Spain and Argentina advance cancer research and prevention initiatives

In Spain, the CRIS Contra el Cancer foundation marked International Sarcoma Day (July 13) by highlighting several funded projects aimed at improving sarcoma diagnosis and treatment. Initiatives include a cell‑therapy trial for children with sarcoma at Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid, biomarker studies at Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío in Seville and at Incliva in Valencia, and genetic research at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona. Sarcomas affect about 2,600 people annually in Spain and have low survival rates when metastasized.

In Argentina, oncologist Matías Chacón, newly appointed president of the International Affairs Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, emphasized that one in three people will develop cancer and that up to 50 % of cases could be prevented through measures such as smoking cessation, healthy weight, HPV vaccination and sun protection. The country records 130,000‑150,000 new cancer cases each year, but lacks comprehensive registries, hindering policy and treatment planning.