The collaborative project focuses on improving access to breast cancer care in Argentina

The collaborative project focuses on improving access to breast cancer care in Argentina

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) – a nonprofit alliance of leading cancer centers in the United States – launches a collaborative project with the Latin American and Caribbean Society of Medical Oncology (SLACOM) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, today. The joint initiative brings together patients, healthcare providers, government officials and other thought leaders to analyze all the barriers preventing the delivery of optimal breast cancer care across the region. The group will also develop recommendations to ensure that cancer treatment can be delivered in accordance with the latest evidence-based expert consensus from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®).

In the Latin America and Caribbean region, an estimated 2.5 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed annually by 2040 (a 78% increase from 2018 incidence rates), resulting in more than 1.3 million cancer deaths per year (a 93% increase from 2018 mortality rates). The burden of cancer in low- and middle-resource countries is particularly high, currently accounting for approximately 75% of all cancer deaths worldwide and is expected to continue to increase.

Health care systems in Latin America are grappling with how to ensure equitable access to cancer care while facing rising cancer incidence rates and corresponding challenges to health infrastructure and treatment costs. We must now develop pragmatic approaches to high-quality cancer care while promoting sustainable, long-term improvements to our health systems across Latin America. Our collaboration with the NCCN will help us adapt clinical practice guidelines for our region to improve access, reduce disparities and protect financial stability.”

Eduardo L. Cazap, MD, PhD, founder and first president of SLACOM

“We are honored to work with SLACOM and others in the Latin America region to share our expertise in improving cancer care and also learn from them,” said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "We look forward to working together to find innovative ways to ensure more people with breast cancer are treated according to evidence-based expert consensus guidelines. Previous successes have shown us that it is easier to predict and meet cancer treatment needs if we can do so both internationally standardized and adapted to regional or local differences.

Today's workshop in Buenos Aires includes a rigorous analysis of the current landscape, with a focus on barriers and system failures that prevent the most appropriate care according to the latest research-backed recommendations.

The next phase of the project will include a broader regional summit for Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Peru in 2023 to present the workshop results and collect additional feedback. The summit will also include presentations from patients and advocates who will share their perspectives on challenges, barriers and potential solutions to improve access to guideline-consistent breast cancer care.

The NCCN is part of several collaborations to advance global cancer care. The organization publishes free resource-stratified versions of the NCCN Guidelines®, regional policy adaptations, translations, frameworks and harmonizations in collaboration with local providers in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the Caribbean and other countries in Asia, Europe and South America. Learn more at NCCN.org/global and join the conversation with #NCCNGlobal.

Source:

National Comprehensive Cancer Network

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