Dr. Elba Etchebehere, a nuclear medicine physician, professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCM/Unicamp) and principal investigator at CEPID CancerThera, has been invited to join the editorial board of the scientific journal Seminars in Nuclear Medicine, one of the leading international journals focused on in-depth thematic reviews in the field of Nuclear Medicine.
“It is an honor to be part of the editorial board of a journal of such relevance,” celebrates the researcher.

The publication has wide indexing – including in databases such as PubMed/Medline, Thomson/ISI and Science Citation Index Expanded – and has shown significant growth: the journal’s CiteScore reached 12.0 in the most recent tracking, in 2025, and an impact factor of 5.9, in 2026. Each issue features expert reviews and commentaries on a single topic selected by the editors. The journal offers comprehensive coverage of the field, including PET, SPECT and other molecular imaging studies.

The new indices demonstrate the growing impact of Seminars in Nuclear Medicine, making it even more attractive: “The moment of expansion of the journal could not be more opportune. It has been demonstrating an increasingly greater impact, and recently receiving the news that our index reached 12.0 shows that the journal is significantly outperforming its performance of previous years,” says the new editor.

Latin America represented
Historically, Seminars in Nuclear Medicine has always had only two editors since its creation in 1971. However, starting this year, the board has been expanded to a total of eight members. In addition to the Brazilian Etchebehere, representing Latin America, the group now consists of editors-in-chief Mike Sathekge (South Africa; representing Africa) and Kirsten Bouchelouche (Denmark; Europe), along with Stefano Fanti (Italy; Europe), Ken Herrmann (Germany; Europe), Ora Israel (Israel; Asia), Grace Kong (Australia; Asia) and Francesco Giammarile (Italy; International Atomic Energy Agency).

Etchebehere emphasized this representation for the region: “Being part of this board increases the visibility of Latin American scientific production in a highly selective forum, allowing us to contribute directly to the curation of knowledge that guides clinical practice and research in our specialty, in our territory”.

^{Text: Romulo Santana Osthues}

The post Principal investigator at CEPID CancerThera, Elba Etchebehere joins the new editorial board of the scientific journal Seminars in Nuclear Medicine first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.

The event, held online, promoted a morning of immersion over one of the most promising areas of current oncology. To Ana Paula Morales, Master in Pharmacology, co-founder and director of Agência Bori, the adhesion of professionals highlights the relevance of the initiative: “The workshop showed how there is a real demand from journalists for qualified exchange spaces with researchers who are working on the frontier of knowledge. 29 participants and representatives of vehicles from all five regions of Brazil — including the national, regional and specialized press —, which reinforces the importance of expanding these connections”.

Vision of the future and social commitment

The opening was led by Dr. Carmino Antonio de Souza, onco-hematologist, professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the State University of Campinas (FCM/UNICAMP), principal researcher and director at CancerThera, who outlined a critical overview of the incidence and epidemiological challenges of cancer in Brazil. Subsequently, the Dr. Celso Dario Ramos, nuclear doctor, professor at FCM/UNICAMP and deputy director of the Center, explored the new development pathways of radiopharmaceuticals for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The panel was completed by Dr. Bárbara Juarez Amorim, nuclear doctor, coordinator of the Nuclear Medicine Service of the Hospital de Clínicas da Unicamp and associated researcher and manager for the dissemination of knowledge in Cancerthera, who detailed the concept of “theranostic” — the integration between diagnosis and therapy in the same nuclear medicine strategy. According to the researcher, this diffusion is an institutional priority: “Therapeutics is the center of the research we have developed, and it is still a little known term, often even within the academic environment. They are safe”, she says.

Amorim also highlights that the theatology is one of the pillars of precision medicine, acting as a targeted therapy capable of destroying tumor cells in an extremely accurate way, without affecting healthy tissues and organs around it, a technique that already presents consolidated results in cases such as prostate cancer and tumors neuroendocrine.

In Souza’s assessment, the event touched on a critical point in public health. “I believe that the first and most important message is that coping with cancer is the greatest challenge that humanity lives in the present and will live in the future. Longevity, combined with the lifestyle habits we adopt, are factors that will prevent the number of cases from decreasing, no matter what we do”, the researcher points out.

Science without mysteries

The initiative arose from the need to translate complex concepts, such as the role of radiopharmaceuticals — substances that are able to accurately diagnose and treat tumors. The approximation between communicators and scientists was also guided with the aim of demystifying the area, especially the stigma surrounding nuclear medicine. According to Ramos, the term usually causes strangeness or unjustified fear in the lay public. “Nuclear Medicine, although it draws attention, sometimes scares it for not making it clear what the specialty does. And what we do is study how molecules are distributed throughout the body”, he explains.

About unfounded fear in relation to radiation, Ramos is assertive: “Like any substance, in inadequate doses, it is harmful. However, in controlled and adequate doses, it is a powerful and essentially beneficial tool for the patient”.

The value of scientific literacy

In addition to the technical exhibition, the workshop also functioned as an open dialogue space and exchanges on the difficulties of daily science coverage. the Dr. Moura Leite Netto, journalist and director of Sensu Consultoria de Comunicação, an agency specializing in science, health and education, highlighted the value of the immersion provided by the event: “Although precision medicine is a topic present in the media, therapeutics is still little known outside specialized circles. CancerThera significantly expanded my view on the diversity of radioisotopes that have been studied, and it was an opportunity to deepen a highly promising topic that, in my assessment, still receives less attention from the press than it deserves”.

For the journalist, who has a long trajectory in covering topics related to health and science, this direct contact is an antidote against misinformation. “The routine of science journalism is dynamic, and professionals are not always able to dedicate themselves exclusively to the area. Initiatives like this contribute to high-quality professional updating, broaden one’s repertoire, and help contextualize findings that might otherwise often be misinterpreted”, he notes.

The success of the initiative reaffirms the importance of strengthening these relationships. After all, as Morales points out, “the direct contact between journalists and researchers makes it possible to deepen debates, clarify doubts and offer a more complete view on areas that are advancing rapidly”. 

_{Text: Xenya Bucchioni}

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Organized by CEPID CancerThera and the Professional Master’s Program in Oncology at FCM/Unicamp, the event brought together researchers and specialists to discuss how science can overcome ethical, methodological, and technological barriers to reach clinical practice. More than 120 participants attended. We interviewed some of its organizers and speakers about the key topics discussed during the event.

