The UB inaugurates a pioneering classroom on oncology podiatry
The rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Guàrdia, said that today “is a great day in the field of podiatry”, and added that “we must thank Reig Jofre for opening the door to this pioneering project that puts us at the forefront of podiatric care for cancer patients”. “The aim of the UB hospitals is to make model clinical care units available to students to improve their training. In this sense, having this classroom at the Hospital Podològic is an extraordinarily important event”, he concluded.
Carles Vergés, director of the Aula UB Reig Jofre on Podiatric Care for Oncology Patients, said that the main objective of the initiative is “to improve the health and care of oncology patients with foot problems”.
Laura Pérez, head of the Clinical Podiatry School at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, said that “today we are taking a very significant step towards showing and remedying a real healthcare need, such as podiatric care for oncology patients”.
Finally, Roberto Criado, country manager Iberia of Reig Jofre, pointed out that “this is a pioneering and hopeful project”. “We want to promote the transfer of knowledge to contribute to improving the health of patients, through progress and innovation”, he said.
The creation of the classroom is a unique opportunity to meet the medical and social needs of a group of patients who, as a result of chemotherapy treatments, can suffer serious podiatric disorders. These problems often affect both mobility and the general quality of life, and range from dermatological symptoms such as hand-foot syndrome to peripheral neuropathies involving pain and difficulty in movement. In this initial phase, the Aula will focus on the specific podiatric care of patients with breast neoplasia, one of the groups most impacted by these symptoms, and will further explore the search for innovative therapeutic methods.
The Reig Jofre Laboratory, with more than ninety years of history in pharmaceutical research and development, provides essential support to the Aula in the creation of new treatments. Among the innovative technologies that the laboratory has materialized is the Ciclotech® system, which allows a progressive release of substances through the nails by a special hydrogel, which improves hydration and contributes to nail regeneration. Another peripheral neuropathy detection system has also been incorporated, which enables non-invasive evaluation of the foot’s sensory fibres.
The first projects of the Aula focus on evaluating the quality of life related to podiatric care in patients receiving chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer, in addition to optimizing the classification and treatment of nail affectations, as well as peripheral sensory assessment. It is important to highlight the collaboration between institutions such as the Virginia Novel Podiatric Hospital, the Catalan Institute of Oncology and the Reig Jofre Laboratory. The initiative also extends to the field of knowledge transfer, with the aim of generating clinical guides and documents that help to disseminate these advances.
With the creation of the Aula UB Reig Jofre, the UB has taken another step forward in providing comprehensive care and improving the quality of life of oncology patients by offering a multidisciplinary response to the needs of this group and thus positioning itself as a benchmark in the field of podiatric research.