Dr. Catalina Vidal Herrera

Dr. Catalina Vidal Herrera is a distinguished medical oncologist at Clínica Alemana de Santiago, one of Chile's most prestigious private hospitals and a JCI-accredited institution with deep German academic roots. Founded by German immigrant physicians in the early twentieth century, Clínica Alemana maintains formal academic and research ties with German universities — a heritage that has shaped Dr. Vidal Herrera's training and clinical philosophy profoundly. She completed a fellowship in oncology in Germany and has incorporated a rigorous European approach to evidence-based cancer medicine into her practice in Chile.

Over her 18-year career, Dr. Vidal Herrera has established herself as one of Chile's foremost specialists in breast oncology and gastrointestinal cancer, managing complex cases that include locally advanced and metastatic disease requiring sophisticated multimodal treatment planning. She works within a multidisciplinary tumour board at Clínica Alemana that brings together oncological surgery, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, and palliative care to develop individualised treatment strategies for each patient.

Dr. Vidal Herrera is a leading voice in precision oncology in Chile, championing the use of molecular tumour profiling, biomarker-driven therapy selection, and next-generation sequencing to identify actionable mutations that enable targeted treatment. Her clinic is equipped with access to the latest immunotherapy agents, CDK4/6 inhibitors, HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugates, and PARP inhibitors — therapeutic classes that have transformed outcomes in several solid tumour types over the past decade.

She is committed to compassionate communication and patient education, ensuring that patients and their families fully understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and expected course of therapy. She is trilingual in Spanish, English, and German, allowing her to engage directly with international patients and maintain scientific dialogue with colleagues at European oncology centres.

Dr. Vidal Herrera obtained her medical degree (Médico Cirujano) from the Universidad de Chile, graduating with distinction. She completed her internal medicine residency at Clínica Alemana de Santiago before pursuing a specialisation in medical oncology, combining her postgraduate training with the institution's academic ties to German oncology centres.

She subsequently undertook a clinical and research fellowship in Medical Oncology at a leading German cancer centre — an experience that exposed her to high-volume, protocol-driven cancer treatment and cutting-edge clinical trial infrastructure. During her time in Germany, she developed expertise in gastrointestinal oncology and breast cancer pharmacotherapy, returning to Chile with proficiency in applying European oncology guidelines adapted to the Latin American clinical context.

Dr. Vidal Herrera holds board certification in Medical Oncology from the Chilean medical establishment and is a member of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), through which she maintains continuing education credits and stays current with global oncology practice.

Dr. Vidal Herrera's primary clinical focus is the medical management of solid tumours, with particular depth in breast cancer and gastrointestinal malignancies. In breast oncology, she manages the full spectrum from early-stage operable disease to metastatic breast cancer, selecting between endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, targeted agents (including trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and antibody-drug conjugates such as trastuzumab deruxtecan), and CDK4/6 inhibitors based on receptor status, genomic profile, and patient performance status.

In gastrointestinal oncology, she treats colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and oesophageal cancers, utilising FOLFOX, FOLFIRI, and CAPOX-based chemotherapy regimens in combination with VEGF or EGFR inhibitors where indicated. She is experienced in the management of microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumours with pembrolizumab and nivolumab-based immunotherapy protocols.

Dr. Vidal Herrera also has expertise in ovarian and lung cancer, and routinely incorporates germline and somatic genetic testing (BRCA1/2, NTRK, ALK, ROS1, KRAS) into her treatment planning. Her approach integrates palliative and supportive care from the outset of treatment, ensuring symptom management and quality of life remain central throughout the cancer journey.

Dr. Vidal Herrera is an active clinical researcher with interests in outcomes of HER2-positive breast cancer treatment in Chilean populations, immunotherapy response in Latin American patients with gastrointestinal cancers, and the real-world applicability of ESMO clinical practice guidelines in resource-variable settings. She contributes to Clínica Alemana's institutional oncology registry and has participated as a site investigator in multinational clinical trials sponsored by ESMO member institutions.

She has presented research findings at the ASCO Annual Meeting and at the SOMA national oncology congress in Chile, contributing data on locally advanced gastric cancer treatment protocols and prognostic biomarkers in triple-negative breast cancer. Her work emphasises the importance of adapting global evidence to local healthcare realities, particularly regarding access to novel agents and molecular diagnostics.

Dr. Vidal Herrera consults in Spanish, English, and German, making her an outstanding resource for international patients from across Latin America, North America, and Europe. Clínica Alemana de Santiago's international patient programme offers comprehensive support including medical record review, appointment coordination, translation services, and liaison with insurance providers.

For patients seeking oncology second opinions or wishing to begin treatment in Chile, Dr. Vidal Herrera offers initial telemedicine consultations to review pathology reports, imaging studies, and prior treatment history before the patient travels. This is particularly relevant for patients diagnosed with complex or rare solid tumours who seek access to a European-trained oncologist working within a JCI-accredited institution. Post-treatment remote follow-up is available via secure video platform for patients who return home after completing a course of treatment at Clínica Alemana.

Dr. Vidal Herrera has been recognised by the Sociedad Chilena de Oncología Médica (SOMA) for her contributions to clinical oncology education and to the development of precision medicine protocols in Chile. She holds active membership and board certification from ASCO and ESMO, and has been invited to serve on expert panels reviewing oncology treatment guidelines for the Chilean Ministry of Health.

Her work as a clinical investigator has been acknowledged by Clínica Alemana de Santiago through research excellence awards, and she has been cited as a contributing author in consensus documents on HER2-positive breast cancer and MSI-H colorectal cancer management for the Latin American region. She is regarded as a key opinion leader within Chile's private oncology community.