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Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Brazil, and its impact is expected to grow significantly in the coming decades. The COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating floods in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul in 2024 exposed vulnerabilities in cancer control across the country. Disruptions to health services, transport, infrastructure, and supplies, along with difficulties in sharing information and coordinating responses, threatened the continuity of cancer control, from prevention and early diagnosis to treatment and supportive care.
A national workshop held in Rio de Janeiro in December 2025 was co-organized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA). As part of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, INCA played a central role in engaging national stakeholders. The workshop brought together scientists from the IARC Initiative for Resilience in Cancer Control (IRCC), policy-makers, health professionals, researchers, and civil society representatives. The participants discussed practical ways to strengthen resilience in cancer control within the Brazilian Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde; SUS) and ensure that cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment can continue before, during, and after major crises. The authors’ recommendations were published in a Viewpoint, “Resilience in cancer control in times of crisis: a vision for action in Brazil”, in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.
Agreli HF, Rumgay H, Jatoba A, Nogueira-Rodrigues A, Baldotto C, Jardim BC, et al.
Resilience in cancer control in times of crisis: a vision for action in Brazil
Lancet Reg Health Am. Published online 12 October 2026;
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2026.101660
