I Meeting of the Spanish Oncological Hyperthermia Group at San Roque University Hospitals

 

Prof. Pedro C. Lara and Dr. Marta Lloret have been the organizers of this important scientific event in a very novel area of ​​cancer treatment. Among the institutions participating are the Canary Islands Comprehensive Cancer Center of San Roque University Hospitals, the Fernando Pessoa Canary Islands University, the Canary Islands Cancer Research Institute, the Canary Islands Health Service and the Spanish Society of Oncology and Radiotherapy.

 

 

Oncological hyperthermia is a new form of cancer treatment that improves the results of conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Hyperthermia sensitizes the tumor to cancer treatments, promoting greater tumor destruction without increasing side effects. There are nine centers in Spain that offer hyperthermia, including the Doctor Negrín University Hospital of Gran Canaria and the San Roque University Hospitals.

 

 

At the conference, the latest scientific advances in this field, the use of nanotechnology and the clinical experience of the most advanced national and international centers in the use of this treatment in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy were discussed. The objective of the congress has been to disseminate hyperthermia among professionals as another opportunity to combat cancer. 

 

This first meeting of the Spanish Group on Oncological Hyperthermia brought together leading European oncologists specializing in this treatment from centers in Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, as well as representatives from Spanish public and private centers that offer this technique. More than fifty specialists from international centers attended , including the University of Verona, Italy; Rotterdam University Hospital, Netherlands; and Aaru Cantonal Hospital, Switzerland. They also represented Spanish centers such as Clínica Teknon Barcelona, ​​Hospital Quirón Málaga, Hospital Quirón Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Hospital Universitario Regional Málaga, Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron Barcelona, ​​the Catalan Institute of Oncology, INMOA Madrid, and the University of Cádiz.

 

 

Present at the press conference were the Vice President of San Roque University Hospitals, Dr. Herminia Rodríguez; the Rector of the Fernando Pessoa Canarias University, Mr. Antonio Rodríguez; the Coordinator of the Spanish Group of Oncological Hyperthermia, Dr. Jorge Contreras; the Director of the Canary Islands Comprehensive Cancer Center of HUSR, Dr. Pedro C. Lara; and the Head of the Radiotherapy Oncology Service of HUGCDN, Dr. Marta Lloret.

 

Dr. Pedro C. Lara : “Hyperthermia makes a difference in metastatic stages of cancer where conventional treatments are less effective. Hyperthermia combined with conventional treatments can double patient survival.”

 

Dr. Jorge Contreras : “With hyperthermia, we are looking for a way to make the tumor more vulnerable to chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. We are trying to implement hyperthermia in Spain, to make doctors and patients aware of it, so that it can be included in the standard services.”

 

Dr. Marta Lloret: “Hyperthermia is a great opportunity because it adds to and enhances the usual cancer treatments, and does not exclude them.”