baking, games, storytelling, radio, sports—every day is punctuated by activities organized by professionals or volunteers, in collaboration with over 40 partner associations. “It doesn’t matter how many children take part in an activity: if it helps even one of them, then it’s worthwhile,” explain Emmanuelle Malarmey and Nathalie André, early childhood educators.

A school is also set up at the hospital. Two teachers from the French Ministry of Education follow each student individually. “We visit each child every day and adapt the teaching to their needs, health status and motivation,” explain Anne Redzic and Jeanne Pierre. Institut Curie is also authorized to administer national exams such as the brevet (middle school diploma) and baccalauréat (high school diploma) on site.
 

Special attention for teenagers

For patients aged 15–25, a dedicated unit—the AJA unit (Adolescents and Young Adults)—offers specific support. Between treatments, teenagers can join crêpe nights, creative workshops or simply hang out freely. “They also have the right to say no, not to participate, and it’s important to give them some control over their lives when the illness takes so much of it away,” explains Sandra Quié, activity leader.

Even after treatment, while back home, contact is maintained via a smartphone shared with the team, to keep supporting them in daily life: fatigue, resuming studies, housing, future projects… Illness can disrupt a trajectory, but it must not stop life.

Science serving children

While human care is essential, research is the invisible pillar of every advance. Since January 2025, six research teams working on pediatric cancers have come together in a single unit, headed by Dr. Olivier Ayrault. Named Mechanisms of Oncogenesis in Childhood Tumors (Inserm U1330, CNRS EMR 8001, Institut Curie), this unit strengthens coherence in research on complex tumors such as neuroblastoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, rhabdoid tumors and brain tumors.

This organization reinforces ties between research, therapeutic innovation and care. The integrated model allows rapid adaptation of protocols to laboratory discoveries, with the goal of proposing more effective and less aggressive treatments. As Dr. Olivier Ayrault points out: “Working together every day on the same subject, that’s what changes everything. We exchange ideas, ask questions and help each other. With two of our teams headed by doctors, the link between laboratory and hospital is natural, almost immediate. And here at Institut Curie, we are fortunate to draw on world-class fundamental research. This is what allows us to design, and then implement, ever more appropriate and less aggressive treatments for children.”

Supporting families, too

Because a child’s cancer affects not only the child but the entire family, social support is an essential part of treatment at Institut Curie. “From the very beginning, I meet each family to identify financial support needs. The goal is to help them reconcile work, care, siblings and family plans,” explains social worker Sandra Toscani.

Support is also offered in collaboration with associations such as Les Enfants de Curie – APAESIC (french website). “For 40 years, we have supported hospitalized children and their families, offering weekly escapes: music workshops, clowns, knitters, storytellers and Saturday tea parties that bring lightness to everyday hospital life,” sums up Lamia Kediha, president of the association. “All our actions have the same goal: to ease daily life and preserve precious moments of childhood and serenity, because even in hospital, life goes on. Alongside medical and social teams, we also provide material support to the most vulnerable families.”

A hospital designed with and for children and families

A new building, currently under construction on the Paris site of Institut Curie, will soon reinforce this vision of a hospital with a human face. This new space dedicated to pediatrics will bring together hospital services and research laboratories under one roof. Brighter, more spacious and more functional, it has been designed in consultation with families and associations. It will provide a soothing environment where children can grow with their loved ones in comfort, with respect for their rhythms, privacy and need for reassurance.