Dr. Javier Cortés highlights the importance of clinical research in an interview with Science4Tech:
“I firmly believe that high-quality healthcare is not conceivable nowadays if clinical research is not incorporated into it, because there are moments during treatment when the best therapeutic strategy is going to be a clinical trial.”
About Dr. Javier Cortés
Dr. Cortés is a medical oncologist, an internationally renowned leader in breast cancer research and treatment. He is the founder and director of the International Breast Cancer Center and a founding partner of MedSir and Science4Tech. He was the former director of the Breast Cancer Program at the Institute of Oncology of the Ruber Hospitals. As well as a leader in the Breast Unit of the Vall d’Hebron Hospital.
He received the National Award of Medicine XXI Century. Distinguished with the European Award in Medicine in the category of medical oncology. An active member of the Spanish, European, and American societies of medical oncology and author of numerous publications in the most important research journals.
We are all key players in clinical research
Spain, a leader in clinical research
Spain is the second country in Europe with the highest number of active clinical trials. There are currently more than 1,500 active studies, which represents 42% of all studies carried out in Europe. In addition, there are clinical trials for more than 45 types of cancer for different stages of the disease.
+ cancer – mortality
The incidence of cancer is gradually increasing for reasons such as exposure to risk factors (tobacco, alcohol, pollution, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, among others) and an aging population.
How does clinical research have an impact? Despite the increase in new cases, the mortality rate in Spain fell by 8.7% in 2021, compared to the previous year, according to Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE). This decrease in the mortality rate is due, among others, to several improvements in treatment efficacy.
Participating = saving lives
More than 50,000 cancer patients participated in clinical trials in the last 10 years. Thanks to them, it has been possible to advance in the development of more effective treatments for cancer.
By participating in a clinical trial, the benefit is not only for individuals but for all patients who may suffer from a similar disease. Trials are useful for both individual patients and the society collectively, and it should be part of our ethos.
Thanks to clinical trials and all the patients who have participated in them, we all have new and better treatments to fight cancer.
MacthTrial = empowerment
The world is changing, and technology is making scientific knowledge more accessible.
MatchTrial provides access to patients and their family members to all the information related to active oncology clinical trials in Spain. This is how MatchTrial empowers patients, so they can participate in the decision-making process together with their oncologist, in order to choose the best alternative for their cancer treatment.
In words of Dr. Cortés:
“…empowerment is providing tools to a person so they can make informed decisions… What’s the objective of MatchTrial? To help patients so they can find which clinical trials are best for them in this country so they can ask their doctors freely about their research strategies.”
Sharing scientific knowledge is how science advances with the aim to develop new and better treatments.
We unite people and science because sharing is moving forward.
