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Locations and phones

Call center 93 253 21 00

Monday to Sunday, from 8 am to 8:30 pm

Scheduling or change of appointment +34 93 253 21 00

Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 7 pm

Private Care - International Patients +34 93 600 97 83

Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 7 pm

SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital

Passeig Sant Joan de Déu, 2, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat

How to arrive

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Un paciente de oncología infantil recibe tratamiento contra el cáncer en el Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona

The SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital's Pediatric Cancer Center is a national reference centre for the care and research of developmental cancer and an international reference centre.

At the SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital's Oncology Department we are specialists in the treatment of all pediatric cancers: neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, musculoskeletal tumours (sarcomas including osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma), brain tumours (including medulloblastoma, ependymoma, gliomas and other less frequent ones), histiocytosis, renal tumours (Wilms' tumour and other less frequent ones), leukaemias (lymphoid and myeloid) and lymphomas. 

Accreditations

Our departament has been officially recognised as a reference unit for the treatment of minority and complex diseases: 

  • European Commission (ERN): ERN PaedCan 
  • Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare (CSUR): Genetic neurocutaneous syndromes. 

Why SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital?

Childhood cancer is not the same as adult cancer

Developmental cancer, better known as childhood cancer, affects children, adolescents and young adults.

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We use innovative therapies

We work on the development of new therapies and treatments that are more effective and less aggressive, so that young cancer patients can benefit from the most advanced treatments.

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At the vanguard of knowledge

We undertake research to improve the diagnosis and treatment of our patients. We have five research groups and are participating in a large number of clinical trials with the aim of finding a treatment for incurable tumours.

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We give special attention to families and to the overall well-being of the patient

We offer comprehensive interdisciplinary care to children and young people with cancer, focussing always on preserving the patient's quality of life.

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We offer personalised medicine

We understand that every patient is different because every tumour is different.

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Our facilities

DWe have access to all medical techniques to diagnose and treat our patients. The new Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, a new single-speciality centre for the benefit of children and adolescents with cancer and their families, is set to open in June 2022.

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Our outcomes

80
%

Eye preservation rate in advanced stages of retinoblastoma after 10 years

90
%

Survival in patients with low-grade glioma after 10 years

84
%

Cure rate in patients with localised Ewing sarcoma after 10 years

85
%

Cure rate in localised osteosarcomas after 10 years

94
%

of our patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia survive after 5 years

82
%

Patients with high-risk neuroblastoma treated at our centre who are disease-free after 3 years, in first or second complete remission

Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona

A comprehensive center by all and for all for the benefit of children and adolescents with cancer.

Specialties and services

Related Units

Neuroncology

We treat central nervous system tumours such as medulloblastoma and other embryonal tumours, high- and low-grade and diffuse K27M mutated midline gliomas, ependymoma, craniopharyngioma, germ cell tumour, and choroid plexus tumour.

Extracranial solid tumours

Experts in pathologies such as neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Wilms tumour, nephroblastoma, vascular tumour (hemangioma, venous and arterial malformation), hepatoblastoma and germ cell tumour.

Tumours of the hematopoietic system

Leukemias, lymphomas (non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin), histiocytosis and congenital spinal cord failure are the focus of our healthcare activity in this field.

Neurocutaneous diseases (NF1) and cancer predisposition

We are specialists in hereditary cancer syndromes, such as neurocutaneous diseases (neurofibromatosis 1 and 2), tuberous sclerosis or syndromes such as Li-Fraumeni, among others.

Cancer survivor follow-up

Care for cancer patients does not end with the treatment. We provide the support and services necessary to make going back to school, family and friends a positive experience.

Pathologies we treat

Meduloblastoma and other embryonal tumours
Low-grade glioma
Ependymoma
Craniopharyngioma
Choroid plexus tumor
Osteosarcoma
Ewing's sarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Nephroblastoma (Wilms’ Tumour)
Vascular tumour (hemangioma, venous and arterial malformation)
Hepatoblastoma
Germinal cell tumours
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Histiocytosis
Congenital medullar failure
Neurocutaneous diseases: neurofibromatosis type 1 and 2
Tuberous sclerosis
Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Cancer predisposing syndromes

Treatments we offer

CNS tumours
Oncological surgery of the chest, abdomen, pelvis and soft tissue
Oncological surgery of bone tumours
Radiotherapy (proton therapy and conventional radiotherapy)
Chemotherapy and associated support treatment
High-risk neuroblastoma immunotherapy
Retinoblastoma immunotherapy
Cellular treatments platform

Integrative Pediatric Oncology

Our professionals offer the patient a holistic, patient-centred approach, based on scientific rigour and medical criteria to reduce treatment toxicity and improve the quality of life of children and adolescents with developmental cancer.

Tests we perform

Imaging tests (anatomical, metabolic and functional)
Laboratory tests
Analysis of tumour samples
Analysis of various samples (bone marrow, blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid)

Our professionals

María Nazaret Sánchez Sierra, oncòloga, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona
María Nazaret Sánchez Sierra
Oncologist

The Oncology Department is supported by physicians from all the paediatric specialties to offer our patients comprehensive care.

