Oncology in Spain

The health system in Spain prevention, diagnosis and treatment mechanisms in place that have proven to have excellent results, and as a leading center for research and development of new therapies the country, and particularly Barcelona, has quickly become a destination with extremely positive outcomes in terms of both cancer diagnosis and treatment.

As a result of its international reputation, patients from different countries visit Barcelona for treatment year after year, especially the IOB Institute of Oncology, recognized as one of the top cancer centers in the world and an institute where oncologists have discovered new cancer therapies.

In simple terms, cancer is a group of diseases that involve the uncontrolled division of cells that can invade organs and tissues. Scientists have demonstrated that cancer has no single cause, but it due rather to a combination of several factors, which can include: genetic predisposition, environmental pollution, exposure to certain chemicals, chronic infections, and, ultimately, aging—the factor behind the significant rise in cancer cases among the population today as life expectancy increases in developed countries.

According to statistics, one in two men and one in three women in Western countries will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime in the not too distant future.

The most common types of cancer are lung cancer (13% of all cancers), colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and bladder cancer.

There are a several things we can to do help reduce the risk of cancer. For example, following a healthy diet, exercising, and breastfeeding (which has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer) are habits and lifestyle choices that impact the risk of getting cancer. Among the risk factors of cancer, those related to healthy habits play an important role:

• Manage alcohol consumption
• Manage obesity
• Stop smoking
• Excessive sun exposure

However, many risk factors are beyond our control: for example, chronic inflammation, immunosuppression treatments, radiation, genetic predisposition age: cancer incidence multiples after around 65-70 years of age.

Malignant cancer often presents in very unspecific ways, but the following symptoms are some of the most common:

• persistant weakness, increased fatigue
• sudden loss of weight that can’t be attributed to a change in lifestyle or diet
• digestive discomfort after eating
• blood in the urine, sputum, etc.
• tumors or hardening in any part of the body (skin, thyroid, mammary glands, etc.)
• changes in color, texture, shape or size of moles

If you have any of the above symptoms, consult a specialist!

Oncology is a complex branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

WHY ONCOLOGY IN BARCELONA?

Barcelona medical centers participate and lead multiple international clinical trials, and several of its physicians are among the world’s most highly cited oncologists (José Baselga, Josep Tabernero, Rafael Rosell, Javier Cortés, Joaquim Bellmunt). Their names are recognized in relation to advances and discoveries of both diagnostic methods (liquid biopsy) and treatment (personalized guided therapy, new types of immunotherapy) for cancer.

While treating cancer is a team effort, it is the oncologist who always takes on the role of treatment “director”, coordinating with other specialists, for example, by ensuring the timely intervention of a surgeon (not the other way around!). Each type and stage of the disease determines each specialist’s performance and scope.

Only a highly qualified oncologist, using the right diagnostic techniques and the latest advances in the field of cancer surgery, from chemotherapy and immunotherapy to radiostereometric surgery and radiotherapy, can provide an effective treatment strategy.

Oncology also has a number of subspecialties (for example, lung, breast, and prostate cancer, etc.) and doctors become specialized in one of these areas through participation in research projects, placing them at the forefront in their specialty. The advances and discoveries in the field of oncology are endless, making it necessary for doctors to exclusively dedicate themselves to a specific area of oncology.

Several clinics in Barcelona top the field of oncology and are distinguished by a multidisciplinary approach to the disease and a symbiotic balance between experience and innovation: Teknon, Dexeus and the IOB Institute of Oncology at Hospital Quirón are all leading centers on a global scale.

