The Autonomous Region of Madeira is set to soon offer T-cell therapy, an innovative treatment for patients with certain types of lymphoma. The procedure, which has its infrastructure installed at Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital, costing around 200,000 euros, awaits formal validation from the Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation.
Micaela Freitas, the Regional Secretary for Health and Civil Protection, announced this information during the opening of the HemaOnco Day 2026 conference. According to the official, this advancement will prevent approximately six patients per year from having to travel to the mainland for treatment, with estimates suggesting the number of beneficiaries in Madeira could reach 11 annually.
Healthcare professionals are already trained to initiate these treatments, which involve "re-educating" the patient's own T-cells to combat tumor cells. The therapy, currently approved for one type of lymphoma, has the potential to be extended to other diseases, increasing the number of potential beneficiaries.
