First International Collaborative Member of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Opens in Brazil With Oncoclínicas Cancer Center

Laurie H. Glimcher, MD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a Harvard Medical School affiliated teaching hospital and one of the world's leading cancer treatment and oncology research institutions, and Oncoclínicas & Co, the largest group dedicated to cancer in Latin America, announce the expansion of their collaboration with the opening of the first Oncoclínicas Cancer Center as an International Collaborative Member of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Belo Horizonte, located in Minas Gerais, has been selected as the first international site to become a Dana-Farber International Collaborative member demonstrating a commitment to excellence by meeting a wide range of quality and safety standards in adult medical oncology.

Oncoclínicas and Dana-Farber are pioneering a deeper collaboration that involves a mutual commitment to advanced, high quality and patient centered cancer care. The goal is to set a standard of excellence in patient care in Brazil, continuously updating teams and adopting international-class best practices to provide high specialization, precision medicine, and advanced cancer treatment technologies.

Through the International Collaborative, Oncoclínicas Cancer Center at Belo Horizonte, will have access to substantial benefits including select treatment standards and protocols, clinician education and training programs, clinical program development support, virtual tumor boards where complex oncology cases are discussed, and quality, patient safety, and quality standards.

The estimated investment by Oncoclínicas in the new Cancer Center is BRL 93 million, including infrastructure, technology, and operations. BRL 83 million have already been invested, and another BRL 10 million are planned for future phases. The new center will be established in the facilities where Oncobio and Oncocentro units previously operated. These facilities will be expanded to accommodate the new Oncoclínicas Cancer Center in Belo Horizonte e Nova Lima, an International Collaborative Member of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The opening of cancer centers in Brazil intensifies the agreement signed nine years ago between the two institutions for the exchange of experience, knowledge transfer and technology, with a special focus on clinical education and training programs. Oncologists, pharmacists, and nurses from Oncoclínicas have already participated in training sessions with Dana-Farber in the United States, in addition to forums, events, and clinical case discussions. The collaboration also aims to ensure that Brazil is at the forefront of the fight against cancer by offering patients the best treatment and raising the standard of oncology services in the country.

"We are very excited to continue deepening and expanding our partnership. This is an unprecedented and extremely important achievement for oncology, a unique opportunity to expand the reach and impact of oncology research and treatment and position ourselves at the global epicenter of cancer care, opening new horizons for the future," defines Bruno Ferrari, founder and CEO of Oncoclínicas & Co.

President and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, said, "Our mission at Dana-Farber is to reduce the burden of cancer worldwide. Through our close collaboration with Oncoclínicas, we can further extend our mission by helping clinicians in Brazil provide the best-possible care to those facing cancer."

Oncoclínicas Belo Horizonte Cancer Center will combine patient-centered care with technology and innovation to provide more precise, personalized, and less invasive treatments, including initiatives in precision medicine, the continuous search for new treatments, and the promotion of greater access to innovative therapies.

"This increased collaboration has the potential to impact many patients and families whose lives are touched by a cancer diagnosis. As a Brazilian and a member of Dana-Farber's Medical Oncology, it is very gratifying to be part of this team and to work with oncologists at Oncoclínicas and assist with its implementation," said Otto Metzger, MD, associate medical director, International Strategic Initiatives and a breast medical oncologist at Dana-Farber.

The Cancer Center, which will carry the Dana-Farber International Collaborative Member seal, expands the Oncoclínicas business model, which focuses on total oncology care for patients and consists in outpatient clinics integrated with the Cancer Centers, with the goal of providing patients with even more comprehensive and specialized care, and integrated and high-quality experience in every phase of cancer management.

The forecasts from cancer institutes around the world and in Brazil underscore the importance of the initiative, pointing to a sharp increase in cancer cases over the next two decades. According to the Instituto Nacional do Câncer (INCA), more than 700,000 new cases of the disease are expected annually between 2023 and 2025. The joint efforts of giants in the oncology sector are essential to pool scientific knowledge, contain the disease, and find a cure.

"Among other collaborative efforts, our multidisciplinary discussions contribute to democratizing cancer care for every patient across our operations in Brazil. This enables us to offer cutting-edge protocols and elevate the standards of clinical oncology in the country," Ferrari affirms.

Oncoclínicas has also chosen the capital of Minas Gerais to open an advanced unit based on an innovative therapy for the treatment of hematological cancers: CAR T-cell. The therapy uses the patient's cells and genetically modifies them in the laboratory to fight the cancer.