Marion Piñeros

• MD, MSc
• Researcher at International Agency for Research on Cancer

The data sources and methods used to develop global cancer incidence and mortality statistics—the GLOBOCAN estimates—for the year 2022 are documented in this article, alongside a brief overview of the global cancer burden. The estimates, made available in 185 countries or territories worldwide for 36 cancer sites by sex and age, are based on the be...

On a global scale, gallbladder cancer is a relatively rare cancer with a striking variability in incidence across countries and world regions. We examined recent geographic variations worldwide based on national gallbladder cancer incidence estimates for the year 2022 from the GLOBOCAN database for 185 countries alongside recorded incidence data fr...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 2nd most common cancer and 3rd most common cause of death in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region. We aimed to explore CRC stage at diagnosis data from population‐based cancer registries in MENA countries. In 2021, we launched a Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development (GICR) survey on staging pr...

Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) require specialized follow-up throughout their lifespan to prevent or manage late effects of cancer treatment. Knowing the size and structure of the population of CCS is crucial to plan interventions. In this scoping review we reviewed studies that reported prevalence of CCS in Europe. We searched Medline, Web of Sc...

Objective To provide a comprehensive overview of geographical patterns (2001–2010) and time trends (1993–2012) of cancer incidence in children aged 0–19 years in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and interpret the findings in the context of global patterns. Methods Geographical variations in 2001–2010 and incidence trends over 1993–2012 in the...

CANCER TODAY enables a comprehensive assessment of the cancer burden worldwide in 2022, based on the GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence, mortality and prevalence for year 2022 in 185 countries or territories for 36 cancer types by sex and age group. Available from: https://gco.iarc.who.int/today

The growing cancer burden particularly among less developed countries requires local data to plan and evaluate cancer control measures. This article describes the development of a population-based cancer registry network (PBCRN) in Mexico that took place between 2017 and 2020 and present related data. The PBCRN, led by the National Cancer Institute...

Importance Stage at diagnosis is a key prognostic factor for cancer survival. Objective To assess the global distribution of breast cancer stage by country, age group, calendar period, and socioeconomic status using population-based data. Data Sources A systematic search of MEDLINE and Web of Science databases and registry websites and gray liter...

Background: Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Brazil and the burden is rising. To better inform tailored cancer actions, we compare incidence and mortality profiles according to small areas in the capital and northeast region of the State of São Paulo for the leading cancer types. Methods: New cancer cases were obtained fro...

Background: Population-based cancer survival is a key measurement of cancer control performance linked to diagnosis and treatment, but benchmarking studies that include lower-income settings and that link results to health systems and human development are scarce. SURVCAN-3 is an international collaboration of population-based cancer registries th...

Background Availability of stage information by population-based cancer registries (PBCR) remains scarce for diverse reasons. Nevertheless, stage is critical cancer control information particularly for cancers amenable to early detection. In the framework of the Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development (GICR), we present the status of stag...

Background Cancer registries are essential for monitoring cancer burden and patterns, and document changes in time for cancer control. Hereby, we present the first results of four years of the Merida population-based cancer registry in Mexico. Methods The registry collects data on all new cancers diagnosed since 2015 using both active and passive...

We evaluated the global patterns of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in 2020 using the estimates of NHL incidence and mortality in 185 countries that are part of the GLOBOCAN 2020 database, developed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). As well as new cases and deaths of NHL, corresponding age‐standardized (world) rates (ASR) of inc...

Breast cancer; incidence trends; cancer incidence; cancer screening; cancer registries; PBCR; cancer epidemiology, mammography Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877782122000984

Background Cancer is a leading cause of disease and death in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Contemporary data on the cancer burden aims to inform effective cancer policies; this article provides an update and benchmarking of national cancer incidence and mortality estimates for the year 2020, alongside recent mortality trends in the region....

The COVID‐19 pandemic has caused disruptions to national health systems and impacted health outcomes worldwide. However, the extent to which surveillance systems, such as population‐based cancer registration, have been affected was not reported. Here we sought to evaluate the effect of the pandemic on registry operations across different areas and...

