Queen Letizia of Spain visited QuirónSalud, the first structure in Spain to offer proton therapy. The facility is located in Pozuelo de Alarcón, only a short distance away from Madrid.
In the only act remaining on the schedule following the positive COVID test for King Felipe, Her Majesty arrived at the structure in the morning of Friday, 11 February, and was welcomed by Health Minister Carolina Darias, QuirónSalud Group President Victor Madera and the Managing Director of the proton therapy Centre Marta Cremades.
Upon arrival, Her Majesty posed for a photo opportunity before attending a meeting about the structure, the therapy and the patients.
Queen Letizia was subsequently given a tour of the structure, including the medical consult room, the MRI Hall, the Recovery Box, the Monitors control room, the treatment hall and finally the waiting room, where she had the opportunity to speak with two children who are receiving treatment and their families.
To talk to the children, the Queen crouched down to the floor and was seen playing and cuddling the children, stroking their hair and answering their questions, a sight rare from Queen Letizia but not unseen.
The visit ended with the Queen posing for another photo opportunity with members of the staff at the structure.
Proton therapy is an innovative tool in the fight against cancer. Its primary objective is to preserve the tissue surrounding the cancer being targeted by the radiation.
This precision in the targeting makes proton therapy an invaluable tool in the fight against cancers located in areas that would be otherwise difficult to reach, such as next to vital organs, like the brain, or the spinal cord.
Queen Letizia has long been invested in the cause of the fight against cancer, and the development of innovative therapy methods, not only for cancer, but also for rare diseases, particularly in children.