Science through the lens of rigor

The need to strengthen scientific integrity was one of the key points discussed during the seminar. In her lecture, clinical oncologist and CancerThera associate researcher Dr. Lígia Traldi Macedo raised an important concern by presenting the profile of “Oncovictor”: a professional who bases decisions on intuition.

“‘Oncovictor’ was created precisely to illustrate the importance of following a solid scientific methodology and the principles of good clinical practice, preventing emotion or intuition from overriding evidence. We live in an era in which information circulates rapidly, often without proper contextualization. In this scenario, methodological rigor becomes indispensable,” says Macedo, who is also a professor at FCM/Unicamp.

According to the researcher, everything begins in academic training, when future professionals learn that “methodology is not a bureaucratic stage of research, but the tool that ensures the reliability of results,” she explains. Following this reasoning, she emphasizes the central role of statistics, which, instead of being treated as an “isolated” analysis of results at the end of a project, should be a pillar from the study’s conception. “Statistics should be present from the formulation of the research question, through study design, sample size calculation, and definition of analytical methods, all the way to result interpretation,” she argues.

Far from being merely an academic requirement, methodological rigor is also one of the essential foundations for the viability of translational research. It is this structure that allows science to move safely from bench to bedside.

Translational practice: from docking to the patient

CancerThera works precisely on translating this theory into clinical practice. As explained by medical oncologist and hematologist Dr. Carmen Silvia Passos Lima, professor at FCM/Unicamp, principal investigator, and coordinator of the Innovation area at CancerThera, the workflow requires a multidisciplinary framework combining Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Medicine.

“We investigate numerous drugs with potential activity against tumors. We identify therapeutic targets through computational prediction and docking [molecular modeling to predict interactions between molecules], evaluate efficacy in vitro [in controlled experiments outside living organisms, such as cell cultures] and in vivo [in living biological models], and, once tolerable toxicity is confirmed, move forward to clinical studies,” explains Lima.

The researcher emphasizes that the success of this process depends on a collaborative network. “Professionals from different fields work in an integrated way: chemists and physicists synthesize drugs and radiopharmaceuticals with potential antitumor action, biologists, biochemists, and pharmacists evaluate efficacy and safety, and medical oncologists and dermatologists conduct clinical studies, all with rigorous statistical support, among others,” she explains.

To complete this translational cycle, connection with the market is essential. Therefore, CancerThera maintains a strategic collaboration with Unicamp’s Innovation Agency, which supports the intellectual protection of discoveries made at the center. According to the professor, this institutional support enables technology transfer to private pharmaceutical industries or the development of startups to complement discoveries with funding from public research agencies.

This integrative vision is shared by Dr. Maria Carolina Mendes, nutritionist, associate researcher, and postdoctoral fellow in Research Management – Innovation and Technology Transfer at CancerThera. For her, although the Brazilian ecosystem is still maturing, the research center has taken fundamental steps. “CEPID CancerThera was conceived with a distinctive proposal by integrating basic and clinical science researchers around a common objective: transforming scientific discoveries into solutions for Oncology. More than transferring technology at the end of research, we need to build a culture of innovation that accompanies the entire trajectory of scientific production,” says Mendes.

The horizon of innovation

For this culture of innovation to flourish, Mendes highlights that change must occur within academia itself. “Innovation is a process that must be incorporated from the project’s conception. There is still a perception that innovation management processes are bureaucratic and only occur after research is completed, when in reality they should be part of the scientific strategy from the beginning,” she points out.

The need for a strategic management vision goes hand in hand with the search for technological innovations that enable new experimental approaches. On this topic, Dr. Márcia Cominetti, biologist and full professor in the Department of Gerontology at the Federal University of São Carlos, highlights that “3D culture, for example, represents one of the most relevant advances in Translational Oncology in recent decades, as it reproduces the three-dimensional architecture of the tumor, with its oxygen and nutrient gradients and the presence of the tumor microenvironment, something that 2D culture cannot capture.” This improvement enhances drug screening and understanding of resistance mechanisms, reducing false positives.

More than a simple innovation, this approach exemplifies a fundamental principle of scientific practice: complementarity. As Cominetti points out, 3D culture adds to the repertoire of established tools, such as 2D and in vivo models, rather than replacing them. This perspective helps demystify the idea that innovation necessarily means discarding technical legacy.

In Translational Oncology, the adoption of new technologies actually acts as an additional layer of precision, refining existing knowledge without invalidating prior understanding.

This integrative vision is fundamental to reducing resistance to adopting new practices, allowing innovation to be seen as an ally. However, the full transition of an innovation into clinical routine is gradual and marked by barriers science is still working to overcome.

Regarding 3D culture, Cominetti highlights current challenges: “We are still far from the complete consolidation of these models. The most serious challenge is the absence of functional vasculature and immune system components, which limits prediction of responses to immunotherapies. In addition, the lack of standardization among laboratories and the high cost of advanced technologies such as tumor-on-a-chip [microfluidic device that mimics the environment, structure, and function of human tumors on chips] still restrict large-scale use.”

Beyond the bench: the challenge of entrepreneurship in healthcare

The seminar also sought to demystify the figure of the scientist-entrepreneur. According to Dr. Pedro Paulo Corbi, chemist, professor at Unicamp’s Institute of Chemistry, principal investigator, and Innovation area manager at CancerThera, the central objective is to bring research closer to real-world application.

“It is extremely important that developed products reach a high level of readiness, making it to the market and, fundamentally, to patients. We seek to encourage entrepreneurship among young scientists, creating opportunities to bring scientific products to those who need them,” he says.

This transition, however, requires a new mindset. For Dr. Luana Raposo, pharmacist specialized in Health Innovation Management at Butantan Institute and CEO of ImunoTera, researchers must redirect their focus.

“This is an important shift in perspective: moving from the question ‘what did I discover?’ to ‘what relevant problem am I solving?’ In this process, researchers begin dealing with aspects that are often not part of traditional academic training, such as market, strategy, intellectual property, regulation, and fundraising.”

Beyond strategic vision, overcoming regulatory obstacles in Brazil requires resilience, collaboration, persistence, and adaptability, according to Raposo.

“One important lesson is to consider regulatory aspects from the beginning of solution development, not only when the product is ready. Another key point is recognizing that partnership-building is essential,” she notes, emphasizing that in healthcare, no one advances alone.

