“Cuba is interested in developing cooperation with Serbia in the field of medicine, and we see that there is potential for it on both the Cuban and Serbian sides. It is an opportunity to do something important for our countries and the stay of Cuban doctors here is very important for us in Cuba and for the citizens of Serbia, “said the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Serbia Gustavo Trista del Todo at the presentation” The Latest Cuban Medical Achievements ” held in Belgrade.
Dr Reno Cespedes, head of the Department of Pediatrics at the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology in Havana, and Dr. Anabely Estevez Garcia, an oncologist from La Prader Clinic, spoke about the latest Cuban medicine results in treating various forms of cancer. They reside in Serbia at the invitation of the consulta al Futuro agency, which has the only contract with the official Association of Cuban doctors.
According to Dr Reno, the Cuban team of doctors has been conducting research since 2009 on 28 patients aged 3 to 18 years who have been diagnosed with a complex form of brain cancer. The therapy was conducted by 2012 and the state of health was monitored for the next four years. The study has shown that treatment with immunotherapy in combination with conventional radiation gives good results in prolonging the life span. In the new test cycle, the medical team follows 39 patients who have been on therapy since 2015 and in this group, after a three-year period, the study shows that the survival rate has been raised to 40%. “This is a great success considering that we are talking about difficult trials and that we have been around 10% of survival for more than ten years,” says Dr. Cespedes.
Dr. Anabely Estevez Garcia points out the progress of Cuban medicine in the application of immunotherapy, not only through the lung cancer vaccine, which is most widely known in Serbia. Doctors in Havana are making great use of other forms of this disease, such as pancreatic cancer, skin, prostate, and soon for colon cancer.