We also have the support of the Associació de Familiars i Amics de Nens Oncològics de Catalunya (AFANOC) with the figure of Núria Carsí, nurse and clinical consultant.

Research and clinical trials

Today we can only offer better care through research.

The research projects we carry out aim to answer the questions posed by oncologists when they treat children and adolescents suffering from developmental cancer. This is called translational research and focusses on bringing scientific advances to the patient as quickly as possible.

Research in the Oncology Area is carried out through the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), where more than 50 professionals, including researchers and technicians, work in the Developmental Cancer Research Laboratory, founded in 2003, which is now part of the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona at SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital.

We have a pediatric tumour bank that is of great value for research and investigation. In the laboratory, molecular techniques and genomic technology are applied, which allow the analysis of the gene expression of tumours and open new options in the fields of patient diagnosis and prognosis.

With a research team which is fully integrated with the healthcare team, with more than 20 years of experience in translational research, our cutting-edge research, clinical trials and treatments allow our specialists to provide the safest and most effective care possible to our patients.

What characterises our research:

  • Use of pre-clinical models: Patient samples are processed in the laboratory to evaluate the efficacy and safety of new treatments, before the clinical phase.
  • The pediatric tumour bank: This is a key piece in our research, since the study of patients' tumours is the first step to achieving results.
  • The Clinical Trials Unit: We have the first Clinical Trials Unit in Spain focusing on paediatrics, with a substantial volume of patients and trials.

Thanks to all of this, the Developmental Cancer Research Laboratory is able to offer techniques for precision diagnosis and disease prognosis to our patients, while working to develop more effective and less aggressive therapies for children suffering from cancer.

Precision diagnosis

Innovative diagnostic techniques allow us to identify therapeutic targets and offer personalised therapies.

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Advanced therapies

We have a high capability to develop advanced therapies in childhood oncology which are available in very few centres worldwide.

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Main research groups

Our work is carried out in five research groups with more than 50 professionals who work at the Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute

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Visit to the Childhood Cancer Research Laboratory at SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital

Visit to the Childhood Cancer Research Laboratory at SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1riT2KRNYc

The greatest recognition: that of our patients

The majority of oncology therapies and treatments are not tested in children. As childhood cancers are rare diseases, very few resources are set aside to research them. More and more patients and families are driving initiatives to fund the research that we conduct at SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital. Some 70% of our research budget comes from donations from patients' families. Thanks to research, currently 80% of cases are cured, but medicine still does not have the answer for many children.

Colaborate with us

“Having a research laboratory at the service of our patients is key to offering the most advanced treatments.”

Jaume Mora Graupera Oncology Area Scientific Director

“Thanks to research, currently 80% of cases are cured, but we still do not have the answer for many children. We need more effective and less toxic treatments.”

Ofelia Cruz Martínez Pediatric oncologist, Head of Teaching in the Oncology Area

“The vast majority of the public and private resources intended for cancer research focus on adult cancer. Children are very much forgotten.”

Glòria Garcia Castellví Head of the Charity Department
Help us research childhood cancer

Help us research childhood cancer

We work to advance the knowledge and cure of this disease that affects 250,000 children in the world every year.

Teaching

From the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona we are driving the training of developmental cancer specialists. We have accreditation as an international training center in pediatric cancer by the European School of Oncology and by the International Oncology Society.

One of the main initiatives we are driving is TELEO, an online training programme in childhood cancer and blood diseases aimed at Latin American medical and nursing professionals. The programme is completely free and accessible online or through its mobile app, and is a part of SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital's International Pediatric Forum (International Outreach Program).

Our team is also connected with the training provided by Sant Joan de Déu Formación [SJD Training] in the Oncology and Haematology speciality, and the teaching imparted by the Universitat de Barcelona, with which SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital is affiliated as a teaching hospital.

Patient stories

Retinoblastoma stabilised with intra-arterial chemotherapy that had no treatment options in the country of origin
Successfully operated on a female patient with a large neuroblastoma
Olivia overcomes heart problems caused by chemotherapy
"Being part of a clinical trial, thanks to the research, made us face the DIPG in a positive way"

Psychosocial care, assistance and services

When any child arrives in the Oncology Area of SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital, our team of psychologists and social workers performs a comprehensive assessment of their family situation so that an action plan can be drawn up. This plan includes guidance about the services and/or assistance (economic, work-related, social, accommodation, etc.) they can access to help them handle their son or daughter's illness, and proposes appropriate actions on the part of our professionals.

To prepare this plan, our professionals count on the support of the Hospital Amic and Hospitality programmes, among others, something that makes our hospital stand out. They also work with Escola La Magnòlia, the hospital's own school under the Department of Education of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, to ensure continuity of education for inpatients in Catalonia. In some situations, they coordinate with social services in the family's place of residence to guarantee continuity of care to the family when they are at home, as well as with patient associations.

Lastly, our team is also present as normal life resumes, which can be a moment of crisis for families after a long time outside the school and work environment.

Psychosocial care team

Maria Àngels Claramonte Fuster
Social worker
Tània González Sanchís
Social worker
Paciente retinoblastoma Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona

PCCB Charity Fund

When they can't access the treatment needed in their country, we can help.