Magdalena Esteva Cantó

Emeritus Researcher IdISBa

Medical degree (1979), specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health, diploma in Applied Statistics in Medicine from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) (1986), Master’s degree in Community Medicine from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (1989), Advanced Diploma in “Clinical Research Methodology” from the University Centre for Public Health (1999), and PhD in Medicine from the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) (2009).

I have worked mainly at the Primary Care Management of Mallorca as a health technician. My research career has focused on cancer diagnosis in primary care and other areas related to primary care. During my predoctoral stage, I specialized in cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. I am currently an emeritus researcher at IdISBa and serve as its Ombudsperson.

I am a member of the GRAPP‑CAIB group and have previously been a member of redIAPP (Thematic Research Network on Preventive Activities and Health Promotion of the Carlos III Health Institute) and of the ORENAS group (a European research group on cancer in primary care).

Highlighted Publications

Esteva M, March S, Martín-Rabadan M, Torres-Solera E, Ripoll J. Health-related quality of life and lifestyle in long-term survivors of colorectal cancer and a matched non-cancer reference group. Clin Transl Oncol. 2025 Oct;27(10):3993-4002. doi: 10.1007/s12094-025-03930-0. Epub 2025 Apr 29. PMID: 40299301; PMCID: PMC12460565.

Torrens-Darder MDM, Torrens-Darder I, Gonzalez Torrente S, Vicens C, Leiva A, Pizá-Portell MR, Esteva Arrom AL, Lorente P, Serrano-Ripoll MJ, Vidal-Thomas MC, Miralles-Xamena J, Ramírez Manent JI, Esteva M. Evaluation of the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia delivered by nurses and physicians for patients in primary care (the NPD study): protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2024 Oct 26;14(10):e089158. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-089158. PMID: 39461854; PMCID: PMC11529700.

León-Salas B, Bilbao-González A, de Pascual Y Medina AM, Esteva M, Toledo-Chávarri A, Fuentes-Sánchez C, Bohn-Sarmiento U, Padrón-Peña P, González-Sánchez S, Valcárcel-López R, Trujillo-Martín MDM. Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the long-term quality of life questionnaire. Front Oncol. 2024 Mar 19;14:1375125. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1375125. PMID: 38567161; PMCID: PMC10985178.

Koskela TH, Esteva M, Mangione M, Contreras Martos S, Hajdarevic S, Högberg C, Marzo-Castillejo M, Sawicka-Powierza J, Siliņa V, Harris M, Petek D. What would primary care practitioners do differently after a delayed cancer diagnosis? Learning lessons from their experiences. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2024 Mar;42(1):123-131. doi: 10.1080/02813432.2023.2296117. Epub 2024 Feb 7. PMID: 38116949; PMCID: PMC10851834.

Hajdarevic S, Högberg C, Marzo-Castillejo M, Siliņa V, Sawicka-Powierza J, Esteva M, Koskela T, Petek D, Contreras-Martos S, Mangione M, Ožvačić Adžić Z, Asenova R, Gašparović Babić S, Brekke M, Buczkowski K, Buono N, Çifçili SS, Dinant GJ, Doorn B, Hoffman RD, Kuodza G, Murchie P, Pilv L, Puia A, Rapalavicius A, Smyrnakis E, Weltermann B, Harris M. Exploring why European primary care physicians sometimes do not think of, or act on, a possible cancer diagnosis. A qualitative study. BJGP Open. 2023 Dec 19;7(4):BJGPO.2023.0029. doi: 10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0029. PMID: 37380218; PMCID: PMC11176697.

Neves AL, Esteva M, Hoffman R, Harris M. Primary care practitioners’ priorities for improving the timeliness of cancer diagnosis in primary care: a European cluster-based analysis. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023 Sep 16;23(1):997. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-09891-w. PMID: 37716971; PMCID: PMC10504788.

González-Herrera A, Pujol-Ribera E, Esteva M, Ruiz-Marcos L, March S. Colorectal cancer: a qualitative study of coping strategies used by survivors, with associated social determinants. Arch Public Health. 2023 Jun 19;81(1):111. doi: 10.1186/s13690-023-01104-4. PMID: 37331995; PMCID: PMC10278290.

Lorente-Montalvo P, Cañellas MA, Carandell E, Esteva M. Specific healthcare services for the paediatric population during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Balearic Islands (Spain). Aten Primaria. 2023 Sep;55(9):102700. doi: 10.1016/j.aprim.2023.102700. Epub 2023 Jun 16. PMID: 37422974; PMCID: PMC10272943.

Oliva-Fanlo B, March S, Gadea-Ruiz C, Stolper E, Esteva M; CORap group. Prospective Observational Study on the Prevalence and Diagnostic Value of General Practitioners’ Gut Feelings for Cancer and Serious Diseases. J Gen Intern Med. 2022 Nov;37(15):3823-3831. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07352-w. Epub 2022 Jan 27. PMID: 35088202; PMCID: PMC8794040.

León-Salas B, Álvarez-Pérez Y, Ramos-García V, Del Mar Trujillo-Martín M, de Pascual Y Medina AM, Esteva M, Brito-García N, González-Hernández N, Bohn-Sarmiento U, Biurrun-Martínez MC, Serrano-Aguilar P. Information needs and research priorities in long-term survivorship of breast cancer: Patients and health professionals’ perspectives. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2022 Nov;31(6):e13730. doi: 10.1111/ecc.13730. Epub 2022 Oct 13. PMID: 36226900.

Esteva M, Leiva A, Ramos-Monserrat M, Espí A, González-Luján L, Macià F, Murta-Nascimento C, Sánchez-Calavera MA, Magallón R, Balboa-Barreiro V, Seoane-Pillado T, Pertega-Díaz S. Relationship between time from symptom’s onset to diagnosis and prognosis in patients with symptomatic colorectal cancer. BMC Cancer. 2022 Aug 22;22(1):910. doi: 10.1186/s12885-022-09990-7. PMID: 35996104; PMCID: PMC9394014.

Projects

Validation of lung ultrasound, performed by family physicians, as an initial imaging test to diagnose pneumonia in COVID‑19 patients.

Code: PI21/01521
Funding Entity: Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Principal Investigator: Magdalena Esteva Cantó (IP), Ignasi Ramírez Manent (Co-IP)
Funding amount: 37.510€
Duration: 2021-2026

Impact of the COVID‑19 lockdown on lifestyles and emotional well‑being of the adult population of the Balearic Islands.

Code: PI19/23
Funding Entity: IdISBa
Principal Investigator: Joana Ripoll Amengual
Funding amount: 12.650€
Duration: 2023-2025

Retrospective cohort study to assess the prognostic impact of exposure to COVID‑19 risk medications.

Code: PI19/26
Funding Entity: IdISBa
Principal Investigator: Aina Soler Mieras
Funding amount: 9.600€
Duration: 2023-2025

Cancer diagnosis in primary care: the value of the family doctor’s intuition.

Code: PI18/01420
Funding Entity: Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. Instituto de Salud Carlos III.
Principal Investigator: Magdalena Esteva Cantó (IP), Bernardino Oliva Fanlo (CO-IP).
Funding amount: 38.720€
Duration: 2019-2021