With more than 20 years of experience and more than 120,000 patients treated, the Quirónsalud Torrevieja Oncology Platform has established itself as a national and international benchmark in the fight against cancer, especially in the treatment of breast cancer.
The Quirónsalud Torrevieja Oncology Platform has set a standard of excellence and vanguard in cancer treatment in Spain. Throughout these two decades, they have developed innovative approaches, such as personalized oncology, genetic analysis and state-of-the-art therapies, which place this platform at the pinnacle of oncology medical care.
Innovation in personalized oncology and genetic therapies
Quirónsalud Torrevieja stands out for its focus on personalized oncology, which is supported by genetic analysis and immunotherapy. Through next-generation genetic sequencing, the medical team can study not only mutations in specific genes, but also the expression of the more than 20,000 protein-coding genes in the human body. This allows a much more detailed diagnosis of each tumor and, therefore, the design of more effective and less toxic therapies.
The use of genetics to classify tumors and select the most appropriate treatment represents a paradigm shift in oncology care. The platform offers therapeutic options even for those patients with tumors that have shown resistance to conventional treatments such as chemotherapy. Thanks to this approach, Quirónsalud Torrevieja has managed to improve the therapeutic success rate in 70% of the cases treated, compared to the 25% achieved with traditional diagnostic tools.
Immunotherapy in breast cancer treatment
One of the emerging treatments in the fight against breast cancer is immunotherapy, a powerful tool that uses the patient’s immune system to attack cancer cells. According to Dr. Manuel Sureda, a specialist at the Quirónsalud Torrevieja Oncology Platform , this type of therapy has shown promising results, particularly in cases of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive variant that is usually resistant to other treatments such as chemotherapy.
How Immunotherapy Works in Breast Cancer Treatment
The basic principle of immunotherapy is to stimulate the body’s immune system to recognize and destroy tumor cells. Many times, cancer cells develop mechanisms that allow them to evade the immune system’s attack, but immunotherapeutic treatments block these strategies, allowing the immune system to act more effectively.
There are different types of immunotherapy for breast cancer, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, which have proven to be particularly useful in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. In addition, monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab (Herceptin), target specific proteins on cancer cells, which facilitates their destruction.
Benefits of immunotherapy in breast cancer
Immunotherapy offers a more personalized and less toxic option than traditional chemotherapy, as it is designed to specifically target cancer cells without harming to both healthy cells. However, this treatment is not suitable for all types of breast cancer. Its use depends on the specific characteristics of the tumor and the patient’s response to previous therapies.
The most advanced technology in radiotherapy in Quirósalud Torrevieja
Radiotherapy is another pillar in the oncological treatment of breast cancer patients, and the Quirónsalud Torrevieja Oncology Platform has the most advanced technology. Dr. Rosa Cañón, head of the Radiation Oncology Service, highlights the advantages provided by the new linear accelerators, such as the Varian TrueBeam 2.7 at Quirónsalud Torrevieja, which makes it possible to treat tumors with millimetric precision, improving treatment efficiency, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue and therefore reducing side effects.
She adds that radiotherapy is used to treat tumors in the breast and lymph node regions (axilla) as well as in advanced cases to treat metastases in other organs, often with curative intent.
Intraoperative Radiotherapy
One of the most innovative techniques available at the Oncology Platform is intraoperative radiotherapy, since it has a linear accelerator inside the operating room, with which a dose of radiation is administered during surgery. This technique is performed in patients with early breast cancer, after resection of the tumor and sentinel lymph node is administered in the operating room itself, a dose of radiation therapy that avoids postoperative radiotherapy sessions.
Oncologic surgery: State-of-the-art approaches
The multidisciplinary approach of the Quirónsalud Torrevieja Oncology Platform also includes advanced techniques in oncologic surgery. Dr. Pedro Bretcha, head of the Surgical Oncology Service, emphasizes that more than 95% of breast cancer cases require surgical intervention. Surgery is used both for curative and palliative purposes, depending on the stage and aggressiveness of the tumor.
Breast conservation techniques
In recent years, an effort has been made to reduce the need for radical mastectomies, preferring conservative surgeries that preserve as much breast tissue as possible. In some cases, the administration of chemotherapy or immunotherapy before surgery can reduce the size of the tumor, facilitating a less invasive intervention and, therefore, improving the patient’s quality of life.
Precision medicine: A promising future in cancer treatments.
The Quirónsalud Torrevieja Oncology Platform not only focuses on current cancer treatment, but also looks to the future with its focus on precision medicine. This concept, as defined by Dr. Manuel Sureda, involves adapting treatments to the individual genetic characteristics of each patient, creating a “tailor-made suit” for each cancer case.
Transcriptome: A new horizon in cancer treatment
Transcriptome analysis, which studies the expression of RNA in tumor cells, has enabled Quirónsalud Torrevieja physicians to offer more personalized and effective therapies. In up to 70% of the cases studied, this analysis has provided valuable information on the resistance or sensitivity of tumors to certain drugs, which has made it possible to adjust treatments in real time.
Transcriptome analysis increases the clinical benefit of breast tumors by 70%.
The study of the transcriptome provides personalized information on aspects relevant to the treatment of tumors, such as resistance or sensitivity to chemotherapy or other types of antitumor drugs.
This approach not only improves treatment efficacy, but also offers a greater probability of tumor control and increases the patient’s quality of life. The Quirónsalud Torrevieja Oncology Platform has pioneered the use of the transcriptome in Spain and continues to advance in this area to improve clinical outcomes in breast cancer patients.