The Virgen Macarena University Hospital in Seville has fulfilled 15 years as a reference center in Andalusia for the application of intra-arterial chemotherapy (QTIA), a highly specialized technique used in the treatment of patients with melanoma and soft tissue sarcoma. This cancer-fighting technique has been key in preventing amputation of affected limbs, with a total of 32 procedures performed during this period.
Of the 32 operations performed, 26 were on patients with melanoma and six on patients with soft tissue sarcoma, all of them in advanced stages where amputation was the only alternative. Furthermore, 30% of the patients treated at the Seville hospital were referred from other autonomous communities. The success of treatment at the Virgen Macarena Hospital is notable for its high limb salvage rate, reaching 90%, above the 80% average expected in this type of case, according to a press release from the center.
Success in the last intervention
In January of this year, The multidisciplinary team at Virgen Macarena Hospital successfully performed an intra-arterial chemotherapy intervention. in a patient with unresectable melanoma referred from Malaga. The technique, described by the hospital as a "highly complex and effective" approach, avoided amputation of the affected limb.
The procedure involves isolating the affected limb and administering chemotherapy directly through the limb's main artery or vein, using an extracorporeal perfusion system and hyperthermic conditions. This procedure takes approximately 60 minutes and is indicated for patients with melanoma with unresectable metastases in the extremities and locally advanced sarcomas that are also unresectable.For these patients, QTIA represents the only therapeutic option that avoids amputation.
Oncological advances in the framework of World Cancer Day
Coinciding with World Cancer Day, the Virgen Macarena Hospital has highlighted its progress in the care of cancer patients, not only through innovative treatments such as QTIA, but also through intensive research.
The Medical Oncology Unit of the Virgen Macarena Hospital is carrying out Various research projects in collaboration with Biobank, the Pathological Anatomy Service and CabimerOne of the most notable is the production of organoids from patients' biological samples. These organoids allow for the analysis of tumor tissue growth and the testing of different pharmacological treatments to block its progression.
Organoids enable advanced analyses, such as proteomic, metabolomic, and transcriptomic studies, and represent an alternative to traditional animal research. This pioneering technology is key to personalizing treatments and improving the efficacy of cancer therapies.
Andalusia, a benchmark in the fight against cancer
The Virgen Macarena Hospital not only stands out for its surgical capacity, but also for its firm commitment to research and development of new therapies. Thanks to its multidisciplinary team and its commitment to innovation, it has established itself as a a benchmark in Andalusia and at a national level in the fight against cancer, offering patients advanced and highly effective therapeutic options.
