REGIONAL INITIATIVES
The following strategic actions were identified as priorities UNASUR follows the concept of taking advantage of the
for RINC: political will and incorporating the governmental bodies to the
‰ development and evaluation of cancer registries; regional cancer strategy.
‰ training and capacity building; There are numerous national and international cancer
‰ strengthening of national cancer institutes in the region; organizations, professional societies, volunteer cancer
‰ projects that address the national cancer priorities of leagues, patient organizations and support groups. Cancer is
RINC members. probably the best organized and supported disease in the
world. These existing structures can be used to amplify the
Countries participating in the network are the following efforts of governments in cancer control.
UNASUR countries; Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Our region is today one of the good examples of regional
Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and organization for better cancer control. Latin America is
Venezuela as well as countries from the former Latin- working coordinately and with leading international agencies
American and Caribbean Alliance for Cancer Control: Cuba, to improve a basic component: good data. The new project
Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama5. from IARC is an excellent case.
The ongoing projects developed by the RINC and Cancer research is another critical component and in this
coordinated by working groups are cervical cancer, quality sense the promotion of independent research and the
control project in mammography, quality of radiotherapy; launching of regional initiates such as the SLACOM Cancer
biobanking and cancer registries. Research Institute is encouraging.
Finally, the creation of RINC is a model of collaboration
Conclusions between national cancer institutes, working together in a
It is extremely important to understand that the cancer coordinated way and promoting better cancer control in the
control concept must be analyzed from a global perspective: it region. This model should be extrapolated to other regions of
is difficult to develop the necessary actions without regional or the world. l
international collaboration in order to move projects forward
and increase the efficiency of the actions. Eduardo Cazap is Past-President, Union for International
The two main goals from which the international community Cancer Control (UICC), Geneva, Switzerland and the first
should base any potential action in order to improve cancer President and founder of Sociedad Latinoamericana y del
control in any possible way are: a) a correct strategy and b) Caribe de Oncología Médica (SLACOM), Buenos Aires,
political will. Argentina. He is also Chairman of the Executive Committee,
The projects currently ongoing were developed after a Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI), Seattle, and a member of
profound analysis of the needs and priorities of our region, so the Executive Committee, National Cancer Institute of
we believe that this strategy is correct. The example of RINC- Argentina (INC), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
References
1.
http://www.slacom.org/ Last access June 27, 2012. F.J Clin Oncol. 2009 Oct 20;27(30):5109-14.
2. 3.
Improving cancer outcomes through international collaboration in academic cancer Cazap et al, Cancer. 2008 Oct 15;113(8 Suppl):2359-65.
treatment trials. Trimble EL, Abrams JS, Meyer RM, Calvo F, Cazap E, Deye J, 4.
http://gicr.iarc.fr/ Last access June 27, 2012.
Eisenhauer E, Fitzgerald TJ, Lacombe D, Parmar M, Seibel N, Shankar L, Swart AM,
5.
http://www2.rinc-unasur.org Last access June 27, 2012
Therasse P, Vikram B, von Frenckell R, Friedlander M, Fujiwara K, Kaplan RS, Meunier
132 CANCER CONTROL 2013