MADRID, April 21. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Spanish Association for Cancer Research (ASEICA) and the Spanish Association for Medical Oncology (SEOM) have, on the occasion of Cancer Innovation Day, claimed a “clear guess” from the authorities and “sufficient funding” to implement Medicine Customized throughout Spain.
“The development of personalized and precision medicine is revolutionizing the day-to-day care of cancer patients. To achieve its full potential, an active policy is needed to promote its improvement and implementation in a certain way. It is routine in the diagnosis of patients. is also necessary to lay the foundations for the equitable practice of this new way of medicine and to make it fully accessible to all patients.This requires active policies from the central and regional authorities, as sufficient funding to support research in this field and support its application in the clinical setting, ”ASEICA President Luis Paz-Ares and SEOM President Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The two experts together point to the need to bring innovation to the patient through a Personalized Medication Plan and precision, as neighboring countries have already done. “By incorporating pharmacological innovation, diagnostic information from the associated biomarker, and patient care with the specific drug into our National Health System’s portfolio of services, the system becomes much more efficient, durable and treatment more accurate and less toxic. what should be treated, ”said Dr. Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure.
“It doesn’t mean it’s not being done in Spain, what’s not being done is to have a coordinated plan like there is in other countries that has, frankly, been very helpful in transferring this innovation to patients on equal terms. It should be emphasized here that access to personalized medicine must be fair regardless of where you live or the hospital treating the patient. This requires more research, a specific work organization and measures that promote access for all patients, ”says Dr. Luis Paz-Ares explained.
To this end, they have insisted that “the development of precision medicine requires close cross-sectoral collaboration from different actors, such as scientists and their scientific associations, clinical oncologists and with the help of both the Ministry of Health and all autonomous communities”. “This should be translated into national strategic plans that promote their implementation under conditions of full fairness throughout the national territory,” stressed the SEOM President.
During the meeting, a video was presented presenting the path of innovation in cancer, from the beginning with basic research in the laboratory, continuing with clinical research in hospitals and culminating with the application of the findings in cancer patients, all explained with the intervention of a basic investigator, a clinical investigator and a patient. The video also features the testimonial of a patient who has seen how Personalized Medicine has made significant progress in the treatment of her cancer.