Cercetare
20-04-2026
Gynecological cancers: Ospedale San Raffaele at the center of the new Lombardy region network
Data publicării: 24-04-2026
Actualizare la: 24-04-2026
Subiect: Ginecologie, Cercetare, Oncologie
Durată de citire estimată: 1 min.
Redactor medical
Massimo Candiani
Editor și traducător
Viktoryia LuhakovaIRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele is one of the 9 regional HUB referral centers in Lombardy for the management of gynecological malignancies. With Regional Government Resolution (DGR) XII/5744 of February 16, 2026, Regione Lombardia redefined the network of centers specialized in treating these conditions, introducing an organizational model aimed at improving quality, appropriateness of care, and clinical outcomes.
This reform is part of a broader evolution of the Lombardy healthcare system, already initiated in other oncological fields, toward models increasingly focused on specialization and integration.
Since 2025, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele has been recognized as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, a multidisciplinary center for cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment, where innovation and expertise are dedicated to patients and to achieving the best possible quality of life. Within this framework, the hospital is called to play a dual role as both a center of clinical excellence and a point of reference in developing increasingly effective, coordinated, and patient-centered care pathways.
San Raffaele as a HUB center for ovarian cancer surgery
The inclusion of IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele among the HUB centers and among the facilities designated for ovarian cancer surgery confirms its role within the Lombardy oncology landscape.
Regione Lombardia selected a limited number of highly specialized centers to manage the most complex cases, based on rigorous criteria related to treatment volumes, multidisciplinary expertise, and quality of outcomes.
“The recognition by Regione Lombardia as one of the 9 referral hubs for the treatment of gynecological cancers represents an achievement of great value for our Hospital, the result of a path of technical-scientific, technological, and multidisciplinary excellence, always focused on managing such complex diseases.
This recognition fits naturally within our context, as we are already known nationally and internationally as a Comprehensive Cancer Center,” says Massimo Candiani, Head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Unit of the Institute.
This recognition formally confirms IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele’s position as a referral center for highly complex gynecologic oncology.
Ovarian cancer treatment: high complexity and high specialization
Among the most relevant aspects of the reform is the management of ovarian cancer, a disease that requires extensive surgical expertise and a highly specialized organization.
The decision to concentrate these procedures in a limited number of centers aims to:
- improve clinical outcomes;
- guarantee uniform quality standards.
Within this framework, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele has been identified as one of the 9 regional referral centers, further strengthening its role in complex oncologic surgery.
Other gynecological cancers treated at San Raffaele
In addition to ovarian cancer treatment, the Hospital will also serve as a referral center for:
- uterine cancers;
- endometrial cancers;
- cervical cancers;
- rare gynecological cancers;
- trophoblastic or placental tumors;
- fertility preservation in oncology.
The Hub & Spoke model: San Raffaele’s role
The new organizational model follows the Hub & Spoke principle: HUB centers, such as IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, manage the most complex cases and coordinate the patient care pathway, working in synergy with Spoke facilities across the region.
In this context, San Raffaele’s role translates into extended responsibility throughout the entire care journey: from diagnosis to surgery, through follow-up and integration with systemic oncological treatments. Multidisciplinary care becomes a central element, with the structured involvement of different specialist professionals.
Organizational challenges of a HUB center
The new framework also entails significant challenges. Being a HUB means meeting stringent requirements, including:
- adequate treatment volumes;
- structured care pathways;
- traceability of clinical decisions;
- ability to provide comprehensive patient management.
For IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, this implies further strengthening of several key elements:
- clinical governance;
- organization of multidisciplinary teams;
- introduction of care pathway coordination figures such as the case manager;
- expansion of operational capacity.