Andalucía lidera un ensayo nacional para mejorar el diagnóstico y atención a pacientes con sarcoma

The Ministry of Health and Consumption has assessed, coinciding with the World Sarcoma Day, the leadership role that Andalusia plays in addressing this rare but particularly complex disease. The Virgen del Rocío University Hospital has included the one thousandth patient in a national clinical trial coordinated by its Pathological Anatomy Unit, in collaboration with the Biomedicine Institute of Seville (IBiS), with the aim of improving diagnostic accuracy and implementing personalized medicine strategies that impact on greater survival and quality of life.

The study, funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer with over 1.3 million euros, aims to demonstrate that centralizing the diagnosis of sarcomas—aggressive tumors difficult to identify due to their great heterogeneity—allows to reduce diagnostic errors and optimize treatment. For this purpose, protocols have been put in place that foresee the expert review of samples sent by non-specialized centers to reference hospitals like Virgen del Rocío, designated by the Ministry of Health as a CSUR (national reference center) for sarcomas in both adults and pediatric population.

Soft tissue sarcomas affect more than 2,000 people each year in Spain, and require a highly specialized clinical intervention. There are 74 different types, which demand the involvement of multidisciplinary teams with specific experience in pathology, radiology, surgery, medical oncology, and nuclear medicine, among other disciplines.

One of the major advancements of the project is the application of personalized medicine through innovative techniques such as next-generation genetic sequencing and platforms that allow predicting the tumor’s response to different treatments, even cultivating tumor cells in the laboratory or in animal models. This approach, unprecedented in the field of sarcomas so far, will enable selecting the most effective treatment for each patient.

The study also includes a comparison between the results obtained with the conventional model and those derived from centralized diagnostic review. It is expected that this new strategy will significantly reduce errors, improve clinical outcomes, and contribute to a more efficient and tailored care to the needs of each patient.

Virgen del Rocío, which diagnoses and treats more than 360 new sarcoma patients each year, including around 50 adults with bone sarcomas and 45 minors, has two national reference CSURs for these pathologies. This level of activity, combined with its research experience, makes it a fundamental pillar for the advancement of knowledge and treatment of sarcomas in the National Health System.

From Health and Consumption, the commitment to driving translational research, equity in access to innovative treatments, and continuous improvement of health outcomes is highlighted, also in addressing rare diseases like sarcoma. This strategy aligns with the personalized medicine and data governance master plans developed by the Ministry of Health and Consumption of the Andalusian Government.