Group leader: Luis Bujanda, M.D., Ph.D.

Donostialdea IHO luis.bujandafernandezdepierola@osakidetza.eus

Strategic Objectives

• Gastrointestinal Oncology: Cancer is the primary cause of death in men and the second in women. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common tumour as regards incidence and the second as regards mortality.
  • To determine which test is best for the early diagnosis of this disease and aspects to improve its acceptance and quality.
    • To compare the efficacy of screening using the immunological method of detecting faecal occult blood (FOB) with a colonoscopy in the intermediate risk population (asymptomatic individuals aged 50-69 years with no personal or family history of CRC) to detect CRC or advanced adenomas, in a first round of screening.
    • To assess new biochemical markers for the early diagnosis of colon cancer.
    • To assess the colonoscopy and FOB in first degree relatives of CRC.
  • To determine the genetic factors that foster its appearance, the response to treatment and the adverse effects of treatment (Epicolon I, Epicolon II, Epipolip, Epineo, Colonprev, Smarthealth and Epicolon III studies).
  • Search for new therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, hepatocarcinoma and gastric cancer.
• Other digestive diseases: Our objective is to continue to stand out as a group in the Helicobacter pylori pathology (diagnosis and treatment), in research into the secondary gastrointestinal effects produced by the anti-inflammatories, and in other areas, such as ischemic colitis or inflammatory bowel disease.

Main lines of research

• Gastrointestinal Oncology.
  • Colon cancer (CRC) screening.
  • Molecular bases of hereditary and familial colorectal cancer. Diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
  • Pancreatic cancer.
  • Gastric cancer
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • To study the prevalence of hepatitis infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
• Gastrointestinal Diseases: Helicobacter Pylori and other diseases.
  • Treatment and evolution of patients with Helicobacter pylori infection.