Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group

Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group
Name	Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group
Abbreviation	LACOG
Formation	2009
Headquarters	São Paulo, Brazil
Region served	Latin America

Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group The Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group is a regional network that designs, coordinates, and conducts oncology clinical trials, translational research, and capacity-building initiatives across Latin America. It brings together investigators, cancer centers, academic institutions, hospitals, and professional societies to address cancer disparities, trial access, and evidence generation for populations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and other nations. The Group interfaces with regulatory agencies, philanthropic foundations, multinational pharmaceutical companies, and international cooperative groups to implement multicenter studies and training programs.

History

Founded in 2009 amid growing demand for region-specific evidence, the Group was shaped by leaders from major centers such as Hospital das Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, and Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas. Early milestones include multicenter protocols modeled after initiatives by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, the National Cancer Institute, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, with governance practices influenced by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization. The Group's timeline features partnerships with academic institutions like the University of São Paulo, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and Hospital Italiano, and collaborations with cooperative groups such as EORTC, SWOG, and NCIC Clinical Trials Group. National cancer control programs, regulatory developments at ANVISA, COFEPRIS, and INVIMA, and regional meetings involving the Asociación Colombiana de Hematología y Oncología helped define its growth.

Organization and Membership

Membership comprises investigators from cancer centers, academic departments, oncology divisions, and specialty clinics across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Institutional members include Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Fundación Arturo López Pérez, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Clínica Las Condes, and Instituto Alexander Fleming. Oversight bodies draw on expertise from boards and committees comparable to those at the National Institutes of Health, the European Medicines Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration. The organizational structure parallels models used by Grupo Español de Investigación en Cáncer de Pulmón, cooperative infrastructures like Grupo Oncologico Cooperativo Chileno, and consortia such as the Latin American Network for Public Health. Scientific committees, steering committees, data monitoring committees, and bioethics boards include investigators affiliated with universities like Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.

Clinical Trials and Research Programs

Protocols address breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, hematologic malignancies, gynecologic oncology, and supportive care. Notable programs mirror trial designs from landmark studies led by investigators at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Institut Gustave Roussy, adapted for Latin American populations. Trials have evaluated targeted therapies, immunotherapies, biosimilars, chemoradiation regimens, and health services interventions, drawing on methodology from randomized controlled trials, translational biomarker studies, and real-world evidence projects linked to cohorts from Hospital de Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, and Instituto Oncológico Fundación Arturo López Pérez. Collaborative registries integrate data standards similar to those used by SEER, EUROCARE, and CONCORD, and leverage biobanks patterned after initiatives at the National Cancer Center and Wellcome Trust–backed repositories.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Strategic partners include international cooperative groups, pharmaceutical firms, regulatory agencies, philanthropic foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carlos Slim Foundation, and multilateral organizations like the Pan American Health Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank. Academic partners include University of São Paulo, Universidad de Chile, University of Texas MD Anderson, and Harvard Medical School affiliates. Collaborative activities involve joint workshops with ASCO, ESMO, AACR, and participation in consortia like the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership and the Global Oncology Alliance. Public–private collaborations echo models used by the Clinton Health Access Initiative and PATH.

Publications and Impact

Results from multicenter trials and translational research have been published in journals such as Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Oncology, Cancer, and Clinical Cancer Research. Contributions include guidelines, practice-changing trial reports, and health systems analyses cited in documents from WHO, PAHO, and academic reviews produced by investigators at Johns Hopkins, University of Oxford, and Karolinska Institutet. Impact metrics reflect increased trial accrual, improved access to novel agents, and enhanced regional research capacity mirrored in outputs from national cancer institutes and university research centers.

Funding and Governance

Funding sources comprise competitive grants from national science agencies like CNPq and CONICET, industry-sponsored trial support from multinational pharmaceutical companies, philanthropic grants, and regional health ministry allocations. Governance follows principles compatible with Good Clinical Practice, ethics frameworks used by institutional review boards at universities and hospitals, and financial oversight similar to structures in the Wellcome Trust and National Institutes of Health. Transparency and conflict-of-interest policies align with standards from COPE and ICMJE.

Training, Education, and Outreach

Capacity-building initiatives include investigator training programs, GCP courses, biostatistics workshops, and fellowship exchanges with centers such as MD Anderson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Gustave Roussy. Educational outreach targets oncologists, hematologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, oncology nurses, and allied health professionals across networks associated with Sociedad Argentina de Oncología Clínica, Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology, and Sociedad Chilena de Oncología. Community engagement and patient advocacy partnerships involve civil society organizations, survivorship programs, and awareness campaigns aligned with World Cancer Day and regional public health events.

Category:Oncology organizations