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.

The idea arose from the need to optimize the interpretation of computed tomography (CT) scans, which are essential tools in monitoring cancer patients. Until the development of this program, mapping body tissues in these radiological images was a time-consuming and entirely manual task for researchers.

Dr. Jun Takahashi, a nuclear physicist, full professor at the Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics (IFGW) at Unicamp and an associate researcher at CEPID CancerThera, reports that manual evaluation performed by the medical team collaborating on the project took between 30 and 60 minutes to complete the analysis of each image. In addition to being slow, the traditional method was subject to significant variability. Accuracy depended, for example, on the professional’s level of fatigue, time of day, or degree of attention during image interpretation.

“If we considered the time researchers take to perform manual analyses, it would take two years to deliver the data,” recalls the physicist, referring to the moment when a partner Oncology team requested the evaluation of a large image database containing approximately 500 scans. Faced with this scientific and clinical bottleneck, the researchers decided to develop an automated solution.

The software is not yet available to the general public and depends on licensing interest from healthcare companies to reach the market. Currently, it is used only in a research environment.

How the program works

The program operates through a process known as “image segmentation.” When a patient undergoes a CT scan, the resulting image displays bones, organs, muscles, and fat, all mixed within a complex grayscale scale. The AI-based software developed by Takahashi and his team scans this image and creates a digital mask, autonomously and precisely separating and color-coding each tissue type.

What distinguishes this code from other generic models available online is its rare ability to accurately identify and separate muscle tissue and three specific types of fat: subcutaneous adipose tissue (fat just beneath the skin), visceral adipose tissue (fat accumulated between organs), and intramuscular adipose tissue (fat interspersed within muscle fibers). The analysis is based on CT images at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3).

“On the internet, you will find many codes that use CT images to perform segmentation, identifying, for example, the liver or kidneys. But separating these three adipose tissues—intramuscular, subcutaneous, and visceral—you won’t find,” he emphasizes. The program also identifies and isolates bone structures to avoid interference in the results.

The algorithm’s high accuracy—with an estimated error margin of less than 5%, even in difficult tissues such as intramuscular fat—is not due solely to computational power. The key differentiator was the integration of more than a decade of clinical experience from the collaborating medical team directly into the mathematical architecture of the code.

During AI training, researchers observed that the algorithm initially confused bone marrow with muscle tissue due to their similar grayscale intensity measured in Hounsfield Units (HU). By incorporating human reasoning logic from nutritionists and physicians, the system learned to exclude bones before searching for fat tissues. “We embedded this experience into the code architecture. It differs from typical machine learning approaches that simply feed data into the system,” says Takahashi.

Another key finding involved radiological calibration. Researchers discovered that precise calibration of grayscale intensity reveals clinically relevant information about tissues. Incorporating this code directly into CT scanners could represent an innovation for the imaging equipment industry, enabling patients to receive automatic body composition reports immediately after the scan.

Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaboration

This synergy between human knowledge and program operation ensures process uniformity, which is crucial for scientific reliability. Understanding uncertainty in medical exams is vital, as quantitative variation can significantly impact treatment dosage or therapeutic decisions.

In cancer treatment, this AI-based technology opens promising new avenues. Dr. José Barreto Campello Carvalheira, an oncologist, full professor at the School of Medical Sciences (FCM) at Unicamp and principal investigator at CancerThera, leads studies on cancer immunometabolism, a field investigating the systemic interaction between the disease and the patient’s body.

He explains that oncology staging traditionally focuses almost exclusively on tumor characteristics. However, the patient’s metabolic response to the tumor is equally determinant for survival.

“One of the main limitations in oncology is the difficulty in accurately estimating patient prognosis based solely on tumor characteristics. Body composition studies expand this understanding by enabling assessment not only of tumor–host interaction but also of the patient’s capacity to respond to disease and treatment,” he explains.

