Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona


OBJECTIVE

To be able to offer intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging in the Neurosurgery Operating Room of the Sant Joan de Déu hospital in Barcelona.

RELEVANCE

It allows surgeries to be performed by observing the behavior of the brain in real time, which improves the removal of tumors and therefore the survival of patients. It is therefore an essential part of the operation of the new cancer center.

152 interventions

More than 400 RNM

STATUS AND SCOPE

ACTIVE

The program is developed at the Sant Joan de Déu hospital.

PROJECT START: 2019

BUDGET

1 Million €

100,000 € / Year

x 10 Years (5 already donated)

Dr. Jaume Mora, Director of the Developmental Tumors Laboratory at Barcelona's Sant Joan de Déu hospital.

"Our model of research integrated with care, and with the patient and his or her family, is what has facilitated and consolidated the SJD Pediatric Cancer Center as a reality today. Having a research laboratory at the service of our patients is key to being able to offer the most advanced treatments".

ASOCIACIÓN ANITA FOUNDING DONOR OF THE PEDIATRIC CANCER CENTER BARCELONA

Since 2019 Asociación Anita is Founding Donor of the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB) of the Sant Joan de Déu hospital, the first and only center in Spain and, one of the most important in Europe, specialized in Pediatric Oncology.   

Asociación Anita has donated 1 million euros over a period of 10 years, to finance the purchase of the new Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging that has been installed next to the Neurosurgery Operating Room of the Sant Joan de Déu hospital in Barcelona.

The construction of the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB) has been funded through the #ParaLosValientes campaign, which raised 37 million euros thanks to the 15 Founding Donors, hundreds of companies and the efforts of thousands of individuals and solidarity initiatives.

New Intraoperative MRI in the Neurosurgery Operating Room of SJD Barcelona hospital. From left to right: Carolina Amado, President of the Asociación Anita, view of the entrance and interiors of the Central Surgical Block, together with Fernando Sanchiz (Anita's father) and María and Gonzalo from our Board of Directors. Board of Directors.

PEDIATRIC CANCER CENTER BARCELONA 

Inaugurated in June 2022, the SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona is a new monographic center specialized in the treatment and research of childhood developmental cancer. Its main objective is to offer comprehensive and personalized care to patients and their families, to achieve new effective treatments for currently incurable cancers and to reduce the sequelae in children who overcome the disease. In short, to increase as much as possible the cure of childhood and teenage cancer.

It is therefore based on the differentiated treatment of so-called developmental cancer, which affects children and teenagers and, unlike adult cancer, cannot benefit from many of the treatments available today. This consolidates the model of research, assistance and care in pediatric oncology developed by the Sant Joan de Déu hospital for more than a decade.

Its 14,000 m2 distributed over five floors, allows the hospital to increase its capacity to attend new cases by 35%.  

The new center has 37 single rooms, 8 transplant chambers, 26 boxes for Day Hospital and 21 outpatient clinics. It also has a Nuclear Medicine and Metabolic Therapy Service, operating rooms, research laboratories with more than 50 researchers who focus on the study of developmental tumors, and other non-care services such as very welcoming common areas, which favor the well-being of patients and their families. 

Every day, a multidisciplinary professional team of more than 150 people ensures that everyone receives the utmost care and attention.

INTRAOPERATIVE MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Asociación Anita is one of the 15 Founding Donors of the PCCB thanks to the donation of ONE MILLION euros over the next 10 years to purchase a new Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine. Already installed in the Neurosurgery Operating Room and in operation, this MRI allows to perform surgeries observing the behavior of the brain in real time, allowing to perform an MRI during the procedure and immediately checking the result of a tumor resection and updating in-situ images for navigation during the intervention, which improves the removal of tumors and therefore the survival of patients by reducing the occurrence of sequelae and minimizing possible re-interventions. It is therefore an essential piece for the operation of the new cancer center, given that brain tumors are the most frequent type of cancer in childhood, after leukemias.

The addition of this new MRI to the hospital's equipment is also a benefit for all patients, since having more equipment, while it is not used in the operating room, increases the capacity to perform a greater number of MRIs and will be used to treat other types of serious pathologies, such as epilepsy, for example. For any hospital center, expanding its equipment with machines that are as necessary as they are costly and scarce is always excellent news: better care for its patients.

BUDGET ALLOCATED: 1,000,000 euros (100,000 euros per year x 10 years).