PRECAMA: Molecular Subtypes of Premenopausal Breast Cancer in Latin American Women

Breast cancer has become a major public health problem in Latin America, as it is the most common form of cancer among women. Women are more likely to develop breast cancer at younger age, and to be diagnosed at an advanced stage compared to western women. Over the past twenty years, the mortality from breast cancer in Latin America has also been increasing very rapidly, and is currently the leading cause of cancer mortality. Little is known on specific risk factors for premenopausal breast cancer in general, and in Latin America in particular. There is a lack of specific knowledge on tumor molecular and pathological characteristics of breast cancer in Latin America premenopausal women, and this has major consequences on cancer treatment and survival. To improve our understanding on determinants of breast cancer incidence and mortality in young Latin America women and support preventive actions, we implemented an international, population-based multi-center study in Latin America: the PRECAMA study (Molecular Subtypes of Premenopausal Breast Cancer in Latin American Women (PRECAMA): a multicenter population-based case-control study). PRECAMA is coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and is conducted within 4 Latin American countries: Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile. Major aims of the project are the following: 1. To develop a multi-centric population-based case-control study on breast cancer in premenopausal women in several countries in Latin America with structured collection of individual, clinical, pathological information and biological specimens, according to strictly controlled protocols 2. To characterize, in these populations, the subtypes of premenopausal breast cancer on the basis of their molecular and pathological phenotypes 3. To improve the identification of specific endogenous/exogenous factors, and disentangle the interplay of these different factors with regard to breast tumor subtypes. 4. Provide advanced training, induce a structuring effect on the breast cancer research community in Latin America and influence the public health agenda regarding the management of breast cancer. The results of our study will be of utmost importance to understand the etiology of breast cancer in Latin America countries, and would provide important information on the role of modifiable exposures for breast cancer prevention.