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Andrés Cervantes, doctor honoris causa by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens for his work in medical oncology

  • Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit
  • January 10th, 2025
Andrés Cervantes

Andrés Cervantes, professor of Medicine at the University of Valencia, scientific director of the INCLIVA Health Research Institute and head of Medical Oncology at the Clinical University Hospital of Valencia, was awarded an honorary doctorate this Thursday by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Cervantes delivered a speech entitled “Liquid biopsy: evaluating circulating tumour DNA to advance precision medicine in colorectal cancer”.

Following the opening of the ceremony by the university's Rector, professor Gerasimos Siasos, professor Amanda Psyrri highlighted in her introduction the decision to grant Andrés Cervantes this title in recognition of the impact of his work in the field of medical oncology on the scientific community.

Dr Cervantes, who thanked “this extraordinary recognition from such a prestigious and internationally respected academic institution”, began his speech by emphasising “the importance of precision medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer”. Specifically, he focused on “the role of circulating tumour DNA as a valuable tool for personalising clinical decisions in patients with colorectal cancer” and on “acknowledging the diversity between apparently similar characteristics”. “Cancer is a disease of the genes; without this premise, our biological understanding of cancer would not be possible”, he stated.

The professor of Medicine at the University of Valencia explained that “next-generation sequencing is increasingly used as a tool to decode the molecular alterations present in solid tumours for a dual purpose: to understand the underlying mechanisms driving tumour progression and, more importantly, to select specific targeted therapies that may have a significant inhibitory effect on tumour growth, leading to effective regression in some cancers and, thereby, improving patients' survival and quality of life”.

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