A New Donation in Memory of Marc Riera Supports Research on Quality of Life for Patients With Sarcoma

More than €100,000 raised through charitable initiatives has turned the memory of Marc Riera Castellà into a sustained commitment to sarcoma research at the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau). Now, a new donation of €5,612.84 will support further research on quality of life for patients with sarcoma.

The funds come from the fourth edition of the Torneig Estany Polo Memorial Marc Riera i Castellà, held on September 5 at Club Natació Banyoles, with the support of the club and the Associació Amics i Seguidors del Waterpolo Banyoles. The event brought together 170 athletes from 13 teams representing five clubs, once again combining sports and solidarity.

Understanding How the Disease Affects Patients’ Daily Lives

The project examines how the disease and its treatment affect patients’ quality of life throughout their care journey. Sarcoma research has primarily focused on improving diagnosis, finding more effective treatments, and increasing survival, while less is known about how the disease and its therapies affect people’s daily lives. The study aims to systematically measure the physical, emotional, social, and functional consequences in young people with Ewing sarcoma, other bone tumors, and non-bone sarcomas.

To do so, the researchers use six questionnaires linked to different points in the care process. Patients enter the study at different stages of treatment and are then followed over time. This approach provides information on all stages without having to wait for each participant to complete the entire care journey.

“Until now, many of these needs have been identified through the individual experiences of patients and the professionals who care for them. We want to document and measure these needs systematically to understand which are truly the most common, when they arise, and where we can intervene most effectively,” explains Dr. Raúl Terés Lleida, a researcher in the Clinical Oncology Group at IR Sant Pau and one of the researchers leading its sarcoma research program.

The data will help determine which measures could improve patient care and support. For example, the researchers could explore dedicated patient support or case management roles in sarcoma care, but the findings will determine what is most useful. One of the project’s current needs is to strengthen the management, organization, and analysis of the data collected through the questionnaires.

A Collaboration That Began in 2022

Marc Riera Castellà died in November 2022 at the age of 20 from Ewing sarcoma. Shortly afterward, his family and friends began collaborating with Sant Pau. In 2023, they organized Arriarem, a charity walk and run in Fontcoberta that brought together more than 2,500 people and made it possible to establish a new line of research at IR Sant Pau.

Since then, fundraising initiatives have continued, including the Torneig Estany Polo, which honors Marc’s close connection to water polo. Together, these efforts have now raised more than €100,000 for research at IR Sant Pau.