Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 May 2:48:e48.
doi: 10.26633/RPSP.2024.48. eCollection 2024.

The importance of basic and translational research in caring for children with malignant solid tumors in Latin America

María Belen Cancela  1 , Milagros Dinardi  1 , Rosario Aschero  2 , Santiago Zugbi  1 , Guillermo Chantada  2 , Lorena Baroni  3 , Paula Schaiquevich  1
Affiliations
Review

The importance of basic and translational research in caring for children with malignant solid tumors in Latin America

María Belen Cancela et al. Rev Panam Salud Publica. .

Abstract
in English, Spanish, Portuguese

Objective: Basic and translational research in pediatric cancer are essential to improve patient care. To critically assess the developments achieved in these areas in Latin America, we systematically reviewed information published between 2013 and 2023.

Methods: Studies of basic and translational research performed by investigators in Latin America evaluating pediatric malignant solid and central nervous system tumors were retrieved from PubMed. Original articles published in English between 2013 and 2023 were included. Collaborations among Latin American authors or among Latin American authors working with researchers from other continents were also included. Studies were excluded if they focused only on adults or on basic research in tumor biology not specifically related to the tumor types analyzed in this review.

Results: A total of 550 articles were retrieved, but after removal of duplicates, 514 articles were included in the analysis, the majority of which were authored by researchers affiliated with institutions in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. These countries also had the highest number of collaborations on original articles published with authors from Europe and North America. Argentina had the highest number of collaborations on original publications, with coauthors from Brazil and Uruguay. The median impact factor of the 244 journals in which articles were published was 3.5. The most commonly studied tumors were osteosarcomas, neuroblastomas and medulloblastomas; the most commonly studied areas were molecular analysis, tumor cell biology and biomarkers.

Conclusions: In Latin America, research in pediatric oncology is on the agenda, despite a notable disparity in publication rates and frequency of collaboration between countries. There is a need to strengthen scientific collaboration within Latin America and with countries from other continents to promote research and to develop novel treatment strategies that reflect the local needs of children in Latin America who have solid tumors and brain cancer.

Objetivo: La investigación básica y aplicada en el campo de la oncología pediátrica es fundamental para mejorar la atención al paciente. Con el objetivo de realizar una evaluación crítica de los avances logrados en este campo en América Latina, hemos realizado una revisión sistemática de la información publicada entre el 2013 y el 2023.

Metodología: Se recopilaron de PubMed los artículos de investigación básica y traslacional publicados por investigadores de América Latina en los que se evaluaron tumores malignos sólidos y del sistema nervioso central en la población infantil. Se incluyeron artículos originales publicados en inglés entre el 2013 y el 2023. También se incluyeron artículos fruto de la colaboración científica entre autores e investigadores de América Latina y otros continentes.Se excluyeron aquellos estudios que se centraron solo en personas adultas o en la investigación básica en biología tumoral no relacionada específicamente con los tipos de tumores analizados en esta revisión.

Resultados: Se encontraron 550 artículos en total. Después de eliminar los artículos duplicados, se incluyeron 514 artículos en la revisión, la mayoría de los cuales fueron escritos por investigadores vinculados a centros de investigación de Argentina, Brasil y México. También procedieron de estos tres países la mayor parte de los artículos originales escritos en colaboración con autores de Europa y América del Norte. Argentina tuvo el mayor número de colaboraciones en publicaciones originales, con coautores de Brasil y Uruguay. La mediana del índice de impacto de las 244 revistas en las que se publicaron los artículos fue de 3,5. Los tumores más estudiados fueron osteosarcomas, neuroblastomas y meduloblastomas. Los temas más estudiados fueron el análisis molecular, la biología de las células tumorales y los biomarcadores.

Conclusiones: La investigación en oncología pediátrica forma parte de la agenda de investigación de América Latina, si bien hay una disparidad notoria en las tasas de publicación y la frecuencia de la colaboración entre países. Es necesario fortalecer la colaboración científica dentro de América Latina y con los países de otros continentes para promover la investigación y desarrollar estrategias de tratamiento novedosas que respondan a las necesidades locales de los niños y niñas de América Latina que tienen tumores sólidos o cáncer del sistema nervioso central.

Objetivo: A pesquisa básica e translacional em câncer pediátrico é essencial para melhorar o atendimento dos pacientes. No intuito de realizar uma avaliação crítica dos avanços alcançados nessa área na América Latina, fez-se uma revisão sistemática de informações publicadas entre 2013 e 2023.

