The Sant Joan de Déu Hospital continues to position itself as an international benchmark in the treatment of childhood cancer with the inauguration of the SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), the first pediatric oncology center in Spain, the second in Europe and one of the largest in the world. After five years of work, the project has an investment of 37 million euros, contributed by thousands of donors, and will be managed by a team of 150 professionals.
With its opening scheduled for the end of this month, the PCCB will consolidate the research, assistance and care model in pediatric oncology that Sant Joan de Déu has been developing for more than 15 years, marking a milestone in the differentiated treatment of childhood tumors compared to those of adults. Childhood cancer is associated with the development of the individual in their first years of life, while adult cancer is related to aging, which means that the biology of both diseases is totally different and adult drugs are of little or no use for children.
The specialization promoted by this hospital in Esplugues de Llobregat allows modulating treatment based on a precision diagnosis, the patient's age and the tumor's location, with the aim of minimizing the impact of treatment and its sequelae. In addition, with the new pediatric building, Sant Joan de Déu will increase its capacity. In 2021, the hospital treated a total of 300 new cases of childhood cancer, a figure that will grow to 400, 35% more. The new patients will be local, but also from abroad, taking into account that the PCCB was born with the aim of promoting the internationalization of Sant Joan de Déu, a benchmark in Catalonia and the rest of Spain, but also with a significant presence in Latin America. In fact, with the treatment of international patients, research capacity is expected to increase, taking into account that childhood cancer is a minority disease and, to advance in its study, a sufficient number of cases is needed.
The new pediatric oncology center will also allow for deeper research into new, less aggressive treatments, in addition to being able to train pediatric oncologists, a non-existent specialty. "We apply a translational research model that combines care with research so that patients can benefit as soon as possible from the most advanced treatments," explains the scientific director of the PCCB, Jaume Mora.
In this sense, research must serve to continue advancing in the reduction of the mortality rate from childhood tumors, which has been decreasing over the years. "In 1960, no child could be cured; in the 2000s, 70% of patients were cured, and today more than 80% are saved," says Mora, "if we continue on this path, one day we will see all patients cured." Currently, Sant Joan de Déu has eight active lines of research, with which they have generated five of their own clinical trials, as well as being immersed in the development of CAR-T therapies hand in hand with Hospital Clínic.
A surface area of 14,000 square meters
The new center is located in an independent building, connected to the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu by an elevated gallery. With a surface area of 14,000 square meters, the PCCB is distributed over five floors.
70% of the space is dedicated to medical care and the remaining 30% to spaces for research and development. Specifically, it has 37 individual rooms, eight chambers for transplantation, 26 boxes for the Day Hospital, and 21 external consultations. It also has a Nuclear Medicine Service and metabolic therapy, operating rooms, and research laboratories.
The new center is located in an independent building, connected to the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu by an elevated galleryThe entire environment has been designed with the involvement of patients and families, thinking of cozy common spaces, with lots of light and spaciousness to promote their well-being. In accordance with the latest expansions of Sant Joan de Déu, interactive play areas, a room for adolescent patients, and waiting rooms with manipulable elements have also been included.
The resources to build the new center have been obtained through donations. More than 80% has been contributed by the 15 founding donors, including the Leo Messi Foundation, the Barça Foundation, the La Caixa Foundation, Esteve, Andbank, Atrys, the Nou Mil·lenni Foundation, and the Association of Families and Patients of Sant Joan de Déu. Hundreds of companies and more than 100,000 individuals have also collaborated financially.
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