Ana María Casas
Medical Oncologist, specialist in Breast Cancer and Oncological Support Care with more than 35 years of experience, most of them at the Virgen del Roció University Hospital in Seville. She completed her specialization as a resident in the MIR system in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology at the Virgen del Roció University Hospital (1981). Doctor of Medicine, cum laude, from the University of Seville in 1991 with the Doctoral Thesis “Analytical Study of the Current Situation of Assistance to Patients with Cancer in Andalusia: Proposals for an Integrated System of Oncological Care”. She completed her training as a Fellow at the National Cancer Institute of the United States (1987) and as an external visitor at the New York University Hospital (2007). She has an MBA from the Pompeu Fabra University in Health Economics and Health Management (1993-94).
She has also been a Consultant-Coordinator in the Andalusian Health Service for the 1st Autonomous Cancer Plan (1988-1991) and for the 1st National Cancer Plan in the same period, as well as in Health Programmes of the European Community, mainly with the Ministry of Health of Northern Ireland. She has been Medical Director at the Virgen Macarena University Hospital and at the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (1994-2000), combining her work with healthcare work.
Her main areas of experience focus on Breast Cancer, Bone Metastases and Supportive Treatment in Oncology, Oncological Pain, Control of Emesis, Anemia and Neutropenia and especially on the Integration of the Assessment of Quality of Life from the perspective of patients (Patients Reported Outcomes –PROs-).
She is an active member of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), former General Secretary of its Steering Committee (2005-2007) and former General Coordinator of the Oncology Continuing Care Section of the SEOM (2005-2008). She is an active member of the Spanish Breast Cancer Research Group, SOLTI, of which she has been a member of its Board of Directors (2014-2019) and Coordinator of Institutional Relations. Since 2019, after her appointment, she is an Honorary Member of the SOLTI Board of Directors.
Author of more than 100 scientific publications and presentations at Congresses in her Specialty.
Awarded by the Royal Academy of Medicine of Seville for her work “Humanization of Oncology Management and Care” (2008). Academic member since 2008.
ANNEX
In 2010, after having started two years earlier a training and empowerment experience for patients with Breast Cancer at the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital in Seville, she promoted the Social Club “Creamos Lazos frente al Cáncer de Mama”, with the aim of carrying out training and information activities, creating links between patients with breast cancer and their empowerment.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer (2013) she promoted the “ACTITUD frente al CÁNCER” Foundation, which involves: knowledge + human values, with the following Objectives:
1.- To support the development of human values in the person with an ATTITUDE of facing the disease and the vicissitudes throughout the “Cancer Journey”. To transcend one's own existence and look the disease in the face.
2.- Empowerment. To promote the best possible training to be responsible and take control of the disease and of life. Promote the role of an active and expert patient.
3.- ACTIVE HOPE = EMPOWERMENT + ATTITUDE, in action, searching, knowing, empowering. Stay up to date with the advances in research and have TRUST in Science and Research. What does not exist today may be available tomorrow thanks to Research.
4.- COMMIT TO RESEARCH. Actively participate and PROMOTE RESEARCH
5. Facilitate the CONNECTION BETWEEN PROFESSIONALS / PATIENTS. Mutually transmit experiences to work better and with a focus on the needs of patients, knowing them firsthand. THERE IS NO RESEARCH WITHOUT PATIENTS.
Currently co-leading as co-PI, together with Dr Aleix Prat, the HOPE Project, a real-world clinical practice study to evaluate the impact of the use of comprehensive genomic data in the next treatment decision in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in Spain.
HOPE is a pioneering study in Spain, led by patients, which combines the empowerment of patients to personally decide their access to clinical research with Genomic Sequencing - NGS - in tumor samples and Liquid Biopsy.
It arises from the exchange of communication and reciprocal listening between patients and researchers that has allowed us to delve into the experiences and shortcomings of patients with metastatic breast cancer. It makes it possible to apply advanced diagnostic technology - NGS - to then carry out a personalized oncological treatment according to the tumor biology of each patient. There is no doubt that in recent years,