History
Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN) is an academic medical centre (It has Accredited Medical Training Programmes in 35 specialties) belonging to the Biomedical Campus of the University of Navarra. As such, it collaborates with the CIMA (Centre of Applied Medical Research) and the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Science and Pharmacy and Nutrition. This fact, along with its continuous investment in technology and research, enables the Clinic to remain at the forefront of scientific developments. CUN also forms part of the Navarre Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), thus collaborating with the research centres of the public health network of the region of Navarre.
The Cancer Center Clínica Universidad de Navarra is the oncology centre of the University of Navarra and responds to the comprehensive cancer centre model. Its mission is to integrate, coordinate and promote -with the highest international standards- all the cancer care, research and teaching activities carried out at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Cima, its research centre, and the faculties of the bio sanitary area on the Pamplona and Madrid campuses.
Accredited by the Joint Commission International (an agency responsible for assessing practices related to patient care quality and safety) since 2004 in Pamplona, and since 2024 in Madrid; CUN has been the first Spanish centre to obtain certification from the Joint Commission International for University Hospitals in 2014. Moreover, it is the Spanish hospital with the best medical care reputation (MERCO index since 2014).
More than 1,000,000 patients have placed their trust in Clínica Universidad de Navarra since its founding in 1962. Patients of over 112 countries are treated in our centre each year.
CUN has also owned a medical centre in the city of Madrid since 2004. In 2017 it built a new hospital facility of more than 30,000 m2. It has the same specialties as the Pamplona site and a Proton Therapy Unit where more than a thousand patients have already been treated.
Profile
Clínica Universidad de Navarra features over 396 consultation rooms, 12 surgical and 36 non-surgical day hospital stations, 25 operating theatres and cutting-edge technology such as the DaVinci robot.
It also has the most advanced Proton Therapy Unit in Europe, Hybrid operating rooms, Electrophysiology Laboratory, Cell Therapy GMP Laboratory, the Radio pharmacy GMP Laboratory for Nuclear Medicine procedures, three magnetic resonance units (of 1.5 and 3 teslas), MR Linac 1.5 Tesla, three CAT scans (one of them equipped with a dual source), a haemodynamic room, two interventional radiology rooms, three linear accelerators (including an Elekta linear accelerator), one PET and one PET-CT scan (being the first Spanish hospital to own this type of equipment along with a cyclotron) and HIFU Focused ultrasound (Non-invasive technology). It also has an Advanced Therapies Unit, which has been created to provide an exclusive approach to cellular therapies against cancer and other diseases of the immune system, favouring their administration and seeking to increase the safety of these treatments.
In Clínica Universidad de Navarra, the patient is the centre of all activity. The exclusive dedication of its doctors and more than 3,900 professionals, who work for the organisation in a multidisciplinary and comprehensive manner, ensures that all individuals are dedicated the time and resources needed to ensure quality and personalised patient care. In addition to its extensive experience, CUN is also supported by the research and study centres of the University of Navarre.
Specialities
Clínica Universidad de Navarra boasts 50 medical specialties comprised in different multidisciplinary divisions, all within the same building. This unique fact minimises waiting periods, avoids unnecessary travel, maximises patient comfort and enables the provision of personalised and quality patient care. CUN coordinates all its departments in order to obtain the diagnostic test results within 48 to 72 hours, and patients enjoy guaranteed access to treatment or surgery within less than a week.
Palliative and Supportive Care
The Palliative Medicine Department has established a specific catalogue of procedures. The intervention process begins with a personal interview conducted by the attending Oncologist and a member of the Palliative Medicine Team. During this meeting, the patient’s case is presented, and potential intervention strategies are evaluated. For inpatients, the Palliative Medicine Team conducts a comprehensive interdisciplinary assessment involving a doctor, nurse, and psycho-oncologist. A report is prepared, and within 48 hours, the need for palliative care intervention is determined.
Once the Palliative Care Team becomes involved, care is managed collaboratively with the Oncology team, which retains overall responsibility for the patient’s follow-up. Decisions regarding symptomatic treatments are made in consultation with the Palliative Medicine Team. Currently, the Palliative Medicine Department does not have a dedicated inpatient ward; instead, patients are attended to within the Oncology Department’s hospital ward. Additionally, the Palliative Medicine Team provides preferential support and training to the Oncology Nursing Team through informal processes.
Last update: February 2025