Métodos: Pesquisas básicas e translacionais realizadas por pesquisadores da América Latina que avaliaram tumores sólidos malignos e tumores do sistema nervoso central em crianças foram obtidas da base de dados PubMed. Foram incluídos artigos originais publicados em inglês entre 2013 e 2023. Também foram incluídas colaborações entre autores latino-americanos ou entre autores latino-americanos que trabalham com pesquisadores de outros continentes.Estudos que tratavam apenas de adultos ou pesquisas básicas sobre biologia tumoral não especificamente relacionadas aos tipos de tumor analisados nesta revisão foram excluídos.

Resultados: No total, a busca recuperou 550 artigos da base de dados. Após a remoção dos artigos duplicados, foram incluídos 514 artigos na análise, a maioria de autoria de pesquisadores de instituições da Argentina, do Brasil e do México. Esses países também tiveram o maior número de colaborações em artigos originais publicados com autores da Europa e da América do Norte. A Argentina teve o maior número de colaborações em publicações originais, com coautores do Brasil e do Uruguai. O fator de impacto mediano dos 244 periódicos nos quais os artigos foram publicados era de 3,5. Os tumores mais estudados foram osteossarcomas, neuroblastomas e meduloblastomas; as áreas mais estudadas foram análise molecular, biologia de células tumorais e biomarcadores.

Conclusões: Na América Latina, a pesquisa em oncologia pediátrica está na ordem do dia, apesar de uma evidente disparidade nos índices de publicação e na frequência de colaboração entre os países. É necessário fortalecer a colaboração científica dentro da América Latina e com países de outros continentes a fim de promover a pesquisa e desenvolver novas estratégias de tratamento que reflitam as necessidades locais das crianças latino-americanas com tumores sólidos e câncer cerebral.

Keywords: Latin America; Malignant neoplasms; basic research; brain neoplasms; translational research, biomedical.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest. None declared.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.. Heat map of the distribution of articles about malignant solid tumors in children by authors from Latin America, 2013–2023
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.. No. of collaborations on original articles between authors in Latin America with authors working on different continents, 2013–2023
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.. Collaborations among authors in Latin America, by affiliation of main author and coauthor, 2013–2023
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Denburg A, Cuadrado C, Alexis C, Klussmann FA, Zamora JCB, Bodkyn C, et al. Improving childhood cancer care in Latin America and the Caribbean: a PAHO Childhood Cancer Working Group position statement. Lancet Oncol. 2017;18(6):709–711. - PubMed
    2. Denburg A, Cuadrado C, Alexis C, Klussmann FA, Zamora JCB, Bodkyn C, et al. Improving childhood cancer care in Latin America and the Caribbean: a PAHO Childhood Cancer Working Group position statement. Lancet Oncol. 2017;18(6):709–11. - PubMed
    1. Vásquez L, Fuentes-Alabi S, Benitez-Majano S, Ribeiro KB, Abraham M, Agulnik A, et al. Collaboration for success: the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer in Latin America. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2023;47:e144. doi: 10.26633/RPSP.2023.144. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    2. Vásquez L, Fuentes-Alabi S, Benitez-Majano S, Ribeiro KB, Abraham M, Agulnik A, et al. Collaboration for success: the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer in Latin America. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2023;47:e144. 10.26633/RPSP.2023.144 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. de Lima RAG, Lopes-Júnior LC, Maia EBS, Fuentes-Alabi S, Ponce MLV. Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer Control: increasing access, improving quality, saving lives. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2023;31:e3998. - PMC - PubMed
    2. de Lima RAG, Lopes-Júnior LC, Maia EBS, Fuentes-Alabi S, Ponce MLV. Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer Control: increasing access, improving quality, saving lives. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2023;31:e3998. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ehrlich BS, McNeil MJ, Pham LTD, Chen Y, Rivera J, Acuna C, et al. Treatment-related mortality in children with cancer in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Oncol. 2023;24(9):967–977. - PMC - PubMed
    2. Ehrlich BS, McNeil MJ, Pham LTD, Chen Y, Rivera J, Acuna C, et al. Treatment-related mortality in children with cancer in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Oncol. 2023;24(9):967–77. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tripodi SI, Bergami E, Panigari A, Caissutti V, Brovia C, De Cicco M, et al. The role of nutrition in children with cancer. Tumori. 2023;109(1):19–27. - PMC - PubMed
    2. Tripodi SI, Bergami E, Panigari A, Caissutti V, Brovia C, De Cicco M, et al. The role of nutrition in children with cancer. Tumori. 2023;109(1):19–27. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources