Molecular Profiling and Precision Oncology for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Latin America: Unique Epidemiology, Persistent Barriers, and Paths Toward Equity.
13 affiliations
- 1Department of Clinical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Austral, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- 2The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James), Columbus, OH, USA.
- 3Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Sciences (DiMI), University of Genoa School of Medicine, Genoa, Italy.
- 4Cancer Immunobiology Laboratory, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional (IIMT), CONICET-Universidad Austral, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- 5Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- 6Centro de Tratamiento e Investigación sobre Cáncer (CTIC), Bogotá, Colombia.
- 7Thoracic Oncology Unit, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Mexico City, Mexico.
- 8Department of Clinical Oncology, Instituto Alexander Fleming, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- 9Emergency Department, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
- 10Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy.
- 11Molecular-Clinical Lab, University of Buenos Aires (UBA), National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- 12Department of Pathology, San Cecilio Clinical University Hospital, Ibs, Granada, Spain.
- 13Liquid Biopsy and Cancer Interception Group, Center for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government (GENyO), Granada, Spain.
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents a critical public health crisis in Latin America (LA), the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality across the region. Although global incidence rates are shifting, the burden in low- and middle-income countries is projected to increase significantly by 2030. Beyond the impact of tobacco, LA faces unique challenges derived from environmental exposures and diverse genetic ancestry that shape a molecular landscape distinct from other regions. This has resulted in a high prevalence of actionable drivers, particularly EGFR mutations, positioning a large segment of the population as ideal candidates for precision medicine approaches. However, current efforts to address this epidemic fall short of regional needs, as the potential of precision oncology remains largely unrealized due to multilevel systemic and economic barriers. Despite the scientific potential of targeted therapies to drastically improve survival, LA has not broadly or expeditiously adopted these strategies. A profound implementation gap is characterized by a reliance on inefficient single-gene testing, fragmented regulatory frameworks, and severe infrastructural limitations. Consequently, only a minimal proportion of the regional patient population benefits from recent advances, whereas the majority continue to receive empirical chemotherapy with significantly inferior survival outcomes. Addressing these disparities requires a steadfast focus on systemic transformation, ranging from establishing centralized genomic hubs to implementing structured educational programs. Standardizing care through molecular tumor boards (MTBs) and harmonizing regulatory pathways are essential steps in translating research into clinical benefits. In this review, we discuss the unique molecular epidemiology of the region and the challenges of treatment implementation, focusing on the urgent need to integrate new technologies to ensure equitable access to precision oncology. LA has one of the highest potential population-level benefits from precision oncology in NSCLC; however, systemic barriers prevent this molecular opportunity from translating into equitable survival gains (Graphical abstract).
Related
- Precision Oncology: Cancer Specialists’ Perspectives on Molecular Profiling, Targeted Therapy, and Barriers to Access
- Evolution of Precision Oncology, Personalized Medicine, and Molecular Tumor Boards
- The promise and limits of patient-reported outcomes in molecular tumor board-guided care: toward a framework for patient-centered precision oncology.
- Tendinopathy: Types, Epidemiology, Molecular Mechanisms, and Future Precision‐Oriented Therapeutic Strategies
- Comprehensive Molecular Profiling for Precision Diagnostics: Integrating Genomic, Proteomic, and Epigenetic Landscapes in Human Pathology
BibTeX
@article{picon2026molecular,
title = {{Molecular Profiling and Precision Oncology for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Latin America: Unique Epidemiology, Persistent Barriers, and Paths Toward Equity.}},
author = {Carlos Rafael Picón and Roberto Borea and Manglio Miguel Rizzo and Jose Nicolas Minatta and Ricardo Irineo Amorin and Julieta Belen Pandolfi and Andrés F Cardona and Oscar Arrieta and Diego Enrico and Antonio Voza and Valeria Denninghoff and Christian Rolfo},
journal = {Journal of immunotherapy and precision oncology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.36401/jipo-26-16},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999796},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Molecular Profiling and Precision Oncology for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Latin America: Unique Epidemiology, Persistent Barriers, and Paths Toward Equity.
AU - Carlos Rafael Picón
AU - Roberto Borea
AU - Manglio Miguel Rizzo
AU - Jose Nicolas Minatta
AU - Ricardo Irineo Amorin
AU - Julieta Belen Pandolfi
AU - Andrés F Cardona
AU - Oscar Arrieta
AU - Diego Enrico
AU - Antonio Voza
AU - Valeria Denninghoff
AU - Christian Rolfo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - Journal of immunotherapy and precision oncology
DO - 10.36401/jipo-26-16
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999796
AB - Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents a critical public health crisis in Latin America (LA), the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality across the region. Although global incidence rates are shifting, the burden in low- and middle-income countries is projected to increase significantly by 2030. Beyond the impact of tobacco, LA faces unique challenges derived from environmental exposures and diverse genetic ancestry that shape a molecular landscape distinct from other regions. This has resulted in a high prevalence of actionable drivers, particularly EGFR mutations, positioning a large segment of the population as ideal candidates for precision medicine approaches. However, current efforts to address this epidemic fall short of regional needs, as the potential of precision oncology remains largely unrealized due to multilevel systemic and economic barriers. Despite the scientific potential of targeted therapies to drastically improve survival, LA has not broadly or expeditiously adopted these strategies. A profound implementation gap is characterized by a reliance on inefficient single-gene testing, fragmented regulatory frameworks, and severe infrastructural limitations. Consequently, only a minimal proportion of the regional patient population benefits from recent advances, whereas the majority continue to receive empirical chemotherapy with significantly inferior survival outcomes. Addressing these disparities requires a steadfast focus on systemic transformation, ranging from establishing centralized genomic hubs to implementing structured educational programs. Standardizing care through molecular tumor boards (MTBs) and harmonizing regulatory pathways are essential steps in translating research into clinical benefits. In this review, we discuss the unique molecular epidemiology of the region and the challenges of treatment implementation, focusing on the urgent need to integrate new technologies to ensure equitable access to precision oncology. LA has one of the highest potential population-level benefits from precision oncology in NSCLC; however, systemic barriers prevent this molecular opportunity from translating into equitable survival gains (Graphical abstract).
SN - 2666-2345
SN - 2590-017X
ER -