With the program analyzing over 500 patient images in just 30 minutes, specialists can rapidly observe how different tumor characteristics affect the body. This computational speed allows medicine to begin identifying new patient subtypes, potentially sparing individuals from aggressive or ineffective treatments.

“Does the patient really need chemotherapy? When we identify that a tumor belongs to a less aggressive group, we can consider less intensive therapeutic strategies,” the oncologist projects.

The program’s impact also extends strongly to Clinical Nutrition. Dr. Maria Carolina dos Santos Mendes, a nutritionist and postdoctoral researcher in Research Management—Innovation and Technology Transfer associated with CancerThera, highlights the limitations of current hospital tools, which rely heavily on simple measurements such as waist and calf circumference.

“In clinical practice today, we simply cannot obtain this level of information. It would greatly help if CT reports included body composition analysis alongside tumor data,” she notes. Access to mathematically precise data on fat and lean mass will enable highly targeted nutritional interventions and early clinical action.

Software registration and market implementation

The technology’s future is promising, and next steps are already defined. The software has been formally registered with strategic support from Inova Unicamp. Prior to registration, a preliminary market analysis assessed its application potential.

Now protected, the agency is actively seeking partners and presenting the technology to industry, evaluating the need for commercial adaptation or technological maturation.

According to Ma. Beatriz Hargrave, technology transfer supervisor at Inova Unicamp, “partnerships can be established for co-development, aligning the technology with partner needs and increasing the chances of large-scale adoption.”

There is strong expectation of industry interest, as the program addresses a real and urgent healthcare demand, with potential applications in hospitals, clinics, and imaging centers due to efficiency gains, reduced analysis time, and improved result consistency.

The success and precision of the technology stem directly from academic collaboration. Integrating Physics, Oncology, and Nutrition enables robust innovations aligned with real-world clinical needs.

At this stage, research teams from IFGW/Unicamp and FCM/Unicamp are developing a user-friendly interface: a clean screen with interactive buttons allowing healthcare professionals to visualize muscle or fat layers with a single click.

NOTE FOR INTERESTED PARTIES: The transfer of protected technologies from Unicamp, such as this software (“PC346_SEGMENTATION”), and the formalization of R&D&I agreements are supported by Inova Unicamp. Interested organizations should contact the agency through its official form.

^{Text and photo: Romulo Santana Osthues}

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One of the major highlights of the renovation was the acquisition of a SPECT/CT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography combined with Computed Tomography) system featuring CZT (Cadmium, Zinc, and Tellurium) detector technology, making HC/Unicamp the first public hospital in Latin America to have this technological innovation. This acquisition allows patients of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) to access high-precision three-dimensional imaging exams performed up to four times faster.

Investments in the modernization of the SMN

The completion of the restructuring and the acquisition of the SPECT/CT CZT equipment relied on decisive support from the Legislative Branch. The securing of approximately R$ 4.5 million in parliamentary amendments was essential for this, a joint effort supported by federal deputies Paulo Freire, Kim Kataguiri, and Adriana Ventura, as well as former federal deputy Cátia Sastre.

The approximate cost of the equipment, transportation, and installation exceeded R$ 8.6 million, partially funded by these parliamentary amendments and the remaining portion by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), through the project that enables CancerThera—supported by the foundation as one of its Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centers (CEPIDs)—also counting on funding from the Unicamp Rectory.

In an interview, Dr. Carmino Antônio de Souza, an onco-hematologist, professor at the School of Medical Sciences at Unicamp, principal investigator at CEPID CancerThera, and vice president of FAPESP, revisited the trajectory of restructuring the hospital’s imaging area, which began in 2012 but reached a new level of excellence with the start of the research center’s activities.

According to Souza, the initial milestone of this major transformation in the imaging area was the acquisition of a PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography combined with Computed Tomography) system, also funded at the time by FAPESP through a Multi-User Equipment (EMU) call. This first achievement represented a fundamental leap in quality for the institution, boosting thesis production, academic research, and oncological care, and highlighted the ongoing need to improve the hospital’s diagnostic infrastructure.

