The United States National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, formalized bilateral partnerships this week with the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay, to accelerate progress against cancer in Hispanic populations in the United States and Latin America and improve cancer research.
John E. Niederhuber, M.D., NCI director, representing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, signed formal letters of intent to collaborate in cancer research efforts. These countries, along with Chile (which signed a letter of intent in June) and the United States, comprise the United States-Latin America Cancer Research Network (US-LA CRN), which is committed to developing a comprehensive understanding of the cancer burden among Hispanic populations in Latin America and the United States and to enhance the cancer research and care infrastructures in both regions of the hemisphere.
“The coming together of nations today is certainly symbolic of our common commitment to advance cancer research, but it is much more. Understanding why certain cancers are more prevalent in certain countries and why immigration patterns may affect cancer’s burden will be crucial,” said Niederhuber. “By electronically linking cancer research data, cancer researchers in Latin America and the
Spearheaded by NCI’s Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development, this partnership will support the co-development of programs in three broad scientific areas: cancer research and clinical trials; multinational and multidisciplinary training programs; technology and capacity building. The Latin American countries and the
“This network is tremendously important to our nation,” said Lino Barañao, Ph.D., minister of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation,
“Leveraging and sharing our resources across the network will help us develop strategies for better access to mammography and enhance existing tumor and DNA banks and cancer information systems throughout Brazil,” said Luiz Antonio Santini, M.D., director general, National Cancer Institute, Brazil. “We are pleased to be a part of a vast network that will help us improve progress in the fight against cancer in
In Latin America, cancer is among the top three deadliest diseases, and its incidence in these countries continues to rise. Cancer also takes a large toll on Hispanic/ Latino populations in the
Maria Julia Muñoz, M.D., minister of Public Health, Uruguay, stated, “Establishing a national network of tumor banks and enhancing research training in bioethics is vitally important to enhancing our understanding of cancer at the molecular level so that we can translate discoveries to improve clinical care.”
For the first pilot project of this collaboration, the countries identified research concepts that are intended to improve breast cancer management in Latin America. At the same time, they will provide an opportunity to enhance research training, capacity building, and establishment of a sustainable clinical research infrastructure for future projects. The effort builds on collaborative resources among the countries as well as co-sponsorships of workshops and conferences with domestic and international foundations and organizations to support cancer research in Latin America.
“Breast cancer is one of the top causes of cancer deaths in Mexico and the United States,” said Alejandro Mohar Betancourt, M.D., director general, National Cancer Institute, Mexico. “Developing a population-based cancer registry and enhancing breast cancer detection and referral, as well as improving the accessibility of mammography and increasing the number of trained personnel, are major priorities for us. We are committed to sharing best practices developed as part of the United States-Latin America Cancer Research Network and reducing the global burden of cancer.”
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For more information about NCI’s Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development, please go to http://olacpd.cancer.gov
To view a Spanish translation of this release, please go to http://cancer.gov/espanol/noticias/ArgentinaBrasilMexicoUruguayUS .
For photos and b-roll video from the signings, please contact the NCI press office at (301) 496-6641 or ncipressofficers@mail.nih.gov.
Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation,
Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA),
As a technical branch of the Federal Government, under the direct administration of the Ministry of Health, the Institute delivers cancer care through five hospital units within the National Public Health Care System (SUS). Moreover, it formulates and coordinates public policies, develops research activities and disseminates practices and knowledge on medical oncology.
INCA has a wide variety of collaborations with national and international institutions and organizations, such as NCI, American Cancer Society, BC Cancer Agency of Canada, UICC, WHO, IARC among others. Please visit www.inca.gov.br.
Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia,
Ministry of Public Health, Uruguay: Please visit the ministry’s Web site at http://www.msp.gub.uy for more information.
NCI leads the National Cancer Program and the NIH effort to dramatically reduce the burden of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI Web site at http://www.cancer.gov or call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov