The Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) and the Clínica Universidad de Navarra have launched a study to find the therapeutic targets to stop lung metastases in children with bone cancer. This project, which has received three-year funding of 150,000 euros from the Science Foundation of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), aims to study the targets of metastases in order to improve the survival rates among children with this disease, which cannot be prevented and is often not detected in time. "This is a clear example of the importance of translational research which can be applied in patients. Many cancer patients will benefit from these results," said Isabel Oriol, president of the AECC.

Osteosarcoma is the most frequent malignant bone tumor in children. At present, the survival rates is 50-70%, but in patients with metastases it is 10-30%. According tol Dr. Mikel San Julián, a specialist in this pathology at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, "although we had 73% survival in our clinical series, few tools are available today to prevent the spread of metastases. This project will provide major benefits for these patients".

The project funded by the AECC is a multicenter study led by CIMA and the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, in which 9 other Spanish centers are also participating: Centro de Bioinformática del CIC (Salamanca), Hospital Universitario de Oviedo (Asturias), Hospital Universitario San Juan (Alicante), Hospital San Juan de Dios (Barcelona), Hospital La Paz (Madrid), Hospital Miguel Servet (Zaragoza), Hospital M.D. Anderson (Madrid), Hospital Belltvitge (Barcelona) and Hospital Val d'Hebrón (Barcelona). According to Dr. Fernando Lecanda, principal investigator on this project and a member of the Adhesion and Metastasis Laboratory at CIMA, "the results of this research project will have a decisive impact on clinical treatment, because we will be able to anticipate the spread of tumor cells (metastases) by using more selective treatments. This will reduce the side effects in comparison with the current treatments, and improve patients' survival and quality of life".

In Spain, 60 to 80 new cases of osteosarcoma and 20 to 30 Ewing's sarcomas are diagnosed every year, 80% of which are in children or teenagers.

The Clínica Universidad de Navarra has treated over 1,400 cases of bone cancer, particularly osteosarcomas and Ewing's sarcomas, in the last 30 years. The survival rates for osteosarcoma, which is the most frequent of the two, were 73% after 15 years, and 90% of all patients, including small children, were able to preserve the limb that was affected.