The SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital signs an agreement with the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center to help further research in pediatric oncology

The SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital has signed a strategic agreement with the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center in China, which currently holds fifth place on the Nature Index Research listing. The partnership focuses on the development of the field of pediatric oncology, and seeks to improve access to advanced treatments for children with cancer.

Dr Patricia Montealegre, Director of the International Department at SJD, and Spring Zhou, Operations Director for the Asia-Pacific region, visited the Chinese facility as a show of commitment to the partnership. During the visit, they signed a multidisciplinary agreement to implement a cross-border pediatric consultation system. This model allows for direct virtual consultations between the hospitals, reducing costs for families and speeding up access to specialised treatments.

The partnership has already allowed for the discussion of complex neuroblastoma and Ewing’s sarcoma cases, as well as sharing knowledge of advanced therapies like CAR-T and immunotherapy.

Future plans for the partnership between the centers includes strengthening cellular immunotherapy capabilities, artificial intelligence-based disease diagnosis, and the creation of expert consensus guidelines for the treatment of rare tumors.

This partnership marks a new chapter in global pediatric oncology, redefining access, equity and innovation when providing healthcare to pediatric patients with cancer.