FORTEe – Get Strong To Fight Childhood Cancer

An exercise intervention for children and adolescents undergoing anti-cancer treatment

What is FORTEe?

FORTEe is an international research project that brings together 16 institutions from eight European countries. It is one of the world’s largest studies in paediatric exercise oncology, receiving funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Grant. The study aims to investigate the effects of an individualised exercise programme and adapted digital +health technologies in children and young people who are undergoing intensive cancer treatment.

What is the mission of FORTEe?

Maybe you experienced yourself that while going through cancer treatment, a vicious cycle of physical inactivity makes you feel weak and you don’t move around much. Sometimes this happens because of the treatment, the illness itself, or just dealing with all the emotions. In adult cancer patients, it was shown that physical activity and specific exercise training can really help, making them feel less tired, improving their quality of life, and even reducing pain or other complications during treatment.

But what about childhood cancer patients and adolescents?

Until now, precision exercise training has not been part of standard care in paediatric oncology and does therefore not reach most young patients. FORTEe is here to change that!

The big goal of FORTEe is to gather solid evidence that personalized exercise can make a real difference in the care and well-being of children and adolescents with cancer. The FORTEe partners have teamed up to run a special clinical trial focused on childhood cancer patients, aged 4 to 21, who are undergoing anti-cancer treatment.

Why do we do this?

We believe that every young cancer fighter deserves the best care possible. We hope that with the results from our FORTEe clinical trial, we can pave the way for customized exercise training to become a standard part of the care that children, adolescents and young adults (CAYA) with cancer receive all across Europe. This means in the future, more young patients could get access to a specific exercise plan to help them feel better during cancer treatment.

Together we #GetStrongToFightChildhoodCancer!

Are you interested to know more about the FORTEe project and the clinical trial?

Have a look at our website: www.fortee-project.eu/

It is also available in Italian and German!

Follow FORTEe on social media, so you are up-to-date with the latest project news!

FORTEe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortee_project/

FORTEe on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fortee_project

FORTEe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fortee

FORTEe on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FORTEeProject

Here you can find the FORTEe English flyer

The FORTEe project aims to demonstrate that precision-based exercise training during cancer treatment in CAYAs is a safe and potentially effective therapy to counteract fatigue, maintain strength, coordination, and overall improve quality of life. For the exercise training, no specific facility is needed, many exercise routines can be done in the patient’s room! Carefully crafted by the FORTEe consortium, these illustrations are part of training and testing guides, assisting young cancer fighters and their physicians and physiotherapists through exercise routines, specifically tailored for each patient’s journey.