The president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazonsaid that “the main enemy of this Council is cancer and we will continue to focus on research and innovation to defeat it.”
This was stated at the opening of the 2nd Congress of People with Cancer and Their Families of the Valencian Community, organized by the Spanish Association against Cancer.
The head of the Consell expressed his gratitude to the Spanish Association against Cancer of the Valencian Community for having organized for the second time this meeting which “brings together leading names both in oncology research and in the global treatment of the disease”.
Likewise, he called for unity of action “among all” so that, through research, innovation and the efficiency of care management, oncological diagnosis “becomes ever better.”
In his speech, he defended that cancer treatment “be comprehensive and approached with appropriate procedures, as well as the necessary psychological support for patients and their families.”
Thus, he stressed that the fight against this disease is “a priority for the Consell” and said that the Ministry of Health is finalizing a new strategy for the period 2024-2027 to “guarantee equitable access to resources, diagnosis and oncological treatments” to meet the real needs of patients.
Using artificial intelligence for detection
During his speech, the highest representative of the Valencian Executive stated that “the Consell works to offer personalized care to cancer patients through precision medicine and the search for innovation.”
He thus stressed that the Valencian Community “is a pioneer in the implementation of artificial intelligence for the diagnosis of breast cancer and therefore the initiation of treatment.”
In this sense, he said that the Valencian Government is finalizing the integration of mammogram reading systems using artificial intelligence in the breast cancer prevention units of the Hospital Clínico y La Fe de València, the Doctor Balmis Hospital Center in Alicante and the General Hospital of Castellón.
SO, Mazon stressed that this process will improve the accuracy when detecting a tumor, since professionals will focus on cases in which a suspicion is detected. In addition, it will be another tool to reduce diagnostic lists.
“Artificial intelligence will allow us to achieve the goal of the breast cancer screening program and allow women to have a mammogram every two years, as stipulated in the protocol,” he stressed.
On the other hand, concerning prostate cancer, the La Fe Health Research Institute has designed and applied, since last June, two Artificial Intelligence IT solutions for the clinical management of the disease.
The President of the Generalitat also highlighted the future proton therapy installation at the La Fe Hospital, which will be born from the collaboration between the Generalitat Valenciana and the Amancio Ortega Foundation. The entity donated the machine a few years ago and this autumn work will begin on the building adjoining the hospital that will serve the entire Valencian Community.
In addition, he highlighted the implementation of the third Gamma knife that was launched this year in Spain at the Hospital Clínico de València after obtaining the mandatory authorization from the Nuclear Safety Council.
Thus, since the Consell’s commitment to speed up diagnosis and treatment, other initiatives have been launched such as the acquisition of 10 new mammogramsthe radiotherapy service of the Regional Hospital of Gandía or the cervical cancer screening program in the population that began in the health centers of six departments and will be extended to the rest in 2025.
In addition, for the first time, the Generalitat has the figure of the coordinator of the Strategy against Cancer and Precision Medicine in Oncology.
