Recommendations for streamlining precision medicine in breast cancer care in Latin America

Abstract

Background: The incidence of breast cancer (BC) in LMICs has increased by morethan 20% within the last decade. In areas such as Latin America (LA), addressing BCat national levels evoke discussions surrounding fragmented care, limited resources,and regulatory barriers. Precision Medicine (PM), specifically companion diagnostics(CDx), links disease diagnosis and treatment for better patient outcomes. Thus, itsapplication may aid in overcoming these barriers.Recent findings: A panel of LA experts in fields related to BC and PM were providedwith a series of relevant questions to address prior to a multi-day conference. Withinthis conference, each narrative was edited by the entire group, through numerousrounds of discussion until a consensus was achieved. The panel proposes specific,realistic recommendations for implementing CDx in BC in LA and other LMIC regions.In these recommendations, the authors strived to address all barriers to the wide-spread use and access mentioned previously within this manuscript.Conclusion: This manuscript provides a review of the current state of CDx for BC inLA. Of most importance, the panel proposes practical and actionable recommenda-tions for the implementation of CDx throughout the Region in order to identify theright patient at the right time for the right treatment.