Uruguay has the highest colorectal cancer incidence rates in Latin America. Previous studies reported a stable incidence and a slight increase in mortality among males. We aimed to assess colorectal cancer incidence (2002–2017) and mortality trends (1990–2017) by age groups and sex, using data from the National Cancer Registry. Annual percent chang...

Cancer stage at diagnosis is important information for management and treatment of individual patients as well as in epidemiological studies to evaluate effectiveness of health care system in managing cancer patients. Population‐based studies to examine international disparities on cancer survival by stage, however, has been challenging due to the...

Our study briefly reviews the data sources and methods used in compiling the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) GLOBOCAN cancer statistics for the year 2020 and summarises the main results. National estimates were calculated based on the best available data on cancer incidence from population‐based cancer registries (PBCR) and morta...

Background WHO has launched an initiative aiming to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. Elimination is a long-term target that needs long-lasting commitment. To support local authorities in implementing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, we provide regional and country-specific estimates of cervical cancer burden and the proj...

Population–based cancer registries (PBCR) are vital to the assessment of the cancer burden and in monitoring and evaluating national progress in cervical cancer surveillance and control. Yet the level of their development in countries exhibiting the highest cervical cancer incidence rates is suboptimal, and requires considerable investment if they...

En este artículo presentamos un panorama general de la carga de cáncer a nivel mundial por grandes áreas geográficas. Utilizamos la información disponible en la base de datos de GLOBOCAN 2018 además de información de registros de cáncer de base poblacional seleccionados. Los más de 18 millones de casos nuevos y 9 millones de muertes anuales, se dis...

Background Screening for breast cancer and cervical cancer in the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union is largely opportunistic, and countries in the region have among the highest cervical cancer incidence in the WHO European Region. We aimed to compare the stage-specific distributions and changes over time in breast cancer and cervi...

Population‐based cancer registries (PBCRs) are the only means to provide reliable incidence and survival data as a basis for policy‐making and resource allocations within cancer care. Yet, less than 3% and 10% of the respective populations of Central America and South America are covered by high‐quality cancer registries. The Global Initiative for...

Data from population‐based cancer registries (PBCR) are critical for planning, monitoring and evaluation of cancer control programs, but are frequently underutilized by key stakeholders. As part of the ongoing partnership of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) in cancer sur...

The validity of data provided by population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) is a key aspect in cancer surveillance. Tracing back cases initially reported by death certificate or death-certificate-notified (DCN) cases, improves data quality and has an especially significant impact on survival estimates. The present study performed in the Mendoza PBC...

The World Health Organization recently launched the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) aiming to substantially increase survival among children with cancer by 2030. The ultimate goal concerns particularly less developed countries where survival estimates are considerably lower than in high-income countries where children with cancer atta...

In May 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for the elimination of cervical cancer. To monitor this initiative, we examined cervical cancer incidence and mortality in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region using GLOBOCAN 2018, Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Series, and the WHO Mortality Database. We estimated the number of ca...

Trends in gallbladder cancer incidence and mortality in populations across the Americas can provide insight into shifting epidemiologic patterns and the current and potential impact of preventative and curative programs. Estimates of gallbladder and extrahepatic bile duct cancer incidence and mortality for the year 2018 were extracted from Internat...

Objective: To briefly describe the process of establishment and preliminary results of the Mérida Population-based Cancer Registry (Mérida-PBCR). Materials and methods: Mérida-PBCR started in 2016 as a research project in the IMSS, with a gradual increase in its information sources. It covers a population of 908 536 inhabitants. Data collection...

Disease burden is the most important determinant of survival in patients with cancer. This domain, reflected by the cancer stage and codified using the tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) classification, is a fundamental determinant of prognosis. Accurate and consistent tumour classification is required for the development and use of treatment guidelines...

Information on cancer stage at diagnosis is largely missing or poorly documented among population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) in sub Saharan Africa (SSA). In an early field trial of Essential TNM staging, it was observed that some training was needed to enable cancer registrars to abstract the correct TNM from case records. In November 2018, th...

Objective: To present the most recent national estimates of lung cancer burden globally in 185 countries and tobacco smoking prevalence (%) by sex. Materials and methods: Estimates of lung cancer incidence and mortality for 2018 were extracted from the Globocan database; observed incidence, from the last volume of Cancer Incidence in Five Contin...

Purpose Despite an increasing understanding of the pathology and genetics of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), global reports on variations in the incidence of NHL remain limited in their number and scope. Methods To provide a situation analysis, national incidence estimates for NHL in 185 countries for the year 2018 were obtained from the GLOBOCAN data...

Information on cancer stage at diagnosis is largely missing or poorly documented among population-based cancer registries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In an early field trial of Essential TNM staging, it was observed that some training was needed to enable cancer registrars to abstract the correct TNM from case records. In November 2018, the Addis...

Objective: To describe the cancer burden in adults aged 65 years and older in Latin America and the Caribbean to serve as rational for improving cancer control planning among region's older population. Materials and methods: Using the up-to-date GLOBOCAN estimates for 2018, we describe the cancer burden including key patterns for the major cance...

Accurate information on the extent of disease around the time of diagnosis is an important component of cancer care, in defining disease prognosis, and evaluating national and international cancer control policies. However, the collection of stage data by population-based cancer registries remains a challenge in both high-income and low and middle-...

Estimates of the worldwide incidence and mortality from 36 cancers and for all cancers combined for the year 2018 are now available in the GLOBOCAN 2018 database, compiled and disseminated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This paper reviews the sources and methods used in compiling the cancer statistics in 185 countries. T...

Background and context: Cancer control requires knowledge of cancer incidence. Information on anatomic extent of disease (stage) at presentation significantly enhances incidence and mortality data in understanding the cancer burden. The most frequently used staging classification of cancer disease extent is the tumor, node, metastases (TNM). Popula...

According to the Pan American Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, are the leading causes of preventable and premature death in the Americas. Governments and health care systems in Latin America face numerous challenges as a result of increasing morbidity and mortality from cancer. Multiple international organizations ha...

The Central America Four (CA-4) region, comprising Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, is the largest low- and middle-income country region in the Western Hemisphere, with over 36 million inhabitants. The CA-4 nations share a common geography, history, language, and development indices, and unified with open borders in 2006. The growin...

Background: A deceleration in the increase in cancer incidence in children and adolescents has been reported in several national and regional studies in Europe. Based on a large database representing 1·3 billion person-years over the period 1991-2010, we provide a consolidated report on cancer incidence trends at ages 0-19 years. Methods: We inv...

Summary Background Leukaemia is a heterogeneous group of haemopoietic cancers that comprises a number of diverse and biologically distinct subgroups. We examine the leukaemia burden worldwide and highlight the distinct incidence patterns in order to elucidate explanatory factors that may support preventive measures and health resource planning. We...

Introduction Previous studies have shown marked geographical and ethnic differences in Chronic Lymphoid leukemia (CLL) incidence, particularly between Asian and Western countries. The causes of CLL remain largely unknown, but genetic and environmental factors could be involved. To better understand the drivers of CLL incidence in North America, Oce...

Background: Uruguay, a country with one of the highest lung cancer rates worldwide, initiated a series of comprehensive anti-smoking measures in 2005. We assess the tobacco control policies in the context of cohort-driven lung cancer incidence trends over a 25-year period, providing baseline predictions to 2035. Methods: Using data from the Nati...

In 2015, the second cycle of the CONCORD programme established global surveillance of cancer survival as a metric of the effectiveness of health systems and to inform global policy on cancer control. CONCORD-3 updates the worldwide surveillance of cancer survival to 2014. Methods CONCORD-3 includes individual records for 37·5 million patients diagn...

Background Leukaemia is a heterogeneous group of haemopoietic cancers that comprises a number of diverse and biologically distinct subgroups. We examine the leukaemia burden worldwide and highlight the distinct incidence patterns in order to elucidate explanatory factors that may support preventive measures and health resource planning. We aimed t...