The excellent results these Barcelona centers boast in diagnosis and cancer treatment are made possible by:

• Accurate diagnosis
• The most advanced chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments (according to the genetics of each patient and the tumor), many of which are designed in Barcelona
• The use of innovative techniques
• Cutting-edge equipment paired with the latest technologies in diagnosis and treatment

THE RIGHT START

Prescribing the most effective therapy depends entirely on the accuracy of the diagnosis. This implies a series of tests and exams:

• Clinical assessment of the patient
• Blood tests for tumor markers, and the patient’s general health
• Diagnosis of tumor tissue (anatomical pathology) by advanced methods such as liquid biopsy and the genetic analysis of tumors, not only to identify whether the tumor is malignant or benign, but also to determine its precise genetic subtype, which makes choosing the most effective treatment possible. This test was developed by specialists in Barcelona who had discovered a new method to detect approximately 60% of the cancers at an early stage.
• The expert reading of the MRI, CT-scan, PET-CT scan, ultrasound and scintigraphy images plays a huge role in diagnosis.

CHOICE OF THERAPY

As we mentioned, it’s the oncologist, working together with a professional team, who must determine the cancer treatment strategy. In the most advanced centers, the oncologist bases his/her decision on international protocols and extensive experience as well as on individual factors called biomarkers, which indicate the level of response to a given therapy.

In terms of cancer treatment, a biomarker generally refers to a measurable indicator of DNA damage (mutation) or certain proteins in malignant cells. Being able to determine how a patient’s body will respond to therapy means that we can accurately choose the best treatment from the start without subjecting the patient to chemotherapy first, which may not be the most effective treatment in that particular case. These advances, which have been developed with the help of several Barcelona doctors, means that doctors today can customize cancer therapy for individual patients.

The work of multidisciplinary teams has a crucial impact on choosing the best treatment strategy: the team adopts the final choice of treatment strategy under the direction of the oncologist, with surgeons, radiation therapists, radiologists, and specialists (gynecologists, urologists, neurologists, etc., depending on the case) all participating in the treatment according to the best outcomes in terms of both the hospital itself and the international oncology community in general. In certain well-defined cases, the patient may be offered participation in controlled clinical trials for new drugs or therapies.

BEST OUTCOMES

In the grand majority of cases, particularly the most common cancers, outcome means talking about a cure: in Catalonia, 95% of the breast cancer cases are cured and the success rate for prostate cancer is 98%.

The keys to this success include the region’s clinical research strategy and the high degree of training and specialization of Barcelona professionals, many of whom are world-renowned in their field. This is the case of Dr. José Baselga – founder of the IOB Institute of Oncology at Hospital Quirón and world leader in research into new cancer therapies. Barcelona’s long list of world-renowned doctors includes Dr. Josep Tabernero, one of the most highly cited experts in the world of gastrointestinal tract cancer and president of the European Society of Oncology (ESMO); Dr. Javier Cortés, co-developer of two of the four most recent breast cancer drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency; Dr. Joaquim Bellmunt, a leading European specialist in urogenital cancer; and Dr. Rafael Rosell, a world-renowned expert in the treatment of lung cancer. Professor Raimon Miralbell is one of the world’s top experts in stereotactic surgery. And in surgical oncology, we merely need to mention Dr. Antonio de Lacy, international leader in minimally invasive techniques and natural orifice surgery. These doctors have been published many times in the world’s most important scientific journals and have chaired the scientific associations in their specialties.

A cancer diagnosis is a difficult, and beyond therapeutic aspects it is important to offer a holistic vision that takes into account considerations like psychological health, aesthetic impact (hair loss, deformity), nutrition, physical recovery and a number of other aspects such as confidentiality, patient and family information and ongoing support.

Centers like the IOB Institute of Oncology are designed to make patients and their families as comfortable and in as positive a frame of mind as possible during this difficult time. They offer everything patients and their families need: from psychological support and aesthetic services to acupuncture. Every patient is assigned not only a doctor but also a nurse who is in constant contact with the doctor and offers 24/7 service.

IOB’s clinics are designed to favor relationships without barriers (tables, computers, screens, etc.), because we know how important it is have eye contact with the patient, not the computer screen, and how important it is to create human relationships and a truly positive state of mind that helps fight and beat cancer.