The Community of Madrid will publish several strategies linked to the Madrid Cancer Plan before the end of 2026, including precision oncology and long-term survivors. The aim is to ensure uniform access to biomarkers throughout the region.
The Community of Madrid will publish several strategies included in the Madrid Cancer Plan before the end of 2026, as highlighted at the meeting 'Challenges in the Development of Oncological Biomarkers', organized by Diariofarma in collaboration with Menarini. Among the planned documents are the strategy for precision oncology, familial cancer, networked oncological research, and long-term survivors. The forecast reinforces that the debate is no longer just about pending needs, but about the immediate organization of the model.
A spending of 190 million on targeted therapies
María José Calvo, Deputy General Director of Pharmacy at Sermas, recalled that precision oncology "is already a reality in Madrid." She placed spending on targeted therapies at around 190 million euros, nearly 40% of the community's spending on oncological medications, benefiting about 11,000 patients. The figure shows the scale achieved, but also the responsibility to incorporate innovation with shared criteria and a clear relationship between molecular diagnosis and health outcomes.
For residents of the Community of Madrid, this data translates to the system already using precision tools, but there is still a lack of uniformity. "Access cannot depend on the hospital you go to," Calvo emphasized. The forecast of the new strategies indicates that in the coming months, circuits and maximum times will be defined so that any patient, whether living in Alcalá de Henares, Móstoles, or the centre of the capital, receives the same molecular study.
“Precision oncology is already a reality in Madrid, but we need uniformity, measurable times, and equal access,” stated María José Calvo, Deputy General Director of Pharmacy at Sermas.
Hospital infrastructure, unequal depending on the centre
José Palacios, Head of Pathological Anatomy at Ramón y Cajal Hospital, agreed that the current state is good, although unequal. “Patients have had access to biomarkers for some time,” but warned that the infrastructure of each hospital is irregular and depends on the type of technique, the centre, and the complexity of the marker. Simpler tests are more widespread; more complex ones, such as mass sequencing, require networks and concentration of expertise.
This inequality directly affects the patient: those who go to a hospital capable of mass sequencing can obtain a more precise diagnosis than those who go to another centre without that technology. The solution, according to experts, lies in creating stable regional circuits. “Moving from a sum of powerful capabilities to a regional model that ensures innovation reaches the patient with the same clinical value,” Palacios explained. The challenge is particularly relevant in a community with 36 public hospitals and a high concentration of cancer patients.
The biomarker, a dynamic process throughout the disease
Pilar Aliseda, Medical Director of Menarini Stemline, noted that the arrival of targeted therapies requiring resistance biomarkers forces a rethink of the circuits. “The biomarker is not a snapshot; it must be determined at different moments of the disease,” she stated. This implies that the system needs the capacity to repeat analyses as the tumour evolves, which adds logistical and funding complexity.
For the patient, this means that an initial study is not enough: if cancer progresses, new biopsies or blood tests will be needed to look for resistance mutations. The Community of Madrid is working on a model that integrates these repeated determinations within the care circuit, avoiding delays. “Equity demands governance, training, indicators, shared circuits, and a dynamic view of the biomarker,” summarized the meeting's moderator, José María López Alemany.
The strategies planned for the end of 2026 will include specific deadlines and responsibilities. Experts are confident that the publication of these documents will mark a turning point in the organization of precision oncology in the region. Meanwhile, patients and healthcare professionals hope that the promise of uniformity translates into action.
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