Perspectives on emerging technologies, personalized medicine and clinical research for cancer control in Latin America and the Caribbean

GUSTAVO WERUTSKY; CARLOS H. BARRIOS; ANDRES F. CARDONA; ANDRÉ ALBERGARIA; ALFONSO VALENCIA; CARLOS G. FERREIRA; CHRISTIAN ROLFO; EVANDRO DE AZAMBUJA; GABRIEL A. RABINOVICH; GEORGINA SPOSETTI; OSCAR ARRIETA; RODRIGO DIENSTMANN; TAIANE F REBELATTO; VALERIA DENNINGHOFF, ; VERONICA ARAN; EDUARDO CAZAP

LANCET ONCOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2021 p. 488 - 500

1470-2045

Health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have problems including accessibility, inequity, segmentation, and poverty. Challenges of LAC healthcare systems are similar among different countries and transcend national borders. The increasing digital transformation of healthcare holds the promise of more precise interventions, improved health outcomes, increased efficiency, and ultimately, reduced health-care costs. In LAC, the adoption of digital health tools is in its first steps and quality of cancer registries, electronic health records and structured databases are problematic. Cancer research and innovation in the region are limited due to lack of academic resources and translational research is almost fully dependent from public funding. Regulatory complexity and extended timelines jeopardize the potential improvement in participation in international studies. Emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, big data and cancer research represent an opportunity to address LAC healthcare challenges collectively, optimizing national capacities, sharing and comparing best practices, and transferring scientific and technical capabilities.