Argentina

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All.Can Argentina was accepted by the All.Can international steering committee in July 2019. 

Cancer overview in Argentina

Argentina has an incidence rate of 218 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (for all cancers except melanoma). Is considered among the countries with medium-high cancer incidence (range 172.3 to 242.9 per 100,000 inhabitants) and it ranks seventh in the Americas region, according to estimates made by the International Agency for Research Cancer (IARC), based on data available worldwide for 2018. This estimate corresponds to more than 129,000 new cases of cancer in both sexes per year, with similar percentages in both men and women.
In Argentina, breast cancer is the largest in terms of occurrence: with a volume of more than 22,000 cases per year, it represents 16,8% of all malignant tumors and almost a third of female cancers. Colorectal cancer in both sexes registers approximately 15,895 new cases per year, concentrating 12,1% of all tumors. In men, the highest incidence is due to prostate cancer, with an occurrence of more than 11,000 cases per year, representing 20% of all malignant tumors in men and 8,9% of all cancers registered in the country. The cancer with the highest incidence occurs in women and is breast cancer, with a rate of 73 cases per 100,000 women. Then, it is followed by prostate tumors (42.4 p / 100,000 men) and colorectal tumors in men (31.5 p / 100,000 men).
Argentina launched recently its National Cancer Control Plan (PNCC), an initiative with a five-year time horizon (2018-2022) aimed at developing and implementing prevention, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care strategies. The strategy aims to reduce the prevalence of modifiable risk factors for cancer, improve early diagnosis, care and quality of life for patients, and strengthen human resources to control this disease. Although the plan is in force, it still requires work for its regulation and effective implementation.

Sources:

https://www.argentina.gob.ar/salud/instituto-nacional-del-cancer/estadisticas/incidencia

Argentina National Cancer Plan: http://www.msal.gob.ar/images/stories/bes/graficos/0000001548cnt-plan-nacional-control-cancer-2018-22.pdf

All. Can Argentina

Argentina was the first country in Latin America to launch the initiative at the end of July 2019 with a strong and fully represented Steering Committee. The initiative was set up to identify ways to optimize the efficiency of cancer care by focusing on outcomes for patients improving public policy. In less than a year, key activities have been carried out locally.

Our Steering Committee gathers representatives from the Academy, scientific associations, patients, pharmaceutical industry and public policy experts, see here.

Activities and milestones

• “Barriers along the continuum of cancer patient’s care in Argentina: a preliminary qualitative exploration”.

Report developed by All.Can Argentina to have a better understanding of the local cancer landscape in order to design future actions. We carried out the exploratory study through 15 in depth interviews with key stakeholders around oncology (chiefs of oncology services and general oncologists (both from public and private centers), researchers, patients, families, nurses and psych oncologists. We identified 42 barriers in cancer management in Argentina that provided highlights and triggers for generating data and defining plans. Read complete report in English here.

• Cancer Education Training for early diagnosis for GPs launched.

Objective: to achieve a shortening of the time between the first patient consultation and the cancer diagnosis from the training of primary health care doctors.

Description: a meeting of one hour held by an oncologist member of the Argentinean Association of Clinic Oncologists (AAOC) focusing on the main tumors in Argentina: lung, breast, colon, cervical cancer.

Deliverables: illustrative posters and brochures with information for the Primary Care teams.

Action was designed to be implemented in small cities along the countries. We had a first experience carried out in Saladillo (Buenos Aires province) on December 2019 but the program in that initial format is now in standby due to COVID-19. Despite this situation, we recently organized a remote training trough AAOC TV streaming (Argentinean Association of Clinic Oncologists) and we are also developing a digital piece of the training.

• Patient Survey

Patient Survey launched in Buenos Aires City and surrounding areas, to better understand patient needs and system inefficiencies. Based on All.Can global Patient Survey is the first of its type in the country with a sample of 400 patients. The research was carried out to understand and describe the experience of cancer patients, focusing on patients’ needs to improve the process. Fieldwork started with recruitment in December 2019 and it is already finished. Interviews were face to face, due to Covid19 some of the last patients of the sample were interviewed by telephone. The research also included a complementary qualitative survey to delve into concepts detected in the quantitative stage from the perspective of patients and professionals.

Read here the information with the description of the main results: ENGLISH-PR_Encuesta_Pacientes_AllCanArgentina.

Scientific publication (PubMed Indexed) – results communications “Qualitative Study on Barriers to Access from the Perspective of Patients and Oncologists” https://es.scribd.com/document/517467810/Qualitative-Study-on-Barriers-to-Access-From-the-Perspective-of-Patients-and-Oncologists

“Demystify Cancer”, a free download e-book with the support of All.Can Argentina

Throughout almost 200 pages the Argentine journalist Daniela Hacker describes in her book “Demystify cancer” the many experiences that a cancer patient goes throughout its journey. With a simple and entertaining style the book supported by All.Can Argentina, includes data, statistics, interviews with cancer patients (both celebrities and anonymous people) and approaches the most common difficulties that these patients must face along their treatment since the moment of the diagnosis. The book covers topics such as dealing with the disease and intimacy in couples, physical changes, how to talk with family and friends, and how to get around the bureaucracy that threatens the already deteriorated patience of cancer patients. “There is no a single way to go through the disease or a ‘correct’ way of being a cancer patient,” says the journalist.

Free download: https://www.desmitificarelcancer.com/Desmitificar%20el%20Cancer.pdf