Last 22nd of September, The Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) held a formal ceremony at the Auditorio del Fórum in Barcelona with the distinguished presence of Queen Doña Letizia, Honourable President of the Association.
On World Cancer Research Day, the AECC held an official ceremony presided by Her Majesty the Queen. Gillian Flaxman, the Headmistress of the British Council School was present at the ceremony. The School and the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) renew on a yearly basis, their agreement and commitment to provide financial support and oncology research to BIOOR. The event provided recognition to various research projects in the fight against cancer. BIOOR is a British Council School independent support project which is part of the whole of our School community.
At the ceremony we met the new recipient of the financial help which BIOOR provides, the CNIO researcher, Dr. Ana Ortega, from the Cell Metabolism and Signalling Group. Her research will investigate in depth, the underlying molecular make-up of follicular lymphoma (which takes root in the lymphnodes), the second most common type of malignant lymphoma in Western Europe.
The Spanish Association Against Cancer is funding two important research projects at the National Centre for Oncology Research (CNIO). These are aimed at the advance of knowledge of pancreatic cancer and lymphomas, to improve treatment and provide earlier diagnosis. One of the research projects will be coordinated by Mariano Barbacid, the Head of the Experimental Oncology Group at CNIO, who alongside Alfredo Carrato, Head of the Oncology Department at the Ramon y Cajal Hospital in Madrid, will investigate the pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
The ceremony had as its main objective to promote research as the main way of fighting cancer. During the event, those attending witnessed patients, doctors and researchers talking about the progress which has already been made in combating this disease and the need for continued financial support. Also present at the ceremony were the Health Advisor for the Generalitat, Antoni Comín, the President of the AECC, Ignacio Muñoz, Juli de Miquel as President of AECC-Catalunya Against Cancer and other notable institutions, as well as a large number of researchers and volunteers.