To maintain excellence and integrate the complex with new demands, also with FAPESP resources via CancerThera, a major technological upgrade of the same equipment was secured, requiring an investment of approximately R$ 2.3 million. With this renewal, the system now offers tools that enable, for example, dynamic PET/CT exams and PET-guided biopsies, among other features that dramatically increase diagnostic precision.

“The restructuring of Nuclear Medicine is a fundamental element for us to fully carry out the project, especially because at every stage of the theranostic approach—whether in diagnosis, in defining the carrier, tumor avidity, or antitumor action—we fundamentally depend on having high-quality imaging at all these stages,” the researcher explains.

Souza also emphasized the inherent mission of the research center he coordinates to serve the state of São Paulo and the country: “Our work at CancerThera is linked to major teaching and research institutions, which are public entities working exclusively for patients in the public health system.” He concluded by highlighting the university’s broader goal: “HC/Unicamp must be at the forefront. We must seek every possible means to fulfill this role in Medicine and Health Sciences at the frontier of knowledge.”

Researchers from CancerThera celebrate the acquisition of the SPECT/CT CZT and the restructuring of the SMN/HC/Unicamp (including the construction of a therapeutic room), which will benefit the center’s clinical research in the theranostic model in cancer. In the photo, from left to right: M. Elvira Corrêa, Carmino A. de Souza, Fabio L. N. Marques, Carmen S. P. Lima, Victor M. Deflon, Luciana M. Quaglio, Elba Etchebehere, Pedro P. Corbi, Bárbara J. Amorim, and Celso Dario Ramos.

Inauguration ceremony with the presence of supporters

The new space combines personalized medical care, advanced scientific research in theranostics, and innovation in cancer treatment. The transformation was detailed by the coordinator of the SMN/HC/Unicamp, Dr. Bárbara Juarez Amorim, who described past operational challenges, including inadequate infrastructure and equipment operating at the end of its lifespan. In her presentation during the inauguration ceremony, Amorim explained that collective efforts—combining parliamentary funding, CEPID CancerThera technical reserve, and support from the Unicamp Rectory—changed this scenario.

The new physical restructuring, valued at R$ 2.1 million, encompassed much more than the main equipment room. “We installed a therapeutic room, which is essential for performing theranostic procedures, and also upgraded our radiopharmacy—the heart of Nuclear Medicine,” highlighted the nuclear physician, who is also an associate researcher at CancerThera.

The convergence between scientific funding and direct impact on citizens’ lives in the state of São Paulo was emphasized by the president of FAPESP, Dr. Marco Antônio Zago, a clinician and professor at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo. “This project is an example of how FAPESP uses the funds it receives,” he stated. “The population also wants to see this money applied to science and technology projects that have an immediate effect on improving quality of life.”

For Zago, the magnitude of CancerThera lies in its ability to bridge theoretical development and SUS patient care. “Centers [like CancerThera] operate between basic science and applied Brazilian science, making this transition, with people working on the most fundamental aspects of cancer biology while also inaugurating an imaging machine that will serve both research and patient care,” he added.

The enhancement in healthcare delivery brought by this modernization was highlighted by Unicamp’s general coordinator, Dr. Fernando Antônio Santos Coelho, an industrial pharmacist and professor at the Institute of Chemistry. According to him, the SPECT/CT CZT will make a difference “not only for research development but especially for more accurate and earlier cancer diagnoses.” He added: “Once a public hospital has high-complexity technology, it has the commitment to serve a large portion of the population, continuously improving the quality of what it delivers.”

At the closing of the ceremony, Dr. Paulo César Montanher, physical educator, professor at the School of Physical Education, and rector of Unicamp, praised the academic team’s efforts and recalled the historical character of the area. “Our Nuclear Medicine Service has a pioneering tradition of more than 30 years, with a continuous search for solutions and advancements,” he noted. He also emphasized the long-term legacy beyond care: specialized education for university students.

LEARN MORE | Technological advantages of the new SPECT/CT CZT equipment

The SPECT/CT exam is a high-technology Nuclear Medicine imaging procedure, mainly used for diagnosing and monitoring cancer patients. SPECT stands for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography and CT refers to Computed Tomography.

The equipment works by fusing scintigraphy with tomography, generating full-body three-dimensional (3D) images. This combination integrates functional and anatomical imaging, allowing physicians to detect tumor and metastasis locations with extremely high accuracy.

The newly inaugurated model features CZT technology (Cadmium, Zinc, and Tellurium), using detectors arranged 360 degrees around the patient. Combined with Artificial Intelligence, this makes the exam up to four times faster than conventional models, offering excellent resolution and greater comfort.

This combination of speed and high image quality is essential for precision medicine, particularly to support theranostics (an approach that combines diagnosis and therapy in a single process), ensuring more accurate diagnoses, targeted therapies to destroy tumor cells, and greater patient comfort during procedures.

^{Text and photos: Romulo Santana Osthues}

The post HC/Unicamp restructures Nuclear Medicine Service area and inaugurates unprecedented equipment in public hospitals in Latin America with support from CEPID CancerThera first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.

An associated researcher at CEPID CancerThera, Marques assumes leadership of the society with an agenda focused on integrating education, research, and scientific and technological applications, as well as strengthening the strategic role of Nuclear Biosciences in Brazil. His appointment marks a moment of consolidation and projection for SBBN, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026.

Perspectives of the new administration

The new administration aims to expand articulation among different sectors, recognizing the multidisciplinary nature of the field, which involves professionals from Biology, Biomedicine, Pharmacy, Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine, most of whom are active in teaching and research institutions.

The training of qualified human resources and the expansion of professional activity in radioisotopes, radiotracers, and radiopharmaceuticals are central pillars: “Naturally, the number of professionals working in the field will increase, such as in radiopharmaceutical production units using cyclotrons or in radiopharmaceutical companies that produce lyophilized kits or operate in centralized radiopharmacy,” emphasizes Marques.

From an environmental standpoint, a key action will be educating professionals on the proper handling and disposal of radioactive materials, as well as chemical and biological products used in research and other applications.

Another strategic axis is strengthening dialogue across fields, including non-ionizing radiation (such as lasers, photonics, and mechanical vibrations). The goal is to foster connections across diverse research fronts, integrating diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. “At our 2026 congress, we will have roundtables discussing neuroimaging processes using radiopharmaceuticals and others addressing studies on the use of vibratory platforms in autism treatment,” the new president explains.

“We believe that scientific societies must ‘move beyond themselves’—that is, stop participating only in their own conferences—and engage with and contribute to other areas of scientific research,” he states. Collaboration with the Federation of Experimental Biology Societies (FeSBE) is highlighted as a model for openness and interdisciplinary exchange.

Marques advocates for greater synergy between the scientific community and regulatory agencies as a key condition for sector advancement. “We believe that Brazilian nuclear science will gain strength when regulatory institutions and scientific societies move in sync, aligning discourse and actions,” he notes.

In this context, institutions such as the National Nuclear Safety Authority (ANSN) and the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) play a central role in enabling the expansion of research centers and the production of radioisotopes in Brazil. ANSN is responsible for licensing and oversight of institutions working with radioactive materials, while CNEN oversees the implementation of the Brazilian nuclear program.

The new president also highlights the need to expand national scientific infrastructure. Currently, radioisotope research is concentrated in a limited number of institutions, which restricts broader development. CancerThera emerges as a relevant example of multicenter articulation and innovation. “Unicamp stands out with the implementation of CancerThera, bringing together coordinated research groups for the development of radiopharmaceuticals,” he observes, emphasizing the potential of the integrated and translational research model.

Beyond scientific strengthening, the new administration intends to intensify dialogue with policymakers to enhance the strategic recognition of Nuclear Biosciences. “There is a basic research area that must be expanded and strengthened if we want to achieve independence and leadership internationally in the use of radiation to understand biological processes, diagnose diseases, and develop drugs,” he states.

In the healthcare field, SBBN’s policy engagement has already shown concrete impact. Through the work of Vice-President Dr. Ana Cláudia Camargo Miranda, a pharmacist and researcher at FMUSP, the society contributed to the development of Bill 2,167/2025, aimed at establishing a national policy for Nuclear Medicine, in collaboration with governmental bodies and scientific societies. According to Marques, such initiatives demonstrate the field’s ability to directly contribute to the advancement of Brazil’s healthcare system and access to innovative diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.

SBBN Board (2026–2028)

President — Dr. Fabio Luiz Navarro Marques | Professor and researcher affiliated with CEPID CancerThera, working in the development of radiopharmaceuticals and Nuclear Biosciences applications with a translational focus.

Vice-President — Dr. Ana Cláudia Camargo Miranda | Professor and researcher in Nuclear Medicine, with expertise in radiopharmacy, regulation, and public policy for the nuclear health sector.

Secretary — Dr. Fábio Fernando Alves da Silva | Researcher in Radiopharmacy and Radiochemistry, with experience in the production and development of radioisotopes and radiotracers.

Treasurer — Dr. Aryel Heitor Ferreira | Professor and researcher in Nanomaterials, Radiopharmacy, and Nuclear Biosciences, working on nanosystems for medical applications.

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

The post Researcher affiliated with CEPID CancerThera, Fabio Luiz Navarro Marques is elected president of SBBN with a focus on innovation and institutional articulation first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.

The study, recently published in the journal European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, uses images from the PET/CT exam, produced by combining a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner and a Computed Tomography (CT) scanner. To generate the analyzed images, the radiopharmaceutical 18F-FDG (Fluorodeoxyglucose), a type of “radioactive glucose,” was used to map where energy consumption is higher – thus revealing the metabolic activity of tumors.

“This study arose quite organically, from the observation that, in some exams, the brains of certain patients with multiple myeloma showed much lower radiotracer uptake than others,” says Dr. Maria Emilia Seren Takahashi, a medical physicist at the Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics at the University of Campinas (IFGW/Unicamp) and an associated researcher at CancerThera. The study was published under the title “Diagnostic brain-to-liver [18F]FDG uptake ratio predicts survival in multiple myeloma: A retrospective study.”

Dr. Celso Dario Ramos, a nuclear medicine physician, professor at the School of Medical Sciences at Unicamp and principal investigator at CancerThera, led the clinical aspects of the research and explains the dynamics of the reduced uptake. Upon noticing that, in patients with more severe multiple myeloma, the uptake of the 18F-FDG radiotracer was lower in the brain – meaning less glucose was reaching the brain than expected – two hypotheses were raised: “the first would be direct competition between the brain and the tumor for the energy provided by glucose; and the other would be that the tumor produces some substance that inhibits glucose uptake by the brain,” he says, adding that these mechanisms will be further investigated.

The Brain-to-Liver Ratio (BLR)

To turn this visual observation into a practical medical tool, the team proposed an index called the Brain-to-Liver Ratio (BLR). The logic consists of dividing the brain’s brightness (glucose uptake) by the liver’s brightness.

But why the liver? Maria Emilia Takahashi explains: “The comparison between brain and liver was chosen to obtain a metric that would allow an evaluation within the same patient.” Since liver glucose uptake tends to be very stable across individuals, the organ serves as a reliable reference for comparison.

The study results, which retrospectively analyzed exams from 72 patients, showed that individuals with a BLR above 2.7 had an overall survival rate of 52% at five years. In contrast, those with a value below 2.7 had only 10% survival over the same period. The index was also inversely proportional to known tumor burden markers in oncology.

