IMSS Expands Pediatric Cancer Services in Southeast Mexico

The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) has strengthened pediatric cancer care in southeastern Mexico through the OncoCREAN center at Hospital de Especialidades No. 14 in Veracruz Norte, which has treated 110 patients between 2022 and early 2025. The facility now serves as a key referral point for children and adolescents from Veracruz, Tabasco, and Puebla.

“By reinforcing the OncoCREAN in Veracruz, we are consolidating our ability to provide timely, comprehensive care to pediatric oncology patients in the region,” says Enrique López, Coordinator of Oncology Care, IMSS, during the 174th meeting between institute authorities and parents of children with cancer.

According to IMSS data, the center registered an average of 53 new cases per year since its opening, receiving high-complexity cases referred from other facilities. The unit, located within the “Adolfo Ruiz Cortines” High Specialty Medical Unit, includes 16 inpatient oncology beds, pediatric hematology and oncology consultation rooms, and two outpatient chemotherapy chairs. It also has a four-bed bone marrow transplant area, with one bed designated exclusively for pediatric use.

Staffing includes eight pediatricians, two pediatric oncology specialists, and one pediatric hematology specialist. These resources have contributed to reducing treatment initiation times: in 2025, 89% of patients began treatment within three days of diagnosis, compared with 60% in 2022. All leukemia cases were diagnosed in a timely manner in the most recent year.

The center applies the Early Warning Score (EVAT) model, with full medical and nursing staff training, and uses a color-coded monitoring dashboard to track care processes. Under the “Golden Hour” protocol, 73% of patients with febrile neutropenia received care within the optimal time frame, and 86% of cases met institutional guidelines.

OncoCREAN Veracruz works with the Biomedical Research Center of the East (CIBIOR) in Puebla for specialized leukemia testing, completing 2,897 immunophenotype and minimal residual disease studies. The IMSS also offers support for patients and families, including a “Caring for the Caregiver” workshop in July 2025 that addressed psycho-oncology, nutrition, rehabilitation, and emotional support.

In parallel, IMSS has expanded its national oncology patient registry. Over the past two weeks, 253 beneficiaries were added, bringing the total to 22,564 patients, 35% of them pediatric. These patients are treated across 78 hospitals, including 15 high specialty units and 63 secondary-level facilities.