“Universities, hospitals, research centers, and investors must play complementary roles to accelerate innovation,” she reinforces.

Event organizers: Carmen Silvia Passos Lima; Pedro Paulo Corbi; and Maria Carolina Mendes.

_{Text: Xenya Bucchioni | Photos: Romulo Santana Osthues} 

The post From scientific rigor to clinical impact: the pathways of innovation at the 2nd CancerThera Seminar first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.

A major highlight for the delegation was the award received by Dr. Celso Dario Ramos, nuclear medicine physician, professor at the School of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCM/Unicamp), and principal investigator at CancerThera. Conducted and presented by him at the event, the study “Whole-body ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT Reveals More Extensive Multiorgan Disease than Conventional Staging in Paracoccidioidomycosis” won the award for Best International Abstract.

The study is innovative in its use of whole-body PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography combined with Computed Tomography) with the radiopharmaceutical ¹⁸F-FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose labeled with Fluorine-18) to assess the extent of paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic infectious fungal disease endemic to South America. “It is understudied and considered a neglected disease,” says Ramos.

He explains that while efforts are being made to develop new drugs, investment in diagnosis remains limited, as conventional methods do not reveal the true severity of the disease. He also points to what may have attracted the attention of the judging committee: “We were able to detect the actual extent of the disease, identifying sites of involvement that, at the frequency we observed, had previously only been seen in autopsy studies.”

In addition to the study on the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis, Ramos also presented CancerThera’s advances in oncology, showcasing an investigation comparing the uptake of the radiopharmaceuticals ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA (Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen labeled with Lutetium-177) in lung cancer. “We found that PSMA uptake occurs in many lung cancer cases, but it tends to differ between two histological subtypes,” he explains. According to the researcher, pulmonary adenocarcinoma shows more intense uptake than squamous cell carcinoma, a finding not previously reported in the medical literature. The study was entitled “Intraindividual Comparison of ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-PSMA PET/CT in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer.”

Global Leadership of Brazilian Nuclear Medicine

The institutional landscape of Nuclear Medicine was represented by Dr. Elba Etchebehere, nuclear medicine physician, professor at FCM/Unicamp, principal investigator at CancerThera, and president of the Brazilian Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SBMN). She was featured in strategic global sessions, including one organized by the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB).

Her participation coincided with Brazil’s growing leadership within the WFNMB, reflected in the efforts led by Etchebehere through the SBMN to bring the Federation’s World Congress to Rio de Janeiro in 2030 and to secure Brazil’s representation on the organization’s governing board for the next four years.

Co-authored with Drs. John O. Prior, Hedi Hricak, Zachary J. Ward, Giovani G. Cerri, and Andrew M. Scott, her presentation was entitled “Brazilian Nuclear Medicine in the Context of the Historic Resolution of the World Health Organization – WHA 78.13: Strengthening Medical Imaging,” highlighting the country’s commitment and alignment with the new WHO guidelines for expanding medical imaging capacity.

Etchebehere emphasized the value of international exchange: “We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in the meeting and to share the Brazilian perspective in an environment of global dialogue, contributing to initiatives that advance Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging for the benefit of patients.”

Innovative Approach in Rare Tumors

Dr. Ellen Nogueira Lima, a biologist and postdoctoral researcher affiliated with CancerThera under the supervision of Etchebehere, presented the study “Neoadjuvant Theranostics in a Patient with a Desmoid Tumor: A Case Report,” exploring the application of the theranostic model in desmoid tumors—a rare type of benign connective tissue tumor (such as those arising from muscles and tendons) that is nevertheless highly aggressive locally and infiltrative, often invading adjacent tissues and significantly affecting patients’ quality of life.

“Furthermore, because these tumors are rare and composed of different cell types, structures, and morphological characteristics, they often represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Currently, there are still few studies evaluating theranostic approaches in this tumor type,” explains Lima. According to the researcher, the proposed approach was motivated by the possibility of offering a less invasive therapeutic alternative while preserving the function of the affected limb.

Highlighting the importance of participating in an event of the magnitude of the SNMMI Annual Meeting, she shared her enthusiasm regarding the reception of the study: “It was an extremely enriching experience, both scientifically and professionally. I had the opportunity to meet and speak with leading experts in the field, opening possibilities for future international collaborations.”

For Lima, the experience also validated the research lines being pursued at the center. “It became clear how innovative and still underexplored internationally the CancerThera approach is, particularly in investigating PSMA as a potential theranostic target in different tumor types beyond prostate cancer,” she concludes.

^{Text: Romulo Santana Osthues | Photos: Personal archive}

The post Researchers from CEPID CancerThera Participate in the SNMMI Annual Meeting in the United States; Presented Study Receives Best International Abstract Award first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.

At an Extraordinary General Assembly held on June 10, onco-hematologist Dr. Carmino Antonio de Souza was elected a Full Member of the São Paulo Academy of Medicine. A professor at the School of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCM/Unicamp) and a principal investigator at CancerThera, a CEPID supported by FAPESP, Souza was elected on his first candidacy, taking Chair No. 52. “It is an immense joy, an honor, and a great responsibility to be elected by my peers to occupy a chair that will forever be associated with my name,” he said. His induction ceremony is scheduled for October 7.

“This chair was previously occupied by three colleagues, one of whom was particularly close to me: Professor Pinotti. An incredible coincidence,” noted the newly elected member. The seat previously belonged to Dr. José Aristódemo Pinotti (1934–2009), a gynecologist and obstetrician specializing in gynecological and breast cancers. Pinotti served as a professor at FCM/Unicamp and rector of the university, in addition to holding prominent public positions, including Secretary of Education and Secretary of Health for the State of São Paulo, as well as Federal Congressman.

The patron of the chair was Dr. Raul Carlos Briquet (1887–1953), a distinguished obstetrician and full professor at the University of São Paulo. In addition to establishing a school of obstetrics in the State of São Paulo and promoting nursing education, he played a pioneering role in Brazil by introducing higher education in Social Psychology. Dr. Enio Buffolo (1941–2025), another former occupant of the chair mentioned by Souza, was a renowned cardiovascular surgeon trained at the Paulista School of Medicine and an international pioneer of off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. Throughout his career, he operated on approximately 35,000 patients.

