Cancer Clinical Trials Development in Latin America Lags

Cancer clinical trials in Latin America lag global activity despite strengths that could expand equitable evidence generation.

A review published in JCO Global Oncology finds the region, home to more than 8% of the world’s population and facing a rising cancer burden, accounts for under 2% of global oncology trial activity and scientific output. Much of the current work is industry-led, with limited sustained academic investment to build a durable research ecosystem capable of producing investigator-led innovation.

Limited participation affects care: patients have reduced access to new therapies and the region lacks capacity to shape research agendas that reflect local priorities.

Structural barriers slow trial development across Latin America. Regulatory asymmetries between countries complicate multisite research and consistent trial execution. Infrastructure is uneven and access to enabling resources — including biobanks, registries and protected research time for investigators — is limited. These gaps weaken academic ecosystems and leave many sites positioned primarily as implementers rather than drivers of innovation.

The review also identifies strengths that could shift the region’s role. High patient adherence, large urban populations that support recruitment and follow-up, cost efficiency and expanding cooperative research networks create a favorable foundation for more coordinated, regionally relevant evidence generation.

To move from peripheral participation to active contribution, the authors propose practical priorities: establish a regional funding mechanism (a proposed Latin American Cancer Research for Equity Fund), pursue regulatory convergence, and invest in workforce development and research equity. These steps aim to strengthen trial capacity and produce oncology evidence that is both globally relevant and contextually appropriate for Latin America.

Reference: Garzón-Dangond JM et al., Challenges and Opportunities for Cancer Clinical Trials Development in Latin America, JCO Glob Oncol. 2025;11:e2500383. doi:10.1200/GO-25-00383.