Like a “silent health crisis.” The Association Against Gastric Cancer and Gastrectomized Patients defines the current situation in our country with respect to stomach cancer as worrying. With more than 8,000 diagnoses and 5,000 deaths annually with a five-year survival rate that barely exceeds 28%. For this reason, they demand an urgent transformation of the health system based on three strategic pillars for this disease: proactive anticipation, agile and equitable incorporation of innovation, and comprehensive support for both the patient and their family.
All of this has been collected in the document “The 10 priority challenges in addressing gastric cancer in Spain”whose purpose is to translate the legislative commitment into concrete actions such as public policy planning, health strategies and legislative actions, capable of improving health outcomes and the quality of life of those who suffer from this disease.
Presented this week by the Association Against Gastric Cancer and Gastrectomized Patients (with the support of the Digestive Tumor Treatment Group, Ifarcedis and Astellas Pharma), among the main lines that mark the roadmap that counts are the urgency of a transformation of the health system due to scientific advances, access to diagnosis and treatments that are not fast or equitable. Guarantee access to innovation and that translate into a benefit for all patients, regardless of their geographical location or socioeconomic level, being a priority objective.
Despite scientific advances, access to diagnosis and treatment is neither quick nor equitable.
Another aspect to highlight is the bet on precision medicine as an available and operational reality in gastric cancer. Precision medicine associated with specific biomarkers reinforces the efficiency of the health system and ensures better health results.
Lines of action
The report proposes the ten priority challenges and their corresponding lines of action, structured for their progressive implementation. The experts also presented the most notable ones from their respective areas of knowledge.
So, Fernando Rivera, president of the Digestive Tumor Treatment Group, pointed out the importance of early diagnosis through systematic anticipation. It addressed the challenge of specialized reference centers with operational multidisciplinary care. He commented on the challenge of translational research and innovation and advocated for comprehensive and factored primary prevention.
For its part, María Jesús Fernández Acñero, representative of the Spanish Society of Pathological Anatomyemphasized the lack of equity in access to biomarkers, as well as their financing and inclusion in the basic portfolio of the SNS and the importance of equitably distributed molecular diagnostic capacity. He stressed that Spain is not taking advantage of artificial intelligence and big data for the early detection of gastric cancer and other pathologies.
Finally, Sandra Flores Moreno, head of the Pharmacy Service at the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, in Seville, shared that the time of access to innovative drugs, from their financing until they reach the patient, are unaffordable for patients, especially those with a poor prognosis. He also spoke about the national homogenization of protocols in diagnoses and therapies. In addition to the importance of comprehensive support and legislation that protects the patient.