Reflecting on the institution he now joins, Souza emphasized the excellence and diversity of its members: “This is an institution that brings together physicians from all specialties, from many institutions, and nearly all of them have distinguished careers in education, science, or medicine itself.” Referring to the institution’s pillars—“ethics, knowledge, and respect”—he also expressed his commitment to active participation: “I intend to contribute as actively as possible to further strengthen both this recognition and the institution itself.”

Recognition of a Distinguished Professional Career

With more than five decades of professional experience, Carmino Antonio de Souza combines medical practice, scientific research, and public administration. “I dedicated my life to two of the most important fields within medicine, one of which was hematology, hemotherapy, and cellular therapy,” he explained. At Unicamp, his work was instrumental in advancing these specialties. “I am extremely proud to have been one of the founders of the Unicamp Blood Center and one of the creators of the Blood Network established by the Government of the State of São Paulo and later expanded nationwide,” he said. He was also responsible for conceiving the university’s bone marrow transplantation unit, noting that the service remains “fully operational and continuously active since its creation.”

Within professional associations, the researcher held leadership positions for many years. Recalling the merger process that led to the creation of the current Brazilian Association of Hematology, Hemotherapy and Cellular Therapy (ABHH), he described his involvement with the organization, where he served as the first elected president for a four-year term and as scientific director for more than six years. His engagement also extended to the Federal and Regional Medical Councils and the Brazilian Medical Association.

Internationally, Souza is an active member of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and the European Hematology Association (EHA), and he is one of the founders of the Italian-Brazilian Hematology Association (AIBE).

In addition to his academic and professional association activities, in October 2024 he was appointed by Governor Tarcísio de Freitas as Vice President of the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for a three-year term. He currently also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Butantan Foundation.

The second major dimension of the new academician’s career developed in state and municipal health administration, a path shaped, in his words, “by the circumstances that life presents.” Souza served as São Paulo State Secretary of Health from 1993 to 1994 and as Municipal Secretary of Health of Campinas from 2013 to 2020. Speaking about his years dedicated to Campinas, he expressed particular affection for the city, describing it as “the city I chose to live in, the city where I raised my children and where my grandchildren live.”

In 2022, the physician shared the leadership of the Extraordinary Secretariat for Science, Technology, and Innovation in Health of the State of São Paulo. According to official records, the department was created by then-Governor Rodrigo Garcia with the mission of “understanding and planning the post-pandemic future of the health industry.”

Reflecting on his governmental experience, the specialist maintains a constructive perspective on the challenges he faced. “This work in public administration, which was somewhat accidental, was extremely important in helping me develop tremendous professional and personal maturity.” According to him, the daily interactions and coordination required at the highest levels of government expanded his network within the state’s scientific community, a factor that indirectly contributed to his recent election to the Academy. “I became acquainted with many academicians whom I met during the election process for this honorable position at the São Paulo Academy of Medicine,” he concluded.

^{Text: Romulo Santana Osthues | Photos: Personal archive and São Paulo Academy of Medicine}

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Amid PET bottle rockets, live animals, and meteorite samples, CancerThera RIDC participated for the second consecutive year with the challenge of simplifying and demystifying the use of nuclear technology in healthcare, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer using radiopharmaceuticals.

The event’s growth each year highlights its impact on the local community. Ma. Mariana Martins Volpato Mariutti, pedagogue and educational supervisor at SME/Campinas, positively evaluated the three-day immersion experience for allowing children to connect with the university, stating that the experience helps to “plant the seed of the importance of scientific knowledge.” She added: “Viva Ciência is pure life. There are so many students exploring scientific questions, establishing connections with knowledge and with everyday life.”

This integration is equally celebrated by the university. Dr. Guilherme Oliveira Barbosa, biologist, professor at the Institute of Biology at Unicamp, and deputy coordinator of MEC/Unicamp, emphasized the social value of opening the institution’s doors so students can recognize the university as more than just the place where the Clinical Hospital is located — a facility widely visited by the city’s population because of the healthcare services it provides. “It is a place of education, a place of research, a place they can be part of,” says the professor.

Science to touch and feel

The CancerThera booth, entitled “Theranostics: the good side of radiation in cancer diagnosis and treatment,” was organized into six interactive stations, creating a circuit that introduced concepts ranging from the lipid bilayer of cells and the radiopharmaceutical development process to the natural presence of radiation in monazite sands (such as those found on the beaches of Guarapari, Espírito Santo) and bananas.

For those who accompany students in their daily routine, the hands-on nature of the activities made all the difference. Claudia Souza de Melo, pedagogy student and caregiver at Escola Municipal Padre Domingos Zatti, highlighted this aspect: “I thought it was wonderful because of the playful approach, having everything there to touch and feel… and the professionals explaining each experiment to the students.” She said that before visiting the booth, she had little knowledge about the topic and radiopharmaceuticals, associating the use of radiation only with radiotherapy treatments.

The challenge and joy of communicating science

Bringing young audiences closer to complex concepts was made possible by the dedication of the center’s researchers, who adapted academic language to the knowledge level of sixth-grade students. Laura Barros Silva, chemist and PhD candidate at the Institute of Chemistry at Unicamp (IQ/Unicamp), worked as a mediator at CancerThera and highlighted this dynamic: “It was challenging to translate our laboratory routine into a format children could understand,” enabling students to relate the activities to topics already familiar to them.

The response to this effort was contagious. Giovana Camargo Ribeiro, undergraduate chemistry student at IQ/Unicamp and CancerThera mediator, described the experience as “sensational” because it allowed her to broaden the scientific world of the children visiting the booth. “I love seeing the sparkle in their eyes when talking about science, discovering something new from what we research,” she says.

In this process of exchange, researchers themselves are transformed. Ma. Ana Carolini Cavallieri Zatta, biologist and PhD candidate at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Unicamp, emphasized the importance of her role as a mediator: “Every student who visits our booth brings new learning experiences. It is very intense to know that we can contribute to their education.”

Inspiring future scientists

CancerThera’s activities not only demonstrated how medicines work but also highlighted the scientific investigation process involved before approval — including basic, preclinical, and clinical studies. Richard Silva de Sousa, nutritionist, master’s student at the School of Medical Sciences at Unicamp, and booth mediator, focused on sharing his daily experience. “What impacts me most is being able to contribute with my experience, my practice in clinical research, and how we carry things out step by step.” He also emphasized the desire to inspire future researchers to “do science within SUS [Brazil’s Unified Health System].”

