Real-world data on triple-negative breast cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean

Ecancermedicalscience. 2023 Nov 21:17:1635. doi: 10.3332/ecancer.2023.1635. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer in women in Latin America and the Caribbean. We compiled real-world data (RWD) on the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), addressing the main barriers to optimal care in Latin America. The prevalence of TNBC varies between 11% and 38.5% of all BC cases diagnosed in the region, and TNBC primarily affects young patients. Delays in BC diagnosis, with consequent advanced disease stages and barriers to access efficient therapies, particularly due to high costs, negatively impact patient outcomes. Cancer clinical trials are an opportunity to access standard and novel therapies for patients with this aggressive BC subtype and thus must be prioritised. Finally, generating RWD and cost-effectiveness studies in a region with limited resources is critical for decision-makers to define the incorporation of new technologies for the treatment of BC.

Keywords: Caribbean Region; Latin America; breast neoplasms; triple negative breast neoplasms.

Publication types

  • Review