Peru, like several other South American countries, is experiencing remarkable population growth, ageing, and urbanisation, which has given rise to profound changes in its epidemiological profile. Prostate and breast cancer are the most frequent cancers in men and women, respectively, in Lima and Arequipa, the two areas with population-based cancer...

The growing burden of cancer among several major noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) requires national implementation of tailored public health surveillance. For many emerging economies where emphasis has traditionally been placed on the surveillance of communicable diseases, it is critical to understand the specificities of NCD surveillance and, withi...

Background: Global inequalities in access to health care are reflected in differences in cancer survival. The CONCORD programme was designed to assess worldwide differences and trends in population-based cancer survival. In this population-based study, we aimed to estimate survival inequalities globally for several subtypes of childhood leukaemia....

Cancer incidence by type has been included as a core indicator in the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Monitoring Framework for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. The Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development (GICR), coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), supports low- and middle-in...

Introducción. En Colombia existe escasa información acerca de años de vida perdidos por cáncer. Objetivo. Determinar los años de vida perdidos por cáncer en Colombia y sus cambios entre 1997 y 2012. Materiales y métodos. La información por sexo y edad de mortalidad por cáncer y la expectativa de vida en Colombia se obtuvo del Departamento Adminis...

Rationale and objective: Cancer burden is increasing in Central and South America (CSA). We describe the current burden of cancer in CSA. Methods: We obtained regional and national-level cancer incidence data from 48 population-based registries (13 countries) and nation-wide cancer mortality data from the WHO (18 countries). We estimated world p...

Rationale and objective: Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in the world. In Central and South America lung cancer is now one of most frequent cancers and the leading cause of cancer-related death in both sexes. We describe patterns and trends in lung cancer incidence and mortality in Central an...

Rationale and objective: Although malignant tumors of the brain and central nervous system (CNS) represent less than 3% of new cancer cases estimated worldwide, they cause significant morbidity and in the case of gliomas, the most common histological type, have a poor prognosis. We describe patterns and trends in brain and CNS incidence and mortal...

Background Cancers of the brain and CNS constitute a group of rare and heterogeneous tumors. Increasing incidence in Western populations has been linked to improvements in diagnostic technology, although interpretation is hampered by changes in diagnosis and reporting. The present study examines geographic and temporal variations in incidence rates...

Objective: To develop a situation analysis encompassing the patterns and trends in cancer incidence and mortality in South and Central America and the Caribbean, with comparisons globally and with selected external countries. Materials and methods: Data on cancer incidence and mortality rates for 31 countries were obtained from the 2012 GLOBOCAN...

Rationale and objective: Very little is known about the burden of cutaneous melanoma in Central and South America, despite the existence of a reasonable amount of population-based data. We present data on melanoma incidence calculated in a standardized way for Central and South America, as well as an overview of primary and secondary prevention is...

The lack of breast cancer screening in low and middle-income countries results in later stage diagnosis and worsened outcomes for women. A cluster randomized trial was performed in Bogotá, Colombia between 2008-2012 to evaluate effects of opportunistic breast cancer screening. Thirteen clinics were randomized to an intervention arm and 13 to a cont...

Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5), a longstanding collaboration between the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR), serves as a unique source of cancer incidence data from high-quality population-based cancer registries around the world. The recent publication of Volu...

Objective: To characterise the cases of cancer treated at the Cancer Unit of the Villavicencio Departmental Hospital (Colombia). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on routine data to describe the demographic characteristics of all newly diagnosed cancer cases (both in situ and invasive) collected in the hospital-based registr...

Worldwide data for cancer survival are scarce. We aimed to initiate worldwide surveillance of cancer survival by central analysis of population-based registry data, as a metric of the effectiveness of health systems, and to inform global policy on cancer control. Individual tumour records were submitted by 279 population-based cancer registries in...