This scientific outreach effort strengthens the development of a more critical and well-informed society. “It is very interesting to see how interested the students are — attentive looks, shining eyes, asking questions, raising intelligent doubts — and that is beautiful,” says Dr. Bárbara Juarez Amorim, nuclear physician and executive manager of the Knowledge Dissemination area at CancerThera. In addition to highlighting the students’ enthusiastic participation, she described direct benefits of this dialogue experience: “This also helps prevent fake news. These are young people who will understand the importance of seeking accurate and truthful information, while also encouraging them to pursue their own paths as scientists.”

_{Text and photos: Romulo Santana Osthues} 

The post CEPID CancerThera brings Campinas public school students closer to cancer research at Viva Ciência 2026 first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.

Dr. Elba Etchebehere, nuclear medicine physician and principal investigator at CEPID CancerThera, has just been appointed as a member of the International Advisory Board of The Lancet Medical Imaging & Theranostics, the newest open-access scientific journal from the The Lancet.

The journal, launched in February 2026, will publish its first issue in August 2026 and will focus on innovative, high clinical-impact research in modalities such as Nuclear Medicine (including PET/CT, SPECT/CT, and Theranostics) and Radiology (including magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, computed tomography, among others).

For the specialist, who is also a professor at the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Unicamp (FCM/Unicamp) and president of the Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Nuclear e Imagem Molecular (SBMN), the appointment is both significant recognition and an opportunity for global impact. “I am honored to receive this invitation,” celebrates Etchebehere.

The role of the new advisor

The journal’s main purpose is to publish novel imaging applications for disease screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment across all medical specialties. Highlighting the importance of creating a scientific publication exclusively focused on these continuous advances, the researcher emphasized the relevance of the journal: “The launch of a high-level journal with this scope by The Lancet group is a landmark for our field; Theranostics and advanced medical imaging are revolutionizing personalized medicine, and having a space dedicated exclusively to high-quality research will certainly accelerate the integration of new technologies into clinical practice.”

Etchebehere will advise the editorial team, led by Editor-in-Chief Ali Landman, on the latest developments and trends in the specialty. Board members will also serve as global ambassadors for the journal, assisting in the recommendation of reviewers, providing feedback on the journal’s development, and mapping major clinical trials and research initiatives worldwide.

The researcher’s presence in the group strengthens the position of leading Brazilian institutions within the international scientific landscape. In this regard, the physician emphasized the collaborative nature of the new publication: “This initiative will bring together international experts around scientific and clinical discussions on the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of diseases across different medical specialties. I am grateful for the trust placed in me and for the opportunity to contribute to this important international project, while also representing FCM/Unicamp and SBMN.”

^{Text: Romulo Santana Osthues}

The post Principal investigator at CEPID CancerThera, Elba Etchebehere joins the advisory board of a new journal from The Lancet group first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.

Campinas has a Human Development Index (HDI) considered very high (0.805) and an urbanization rate of 98.28%, figures often comparable to those of high-income countries. However, a detailed epidemiological survey conducted by researchers from the Center for Theranostic Innovation in Cancer (CancerThera), based at the Hematology and Hemotherapy Center of the State University of Campinas (Hemocentro/Unicamp), reveals a concerning reality: social vulnerability in the municipality is a determining factor for cancer mortality.

Currently, according to the latest demographic census, Campinas is home to more than 1.186 million inhabitants. Using data from the Population-Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) of Campinas — one of the few in the country audited and certified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an entity linked to the World Health Organization (WHO) — researchers mapped disparities in diagnosis and lethality of the most common tumors among residents: prostate, stomach, breast, lung, oral cavity, cervical, and colorectal cancers.

The study analyzed consolidated data from 10 consecutive years (2010 to 2019), crossing information from the PBCR with the Mortality Information System (SIM) of the Federal Government and the São Paulo Social Vulnerability Index (IPVS), maintained by the State Government, to assess cancer incidence and mortality, shedding light on how the disease unequally affects rich and poor populations within the same municipality.

For statistical purposes, the Relative Index of Inequality (RII) was used, which quantifies the magnitude of health inequalities by ordering social strata from lower to higher socioeconomic vulnerability based on the cumulative population distribution. In the study, the RII was applied to evaluate disparities in cancer incidence and mortality across different cancer types in Campinas over two time periods (2010–2014 and 2015–2019). In addition to measuring inequality in each period separately, researchers used the RII linked to a temporal interaction term to assess whether inequity in access to cancer diagnosis and treatment worsened, decreased, or remained stable over the analyzed decade.

Dr. Carmino Antonio de Souza, onco-hematologist physician, professor at the School of Medical Sciences of Unicamp, and principal investigator of CancerThera, highlights one of the main paradoxes revealed by the study. “The city as a whole is powerful, with one of the highest HDIs in Brazil, but it is not homogeneous. You have areas with ideal HDI, comparable to Scandinavian countries, for example, but there are regions with numerous vulnerabilities,” evaluates the researcher, who also served as Campinas Health Secretary from 2013 to 2020.

The article resulting from the study has just been published in the scientific journal Cancer Epidemiology (volume 103) under the title “The impact of social inequalities on cancer incidence and mortality in a Brazilian city: data from the Population-Based Cancer Registry.”

Differences among cancer types and population inequalities

When applying the lens of socioeconomic inequality, the study found drastic and even increasing differences. One of the most paradoxical findings is that the overall incidence of cancer (the sum of all diagnoses) is statistically lower among the most vulnerable populations. However, overall mortality is significantly higher in these same groups. According to the researchers, this demonstrates a serious problem of underdiagnosis: poorer people are not getting sick less often; they simply do not have access to tests to detect the disease, which explains why they die more and faster when they finally reach the healthcare system.

In the case of prostate cancer, although incidence (new cases) modestly declined among the male population of Campinas, mortality inequality increased significantly: the risk of death became three times higher among the most vulnerable (poorest) men in the period from 2015 to 2019 when compared to the previous five years. Some explanations lie in sociocultural barriers such as lower educational levels, lower health literacy, and prejudices related to digital rectal examination, which contribute to delayed healthcare seeking, usually only when symptoms are already severe.

Dr. Andrea Paula Bruno von Zuben, epidemiologist and associated researcher at CancerThera, reinforces that this fact is due to profound structural variations. “Men in situations of greater vulnerability depend almost exclusively on the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), where they face longer waiting times for specialized consultations, diagnostic exams such as Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA), biopsy and MRI, and for the beginning of treatment,” she explains.

