World Cancer Day World Cancer Day takes place every year on 4th February and is the uniting global initiative under which the world comes together to raise the profile of cancer in a positive and inspiring way. Spearheaded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the day aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and improving education about the disease while calling for action from governments and individuals across the world. World Cancer Day 2021 is led by the theme “I Am and I Will”, an empowering call for personal commitment that represents the power of our actions taken now to reduce the growing impact of cancer. Adaptations and innovations in cancer care through COVID-19 and beyond On World Cancer Day, LACOG shines a light on the heroic responses to the pandemic by the local cancer community struggling to maintain progress in cancer care. Marking World Cancer Day on 4th February, LACOG give voice and says thank you to the nurses, doctors, researchers, volunteers, advocates and other caregivers in oncology from around the country, as well as government agencies, who have worked these past 12 months through the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the

A group of investigators from LACOG and CLICaP, together with 30 young oncologists from eight Latin American countries, undertook a study called “Mentoring as an opportunity to improve research and cancer care in Latin America” (AAZPIRE Project) with the aim of assessing mentoring programs in countries in Latin America, along with obstacles and limitations to implementation. The paper was published in December, in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).  “Mentoring programs in our countries are limited and we depend on those conducted in major oncology associations, with completely different social and economic realities. This highlights the importance of creating mentorship programs in our region”, explains Dr. Martín Angel, a clinical oncologist at the Alexander Fleming Institute, in Argentina, and a LACOG investigator. He further underscored: “one of the leading benefits of mentoring programs in clinical research in Latin America will be through deeper insight into regional epidemiology, steering our health policies and ensuring better care for patients based on the prevalent pathologies.”

Between November 15th and November 20th 2020, the London Global Cancer Week was held online. The event covered discussions of the impact of the increasing incidence of cancer in emerging countries. Some members from LACOG took part in the event, including Dr. Carlos Barrios, an oncologist for the Grupo Oncoclínicas and LACOG Executive Director, and Dr. Gustavo Werutsky, an oncologist at São Lucas Hospital at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul and LACOG Chair. One of the sessions, which was hosted by LACOG and SLACOM, was dedicated to discussing the current issues on adopting technology in Latin America. Dr. Barrios was the moderator, while Dr. Werutsky was one of the speakers. "We used this panel to discuss the current clinical research scenario and its importance in generating innovation in Latin America, the barriers to its development and implementation and the possible strategies to increase the number of studies in the region", explained Dr. Werutsky. In his presentation, he addressed the importance of clinical research and ways to raise funds. Dr. Barrios mentioned that the event also discussed strategies for recruiting patients, technology assessment, and also the growing importance of collecting and analyzing big data, which is currently revolutionizing many

Latin America, as a region, has some particular characteristics when it comes to cancer treatment. In order to further the discussion on the issues surrounding neoplasms in Latin Americans, the book "Cancer Management in Latin America" has been released in two volumes. The first volume covers nasopharyngeal cancer to kidney cancer; the second discusses melanoma and the cost-effectiveness of treatments. This project was led by Dr. Maurício Fraga da Silva, the leading technician for the Radiation Oncology Service at the University Hospital of Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul), supported by Dr. Gustavo Nader Marta, a radiation oncologist at the Radiotherapy Department of the Sírio-Libanês Hospital (São Paulo) and Dr. Beatriz Amendola, a radiation oncologist at the Innovative Cancer Institute, in Miami, in the United States.  According to Dr. da Silva, it is probably the first book on cancer with special emphasis on Latin America, written by authors from different countries and distributed worldwide. "The contents will help with a better diagnosis and treatment of cancer by increasing readers’ understanding of neoplasms, especially in relation to the particular characteristics inherent in this region.” According to Dr. Marta, "the focus on Latin America means that we can give readers information on managing cancer

LACOG supports researchers in developing clinical studies because the group believes that partnerships between researchers and cooperative groups are essential in the search for the best treatment for cancer patients. Likewise, the partnership between cooperative groups strengthens research development. LACOG was chosen to be the South American partner of Breast International Group (BIG) Against Breast Cancer to run studies in our region. BIG is a non-profit institution based in Belgium. It has sought to encourage breast cancer research internationally for over 20 years by encouraging cooperation between its members. BIG conducts clinical trials and research programs to find better treatment options for breast cancer. Currently, the BIG network unites over 55 groups and covers more than 50 countries in six continents. The group connects thousands of hospitals and breast cancer specialists that are focused on pioneering research into the disease. This global collaboration makes it possible to reduce unnecessary duplication of effort and to share data. It also enables scientists to work collaboratively, regardless of the country they reside in. Through these partnerships, members are able to share their knowledge and exchange scientific information with several different researchers worldwide. Such alliance increases the chances of developing better treatment options for breast cancer