Within the World Health Organization-International Atomic Energy Agency (WHO-IAEA) collaboration for delivery of technical assistance to its Member States, the National Cancer Control Programme/Plan (NCCP) Core Capacity Self-Assessment Tool has been used to obtain a simple and quick qualitative overview of national cancer control planning and on-go...

Introduction: Cancer research must generate knowledge that permits the improvement of the different components of cancer control. The information about research topics, resources and capabilities in this country will enable adjustments to be made aimed at achieving a greater impact on cancer control and management. Purpose: To describe the general...

Introducción La investigación en cáncer debe generar conocimiento que contribuya al control de la enfermedad en sus diversos aspectos; en este sentido, conocer los temas que más se investigan, los recursos y las capacidades con que cuenta el país, permitirán hacer ajustes enfocados a lograr un mayor impacto en el control del cáncer. Objetivo Descr...

In the global context, the establishment of population-based cancer registries, particularly in less developed regions, has become of strategic importance. The factors influencing the operation and sustainability of registries can be determinants for their success, despite the existence of uniform quality indicators in the cancer incidence informat...

Background: Treatment is an important component of a comprehensive cancer control approach and its outcomes strongly depend on infrastructure, equipment, human and financial resources available. Therefore it is imperative to generate evidence-based tools to assist health policy mak-ers from low resourced countries in planning efficient and equitabl...

Cancer is a leading cause of death in Latin America but there have been few assessments of the cancer burden for the 10% of the population who are indigenous. Evidence from other world regions suggests cancer survival is poorer for indigenous people than for others due to a greater incidence of case-fatal cancers, later stage at diagnosis, and less...

Introduction In most low and middle income countries (LMICs), including the majority of African countries, cancer burden is increasing rapidly and poses enormous challenges to the health systems. This foresees the need for urgent action and the establishment of strategic partnerships, as well as mobilizing resources and coordinating efforts among c...

Objective: To explore which socioeconomic and demographic characteristics influence Colombian women to utilize screening mammography (SMMG). Materials and methods: Data of women aged 40-49 years (n=12 345) and 50-69 years (n=14 771) from the Colombian national survey of demography and health 2010 was analyzed. Risk estimates (odds ratios, OR) of...

Objective. To explore which socioeconomic and demographic characteristics influence Colombian women to utilize screening mammography (SMMG).

Epidemiological studies on benign lesions related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are scarce in Latin America. We enrolled 342 consecutive patients with lesions suspected of being genital warts (GW). All patients underwent confirmatory biopsy and GP5+/GP6+/- Reverse Line Blot HPV testing on frozen tissue. In 261 (81%) cases, the diagnosis w...

Describir las barreras para la implementación de un programa de tamización para cáncer de cuello uterino basado en la prueba de virus del papiloma humano (VPH) en Colombia.

Objective: To identify the barriers for the implementation of a cervical cancer-screening program based on human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in Colombia. Methods: The Precede-Proceed model was applied in four municipalities of Cundinamarca and two of Boyacá. Secondary and primary data were analyzed from 74 institutional surveys, 18 focus groups (w...

Background Information on HPV knowledge in patients with genital warts is scarse as is the information on factors related to the impact on self-esteem and sex life among them. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of genital warts (GW) attending a major private out-patient clinic in Bogotá, Colomb...

Background: Cancer has become increasingly acknowledged as a public health issue in Colombia. Rates of the most common malignancies have been generally increasing. We update an evaluation of mortality trends in the major cancers in Colombia one decade ago, discussing the trends in the context of cancer control. Methods: We calculated the annual...

Describir las características del consumo de alcohol y las conductas de riesgo asociadas en jóvenes escolares de cinco ciudades de Colombia, como información base para el desarrollo de programas y la aplicación de distintas estrategias de intervención en este grupo poblacional.

Contar con información sobre aspectos clave de las prácticas de alimentación en adolescentes escolares quienes conforman un grupo poblacional de interés, por la posibilidad de intervenciones exitosas para el mejoramiento de la dieta y los hábitos alimentarios en el espacio escolar.