She adds: “As a consequence, a large proportion of these patients receive diagnosis at more advanced stages of the disease, which reduces the chances of cure and clinical control.” Men with lower social vulnerability, on the other hand, have faster access to urologists, undergo earlier diagnosis, and begin treatment in a timely manner, substantially increasing survival chances.

Another relevant finding concerns oral cavity cancer, whose mortality inequality also remained consistently higher, with the risk of death reaching 3.3 times higher among the poorest populations. According to Zuben, failures in local primary care may be influencing the problem. “The proportion of oral health teams within SUS is below ideal for the population size, with focus still heavily centered on curative procedures, such as restorations and extractions, to the detriment of systematic screening and active search actions,” warns the researcher, also emphasizing that simple mouth lesions may evolve into fatal cases due to delayed access to biopsies and head and neck surgeries.

Regarding stomach cancer, although Campinas follows the national trend of overall decline in incidence and mortality among men, the study reveals that the disease still affects poorer populations more intensely. Data show that socially vulnerable men continue to present the highest rates of illness and death due to barriers in access to early diagnosis and greater exposure to risk factors such as genetic factors, excessive salt consumption, foods stored outside refrigeration, and finally the Helicobacter pylori bacterium, associated with several types of gastric tumors.

The scenario is worse among women, who experienced the emergence of a new disparity: while at the beginning of the previous decade incidence affected different social groups similarly (without inequality), between 2015 and 2019 stomach cancer began to affect low-income women more intensely. For researchers, the worsening of this disparity highlights the urgent need for public health policies focused on equity to ensure that the general decline in numbers does not mask disease progression in peripheral areas.

The CancerThera study also elucidates overall averages when analyzing women’s health, revealing an abyss between social classes. Breast cancer, for example, presents higher incidence among less vulnerable women (the wealthiest), but this is a consequence of reproductive factors (such as having children later or not having children, as well as fewer pregnancies) and greater access to preventive exams (such as mammography and ultrasound). Mortality also follows this group due to the high incidence of the disease; however, rapid access to healthcare networks allows higher cure rates, unlike women in vulnerable areas, who frequently discover the disease at advanced stages.

At the other extreme, cervical cancer — a highly preventable disease through vaccination against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) — has almost disappeared as a cause of death in wealthy areas of Campinas, but remains significant in the municipality’s more vulnerable regions, where it is 3.6 times higher. “When you observe cervical cancer in the city as a whole, it disappears from the top 10 causes of cancer death, but when you go to a more vulnerable region, it is still present,” exemplifies the researcher.

Another important warning for public managers brought by the study is the increase in incidence and mortality from lung cancer among women. Unlike what occurred in the past, deaths of women from lung tumors showed a strong upward trend, reflecting delayed consequences of changing habits, such as increased smoking among women. “This pattern is consistent with what worldwide epidemiological literature documents regarding the gender transition in smoking,” evaluates Andrea von Zuben.

The researcher says that although Campinas has important resources and initiatives to address lung cancer, the city faces structural challenges such as pressure on the public healthcare network: “Recent reports demonstrate increased oncology care demand and waiting lists to begin treatment, highlighting the need for more installed capacity and agility in diagnosis and treatment, especially for vulnerable groups.”

Colorectal cancer (or bowel cancer) faces difficulties related to offering complex exams such as colonoscopy on a large scale within SUS. The study identified a transition period: inequality in incidence of this disease, which was previously much more common among wealthier populations, is decreasing among different social classes in the city. However, a concerning finding was registered among men: overall mortality from the disease increased and inequality underwent inversion, indicating that deaths from bowel cancer are beginning to concentrate among the most vulnerable male population. Colorectal cancer, strongly associated with consumption of ultra-processed foods, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle, may become one of the leading causes of preventable death among poorer populations in coming years.

Deep research to support public policies

The national situation of diagnoses at advanced stages is still seen as a bottleneck. “It is embarrassing. We have a volume of advanced case diagnoses that is not compatible with the level of development we have. And then, of course, if diagnosis is late, prognosis is worse,” laments Carmino de Souza, reinforcing that robust local data are the main tool to reverse this context.

Since 2017, a municipal law (Law No. 15,371/2017) has made cancer a compulsory notification disease in Campinas. Today, a technical team from the Municipal Health Department actively monitors dozens of pathology laboratories, ensuring that no diagnosis goes unnoticed, regardless of whether the patient is treated within SUS or the private network.

The objective of the study authors, by disseminating and interpreting PBCR, SIM, and IPVS data, is to support local and state public health management in confronting inequities. For them, the systematic use of geographic and high-quality information is the main strategy to direct screening, strengthen primary care, anticipate diagnoses, and effectively save lives through adequate treatment.

Historically, the Campinas PBCR itself has already served to alter screening policies in the city: after noticing a high rate of aggressive breast cancer cases among younger women, the municipality anticipated the age for mammography before federal recommendation. “Public policy in cancer is not about reducing the number of cases, because it will not decrease. Public policy is about making more and more diagnoses and trying to prevent disease progression,” argues the researcher.

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To understand inequalities, researchers did not analyze the city as a single block; they used the service map of all UBS units in the municipality and calculated a social “score” for each one based on socioeconomic data from the State of São Paulo. The map above summarizes this data crossing by dividing the territory into three major zones: SVS1 (Light Areas) – Neighborhoods and regions with the lowest social vulnerability (wealthier populations); SVS2 (Intermediate Areas) – Transition regions; SVS3 (Dark Areas) – Peripheral regions with the highest social vulnerability (poorer populations).

The overlap of cancer cases on the map allowed researchers to understand that where a person lives and their social condition interfere with their access to diagnosis and their chances of surviving cancer in Campinas.

Clarification note: The study in question is limited to epidemiological analyses and did not directly investigate the causal determinants of the findings. Therefore, the interpretations presented are based on accumulated knowledge from the scientific literature in cancer epidemiology, which may not fully reflect the specificities of the local context of Campinas.

