More than 120,000 patients admitted: Quirónsalud Torrevieja reference hospital in oncology and breast cancer treatment

With more than 20 years of experience and more than 120,000 patients treated, the oncology department at Quirónsalud Torrevieja Hospital has become a national and international reference in the fight against cancer, especially in the treatment of breast cancer.

Quirónsalud Torrevieja's oncology department has set the standard for quality and is a leader in cancer treatment in Spain. Over these two decades, innovative approaches such as personalized oncology, genetic analysis and cutting-edge therapies have been developed that put the department at the top of oncology care.

Innovations in personalized oncology and gene therapies

Quirónsalud Torrevieja is distinguished by its focus on individual oncology, which is supported by genetic analysis and immunotherapy. Thanks to state-of-the-art genetic sequencing, the medical team can study not only mutations in specific genes, but also the expression of more than 20,000 protein-coding genes in the human body. This allows for a much more detailed diagnosis of each cancer, thus allowing for the development of more effective and less toxic therapies.

The use of genetics to classify cancers and select the most appropriate treatment represents a change in approach to care over cancer patients. Our department offers therapeutic options even for patients with cancers that have shown resistance to conventional treatments such as chemotherapy. Thanks to this approach, Quirónsalud Torrevieja has been able to improve the therapeutic success rate in 70% of treated cases, compared to 25% achieved with traditional diagnostic tools.

Immunotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer

One of the new treatments for breast cancer is immunotherapy, a powerful tool that uses the patient's immune system to attack cancer cells. According to Dr. Manuel Sureda, specialist at Quirónsalud Torrevieja's oncology department, this type of therapy has shown promising results, especially in cases of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive variant that is often resistant to other treatments such as chemotherapy.

How immunotherapy works to treat breast cancer

The basic principle of immunotherapy is to stimulate the body's immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Cancer cells often develop mechanisms that allow them to avoid attacking the immune system, but immunotherapy therapies block these strategies, allowing the immune system to more effectively action.

There are various types of immunotherapy for breast cancer, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, which have proven particularly useful in treating triple-negative breast cancer. In addition, monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab (Herceptin), target specific proteins on cancer cells to facilitate their destruction.

Benefits of immunotherapy in breast cancer

Immunotherapy offers a more personalized and less toxic alternative than traditional chemotherapy because it is designed to specifically target cells cancerous cells without damaging healthy cells. However, this treatment is not suitable for all types of breast cancer. Its use depends on the specific nature of the tumor and the patient's response to previous therapies.



Most advanced radiation therapy technology at Quirónsalud Torrevieja

Radiation therapy is another pillar of oncological treatment for breast cancer patients, and Quirónsalud Torrevieja's oncology department has the most advanced technology. Dr. Rosa Cañón, head of radiation oncology, highlights the advantages of the new linear gas pedals, such as the Varian TrueBeam 2.7 at Quirónsalud Torrevieja, which allow tumors to be treated with millimeter precision, improving treatment efficacy, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue, and thereby reducing side effects.

The doctor adds that radiation therapy is used to treat cancers of the breast and lymph nodes (axillary), and in advanced cases, to treat metastases in other organs, often with the intention of curing them.

Intraoperative radiation therapy

One of the the most innovative technique available in the oncology department is intraoperative radiation therapy, as it has a linear gas pedal inside the operating room with which a dose of radiation is administered during surgery. This technique is performed on patients with early breast cancer. After resection of the tumor and sentinel lymph node, a dose of radiation therapy is administered in the same operating room, avoiding post-operative radiation therapy sessions.

Oncologic surgery: modern approaches

The multidisciplinary approach of the oncology departments of Hospital Quirónsalud Torrevieja also includes advanced oncologic surgery techniques. Dr. Pedro Bretch, head of the department of surgical oncology, stresses that more than 95% of breast cancer cases require surgical intervention. The procedure is used for both curative and palliative purposes, depending on the stage and aggressiveness of the tumor.

Breast conservation techniques

In recent years, efforts have been made to reduce the need for radical mastectomies, favoring conservation surgery that preserves as much breast tissue as possible. In some cases, the administration of chemotherapy or immunotherapy prior to surgery can reduce the size of the tumor, facilitating less invasive intervention, thereby improving the quality of the of the patient's life.

When should breast cancer surgery be performed?
Surgical treatment is part of breast cancer treatment in more than 95% of cases. It usually results in curative success. In a smaller number of cases, it has a palliative purpose, that is, to avoid complications or adverse effects of tumor growth, such as bleeding, excessive infection or pain in widely spread tumors. The possibility of curing them is minimal, but surgery can help improve patients' quality of life. In a small number of cases, we do not perform surgery, such as when the tumor has a good prognosis, in elderly women, or with an associated pathology, where the risk of surgery is greater than the benefit of surgery in the treatment of breast cancer."

Precision medicine: a promising future in treatment

The Quirónsalud Torrevieja Oncology Department is not only focusing on current cancer treatment, but is also looking to the future with a focus on precision medicine. The concept, defined by Dr. Manuel Sureda, is to tailor treatment to each patient's individual genetic characteristics, creating a "tailor-made suit" for each cancer case.

Transcriptome: new horizons in cancer treatment

Transcriptome analysis, which examines RNA expression in cancer cells, has allowed doctors at Quirónsalud Torrevieja to offer more individualized and effective therapies. In up to 70% of the cases studied, the test has provided valuable information on the resistance or sensitivity of tumors to certain drugs, enabling real-time treatment adjustments.

Transcriptome analysis increases clinical benefit in breast cancer by 70%
Transcriptome testing provides individualized information on aspects of cancer treatment, such as resistance or sensitivity to chemotherapy or other types of anti-cancer drugs.

This approach not only improves the effectiveness of treatment, but also offers a greater likelihood of tumor control and improves the patient's quality of life. The Quirónsalud Torrevieja Oncology Department is a pioneer in Spain in the use of the transcriptome, and continues to make advances in this field to improve clinical outcomes for breast cancer patients.