Challenges and Opportunities for Cancer Clinical Trials Development in Latin America.

Abstract

Despite accounting for over 8% of the global population and bearing a growing cancer burden, Latin America (LATAM) contributes <2% of global oncology trial activity and scientific output. Beyond funding and operational challenges, the region continues to face a lack of sustained academic investment to build a research ecosystem that complements industry-led trials. Drawing on recent data and institutional experience, this review analyzes the current landscape of cancer clinical trials in LATAM, highlighting both structural challenges and emerging opportunities. We examine the region's dual reliance on industry-led studies and fragile academic ecosystems, and assess how regulatory asymmetries, uneven infrastructure, and limited access to biobanks, registries, and protected research time constrain investigator-led innovation. Yet, the region's high patient adherence, urban concentration, cost-efficiency, and growing cooperative research networks position it to play a more strategic role in global cancer research. We outline a series of actionable priorities, including the creation of a regional funding mechanism (Latin American Cancer Research for Equity Fund), regulatory convergence, and investments in workforce development and research equity that could reshape LATAM from a peripheral implementer into an active contributor and generator of contextually relevant oncology evidence.