Authors of the study:

Dr. Andrea Paula Bruno von Zuben — Epidemiologist, information coordinator at Mário Gatti Municipal Hospital (Campinas, São Paulo), and associated researcher at CEPID CancerThera.
Dr. Maria do Carmo Ferreira — Postdoctoral researcher in the Research and Teaching Projects Program of the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Marilisa Berti de Azevedo Barros — Full Professor of Epidemiology at FCM/Unicamp.
Ms. Juliana Nativo — Coordinator of the Population-Based Cancer Registry at the Health Surveillance Department.
Dr. M. Elvira P. Correa — Postdoctoral researcher in Executive Research Management at CEPID CancerThera, at Hemocentro/Unicamp.
Dr. Carmino Antônio de Souza — Full Professor of Hematology at FCM/Unicamp and principal investigator of CEPID CancerThera at Hemocentro/Unicamp.

^{Text: Romulo Santana Osthues}

The post Study by CEPID CancerThera reveals that social vulnerability interferes with the prognosis of cancer patients in Campinas first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.

In recent years, the way Oncology classifies the severity of a cancer has gained a new resource thanks to the development of computer programs with Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied to the medical field.

A recent study, for example, conducted by researchers at the University of Campinas (Unicamp), demonstrated that the automated analysis of body composition of patients with gastric (or stomach) cancer is capable of accurately predicting mortality risks when specific characteristics of muscles and fats are measured through Computed Tomography (CT) scans.

The study was published in the scientific journal Informatics in Medicine Unlocked (volume 52, 2025) under the title Improving resectable gastric cancer prognosis prediction: A machine learning analysis combining clinical features and body composition radiomics, being conducted by researchers from the Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics (IFGW) and the School of Medical Sciences (FCM) at Unicamp – including those from CEPID CancerThera.

What the standard staging system does not see

Staging (or performing staging) is the medical process of assessing the severity and extent of a cancer in the patient’s body in order to try to predict how the disease will evolve and help healthcare professionals define the best treatment.

Historically, Oncology relies on a staging system known as TNM to predict clinical outcomes. The acronym refers to Tumor (size and extent of the main tumor), Node (indicating whether cancer has reached the lymph nodes), and Metastasis (indicating whether the disease has spread to other organs).

Because it does not evaluate body composition, TNM alone cannot capture the full diversity of ways cancer manifests, which may result in patients classified at the same stage of the disease (such as Stages II or III) presenting very different disease progressions and survival times. This lack of precision can lead to situations in which severity is underestimated by the TNM system or, conversely, may cause overtreatment in patients who would be low risk.

The algorithm cross-referenced body composition with clinical data and identified that patients in Stage II (theoretically less severe), but who had a body classified by AI as “high risk,” had a life expectancy identical to that of patients in Stage III. “This is potentially disruptive because it explains a classic limitation of Oncology: patients at the same stage have very different outcomes,” notes the physician. “In other words, there is relevant biological heterogeneity that TNM alone does not capture,” he adds.

Body mass and disease progression

When body structures are analyzed with precision (through tomography and radiomics), indirect signs of important processes can be identified. The study revealed that the extremes of density (the 10th and 90th percentiles) of muscle and visceral fat were the strongest predictors of survival. Patients with abnormally high radiodensity in visceral fat showed greater weight loss, lower Body Mass Index, and consequently saw their median survival time drop by half.

The changes observed by healthcare professionals function as a snapshot of serious processes, such as chronic inflammation (which may favor tumor growth) and cachexia (a syndrome of extreme weight and muscle loss that debilitates the patient and reduces their ability to tolerate chemotherapy). “Although the cancer is in the stomach, it is not an isolated disease – it interacts with the entire organism. Muscles and fats are metabolically active tissues and reflect the body’s ‘internal state’,” details José Barreto.

The researcher summarizes the biological dynamics of the disease: “The tumor is the problem, but the state of the body defines how much the patient can respond to it. AI simply helps us measure this with much greater precision than was previously possible.”

A leap in scale and the role of AI

Until recently, performing this tissue segmentation analysis image by image was an exhaustive, time-consuming, and strictly manual task. With the new AI program, the operational bottleneck no longer exists. “In fact, the algorithm allows body composition analysis to be carried out on a large scale,” highlights physicist Gianni Shigeru Setoue Liveraro, PhD candidate at IFGW/Unicamp and lead author of the study published in Informatics in Medicine Unlocked.

“In the medical context, AI has been used mainly as a tool: it performs specific and well-defined tasks but does not make decisions about what should be done. Decisions continue to be made by qualified professionals,” clarifies the researcher. In Liveraro’s view, the goal of the developed program is to optimize clinical routine: “The results should be more accurate diagnoses and more effective treatments, leading to a better quality of life for patients.”

Despite the promising results, the scientists involved in the development of the computer program used for segmentation and its medical application remain methodologically cautious. The program, which has already been registered with the support of the Innovation Agency Inova Unicamp, will still need to be tested in other prospective clinical studies and across multiple healthcare centers.

Currently, the data provided by the program should only be used to classify the risk level of each patient with stomach cancer, helping to predict who is more likely to experience complications. At this stage, the technology does not serve to determine direct changes in the main oncological treatment – such as altering chemotherapy doses or indicating different surgeries.

Gastric cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute (Inca), is the third leading cause of death from malignant tumors worldwide, and even after modern treatments, it shows high recurrence rates.

In daily hospital practice, considering that the recurrence rate in gastric cancer is high and early detection remains a challenge, the program can function as an important warning signal, indicating which patients are physically more fragile and therefore require rigorous and frequent monitoring. Based on this alert, the healthcare team can act preventively in areas that are fundamental for survival but are often secondary in traditional treatment.

This includes offering immediate nutritional support, attempting to curb excessive muscle mass loss, and controlling systemic inflammation in patients identified as more vulnerable. Only through future studies will healthcare teams be able to determine whether adjusting medications based on these data will help increase patients’ survival time.

“We still do not know whether changing management based on this type of model improves survival. This is precisely the question that needs to be answered in prospective studies. There is even a bidirectional scenario to be tested – both intensifying treatment in patients ‘underestimated’ by TNM and avoiding overtreatment in low-risk patients,” explains oncologist José Barreto.

Inside the program: how AI sees the patient’s body

The major strength of the computer program used is a mathematical model based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) focused on automated reading of Computed Tomography (CT) scans. The main innovation of the tool lies in its level of detail when analyzing muscle and adipose tissues.

While generic algorithms usually identify larger organs, the program developed at Unicamp (with U-Net and ResNet18 models) is able to map, from the CT image at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3), and meticulously isolate the patient’s muscles and fat into three distinct categories: subcutaneous (located just below the skin), visceral (accumulated between the organs), and intramuscular (interspersed within muscle fibers). The program creates a mask on the image, separating these tissue types and coloring each one differently – the original images are generated in grayscale by the CT scanner.

