Sanidad extenderá en 2025 la administración de quimioterapia a domicilio en hospitales canarios

The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands presented on Friday the project for the administration of antineoplastics and chemotherapy at home, which began testing in 2018 and aims to expand to all hospitals in the Canary Islands by 2025 for the comfort and safety of oncology patients.

The project was initiated as a pilot in 2018. Later, in 2021, a protocol was established with the hematology service of the Doctor Negrín Hospital for onco-hematological patients. Since December 2024, the University Hospital of the Canary Islands has also joined the initiative.

Currently, the Ministry of Health is working to unify these pilot projects and consolidate them to implement them in all hospital centers in the Canary Islands.

«This is possible thanks to the therapeutic innovation we have. Drugs are becoming safer and easier to use. Chemotherapeutic agents can now be administered not only intravenously but also subcutaneously,» emphasized Miguel Ángel Ponce, the general director of the Doctor Negrín Hospital in Gran Canaria.

Ponce also clarified that this service is supported by a protocol, ensuring that hospital staff are prepared for any adverse reactions, with patient monitoring and even telemedicine for remote patient monitoring to address any issues.

The goal now is to increase the number of patients accessing this service, primarily in the major hospitals of the Canary Islands, where there is a higher number of oncology patients, by providing nursing care at home from oncology services or through home hospitalization units.

While the procedure is currently being implemented in the capital islands, it is noted that home hospitalization is already available at the hospitals in Lanzarote and La Palma, with plans to establish it in Fuerteventura to reach all citizens of the Canary Islands.

Regarding patient profiles, the service has been used for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, similar to leukemia, and has now expanded to oncology patients receiving subcutaneous chemotherapy for lung and bladder cancer.

Since 2018, the Doctor Negrín Hospital in Gran Canaria has administered chemotherapy to approximately 300 patients at home, and since 2021, blood transfusions have also been provided concurrently in home settings.

The implementation and forecasts:
Fernando Gutiérrez, the scientific director of the Canary Islands Health Research Institute, specified that the health project is now being implemented to be fully operational in all hospitals in the Canary Islands by the end of 2025.

The initiative will have two phases, with the first expected to be completed by March, starting the service at the four major hospitals on the islands and later expanding to the non-capital islands.

The service will be selected by the oncologist of each patient, who will identify the most suitable candidates for home treatment. Initially, the first and second cycles of treatment will be administered in day hospitals, followed by a transition to home care for patients who respond well to treatment.

Currently, the treatments used have minimal side effects suitable for home administration, and there are plans to introduce intravenous chemotherapy alongside antineoplastic treatment in the next two to three years.

The coordination team hopes that 10-15% of oncology patients will benefit from this home service. Large hospitals typically treat around 3,000-3,500 cancer patients per year.

Avoiding travel and enhancing user comfort:
During a press conference, the President of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, emphasized how this initiative reaffirms the department’s efforts and the many healthcare workers in the Canary Islands. He highlighted the achievements made in the last 19 months, including this homecare project that reduces travel and enhances patient comfort.

The Minister of Health, Esther Monzón, expressed her satisfaction with this development, signaling a renewed focus on bringing public health services closer to patients.

«This initiative brings hope to many cancer patients, humanizing treatment in a safer and more welcoming environment,» added the Health Minister.

She emphasized that the Canary Islands are the first region in Spain to have a unified and centralized oncology treatment strategy.

Fernando Gutiérrez, the scientific director of the Canary Islands Health Research Institute, noted that administering these drugs at home will transform the way the Canary Islands healthcare system cares for oncology patients, with a stronger focus on efficiency.

He expanded on the challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis, impacting patients physically and emotionally. Implementing this initiative at home can help alleviate the continuous sense of illness experienced by oncology patients when visiting hospitals.

This project represents a significant advancement in oncology treatment in the Canary Islands, with the potential to improve patient outcomes and experiences.

FUENTE