The program’s success was achieved by incorporating hospital experience directly into the programming. The AI learned to read the images by adopting the clinical reasoning of physicians and nutritionists. “We brought 10 years of the medical team’s experience into the code architecture,” explains Dr. Jun Takahashi, nuclear physicist, full professor at IFGW/Unicamp, associated researcher at CancerThera, and responsible for the team that developed the program.

The technology solved a major bottleneck in radiomics research: time. Tissue mapping, which previously required 30 minutes to one hour of meticulous manual work by the medical team, is now completed “in less than a minute,” highlights the physicist. In addition to speed, which eliminates variations caused by natural human fatigue and enables research with large data volumes, there is a gain in precision and uniformity in the process, which is very important for scientific practices. With the ability to generate instant reports of body composition, the tool paves the way for highly personalized interventions.

At this link, you can learn the details of the development and operation of the program.

^{Text e photo: Romulo Santana Osthues}

The post Stomach cancer: study by researchers from CEPID CancerThera shows how the severity of the disease can be assessed based on a computer program developed with AI first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.

CEPID CancerThera marked its presence with outstanding performance on several fronts, engaging in organization, fostering partnerships through its own booth, and presenting and evaluating scientific works. The event was promoted by: Brazilian Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SBMN), European Commission, Edwaldo Camargo Teaching and Research Institute (IEPEC), Nuclear Medicine Group – Diagnosis and Therapy (MND Group), and Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRI).

Patient-focused purpose and global connections

Dr. Elba Etchebehere, nuclear physician, professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCM/Unicamp), principal investigator at CancerThera and member of the organizing committee, highlighted the power of synergy among specialties. “The convergence between studies in alpha and beta therapies in the same event opens space for a rich exchange among professionals from different parts of the world,” she stated. She also recalled the message of her opening speech, focused on the true target of the science shared by the event participants: “we were all, collectively, present with a single final purpose: the patient.”

A nuclear physician, associated researcher at CancerThera and member of the organizing committee, Dr. Bárbara Juarez Amorim reinforced the atmosphere of success of the meeting. “I define the experience at the event with one word: spectacular!”, she celebrated. According to her, the dimension of the symposium exceeded expectations: “It was wonderful to see a large number of leading speakers present and the pride of seeing Theranostics growing so much in Brazil.”

With the aim of strengthening relationships with the global scientific community and the market, CancerThera had an exclusive booth for visitation. Responsible for production and reception at the space, Dr. Maria Elvira Pizzigatti Correa, dentist and postdoctoral researcher in Executive Research Management linked to the center, provided an overview of interactions throughout the days of the congress.

“We had excellent receptivity from everyone. We established many valuable contacts with companies and researchers, both nationally and internationally,” reports Correa. The researcher noted that the audience of the event, which included many foreign professionals, was reflected in the booth traffic. “There was genuine interest in learning about the research developed by CancerThera, which shows the value of our work in an environment focused on scientific exchange with world-renowned leaders,” she says.

Academic production and scientific evaluation

In the scientific axis, there was also participation in essential debates at the event. Dr. Luciana Malavolta Quaglio, radiochemist, professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Santa Casa de São Paulo and principal investigator at CancerThera, highlighted the high level of internationalization of the symposium, noting that “half of the participants were foreigners.” She emphasized that participants brought advances and innovations in preclinical studies, translational applications and clinical practices to the debate, as well as addressing dosimetry, quality assurance and radiopharmaceutical production using alpha-emitting radionuclides.

Malavolta, who presented two works focused on the use of apigenin (titled Apigenin: perspectives in Nuclear Medicine) and on peptide radiolabeling strategies (Radiolabeling Strategies for Peptides Targeting αvβ3 Integrin and EGFR using β-emitting Radionuclides), saw strong alignment with the research center: “There is total convergence between what was addressed at the event and CancerThera, and it was, without a doubt, an opportunity for exchange of experiences and potential collaborations.”

This practical link between the laboratory bench and the clinic was also evidenced by chemist and PhD candidate Aline Morais de Souza, who presented the ePoster of the work mentioned above on strategies for peptides targeting αVβ3 integrins and EGFR. “The discussions, in general, brought an important perspective on the challenges between laboratory research and production with clinical potential, considering regulatory requirements, reproducibility and quality control,” explained the researcher, who is advised by Malavolta and is a fellow at CancerThera. She also argued that the event consolidated the perception that “basic research needs to be aligned with clinical need/application and with the real demands of the healthcare field, which further reinforces the relevance of the work developed within the research center.”

Doctoral candidates Thiago Soares Rocha Alves (Theranostic in metastatic melanoma) and Caroline Torricelli Corrêa (Comparative evaluation of 18F-FDG and 18F-PSMA PET/CT in gastric and esophagogastric junction neoplasms), as well as postdoctoral researcher Ellen Nogueira Lima (Exploring the potential of PSMA PET/CT in pleomorphic sarcomas: a comparison with FDG PET/CT), all supervised by Etchebehere, also presented their work.

In addition to disseminating research results, the team contributed to scientific validation. Dr. Celso Dario Ramos, nuclear physician, professor at FCM/Unicamp and principal investigator at CancerThera, actively served as an evaluator in the poster session, celebrating the format: “It is always very interesting to be able to talk with the authors in a more informal way, engaging closely with them,” he comments.

Following sector updates, Ramos, who is also part of the event’s organizing committee, praised the global innovations discussed, mentioning everything from the success of beta therapy in prostate cancer – led by pioneers such as Dr. Michael Hofman, nuclear physician and director of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Australia – to the new frontiers of alpha therapy. “What caught my attention was the treatment of brain tumors with alpha emitters. Currently, there are some studies proposing the intratumoral injection of these emitters, with some promising results,” he highlights.

More photos from the event can be accessed at this link.

^{Text: Romulo Santana Osthues | Photos: Rodrigo Augusto (offered by SBMN) and Maria Elvira Pizzigatti Correa (CancerThera)}

The post Researchers from CEPID CancerThera participate in the 13th Alpha Therapy Symposium and the 19th Edwaldo Camargo Symposium – Beta Therapy; international events were held concurrently in Rio de Janeiro first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.