“It is important to highlight that we were not the first to use the relationship between brain and liver uptake. This idea had already been described in the literature,” Takahashi notes. The main novelty of the CancerThera study was how this relationship was quantified and demonstrated to be associated with survival in multiple myeloma patients.

For medical practice, anticipating cancer severity at diagnosis is crucial. “The more data we have about tumor aggressiveness, the more accurate this assessment becomes. Especially when considering a change in treatment, it is necessary to be confident in decision-making,” emphasizes Celso Dario Ramos.

The figures above show how researchers measure and use the Brain-to-Liver Ratio (BLR) in PET/CT exams:

In Figure 1, they highlight two regions:

• Brain (blue regions) → to measure how much glucose it is consuming
• Liver (blue sphere) → used as a stable reference

The idea is to compare the two values to generate a number (BLR).

In Figure 2, we see the clinical impact of this number:

• Low BLR (1.1) → brain takes up little glucose → worse outcome (short survival)
• High BLR (4.9) → brain takes up more glucose → much better outcome (long survival)

In summary: the lower the brain activity relative to the liver, the more aggressive the disease tends to be and the worse the prognosis.

Cutting-edge science applicable to the SUS

One of the main advantages of the BLR metric is its accessibility. The index does not require new equipment or additional exams.

“The calculation of BLR does not require complex data processing or sophisticated mathematical formulas, which makes its application feasible in any Nuclear Medicine service that already performs PET/CT exams,” explains Takahashi. She argues that, because it is simple and uses software already available on hospital workstations, the approach could be easily adopted in Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) without major investments.

“Since the measurement of this index is not directly related to the tumor itself, but rather to systemic metabolic changes and inflammatory processes, there is no technical limitation preventing its investigation in other types of cancer, or even in other diseases,” says the medical physicist. CancerThera researchers are already investigating whether this same behavior occurs in tumors other than multiple myeloma to confirm whether this measure also has prognostic value in different clinical situations.

For Ramos, the discovery proposes a paradigm shift in how physicians interpret oncological exams. “The main message of this study is that the body reacts as a whole to cancer, including the brain,” he reflects. “When analyzing a PET/CT exam, physicians should also evaluate brain radiotracer uptake, not only that of the tumor,” he states.

LEARN MORE | The “energy theft” and the brain’s alternative diet

Have you heard of the Warburg Effect? Discovered in the 1920s by physician Otto Heinrich Warburg, this effect describes how cancer cells are extremely “greedy.” Unlike healthy cells, tumors consume massive amounts of glucose inefficiently to multiply rapidly, producing a substance called lactic acid (or lactate) as metabolic waste.

In patients with aggressive multiple myeloma, where the brain appears less bright on PET/CT images (which track glucose), CancerThera researchers believe the Warburg Effect may be one of the explanations. The tumor in the bone marrow consumes so much energy that it ends up competing with the brain for circulating glucose.

However, the brain adapts: it is capable of changing its “diet.” The lactate produced in excess by the tumor travels through the bloodstream, crosses the brain barrier, and begins to be used by neurons as an alternative fuel. In other words, the brain appears less bright on PET/CT not necessarily because it is shutting down, but because, faced with the “theft” of its preferred glucose by the tumor, it starts using the lactate produced by the tumor itself.

Study authors

• Maria Emilia Seren Takahashi, Marcos Paulo D. S. Silva e Felipe Cardoso de Souza
  Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)
• Tiago Pessolo dos Santos
  Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)
• Christopher Cralcev, Eliana Cristina Miranda e Carmino Antonio de Souza
  Centro de Hematologia e Hemoterapia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)
• José Barreto C. Carvalheira
  Departamento de Radiologia e Oncologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas(Unicamp)
• Celso Dario Ramos
  Serviço de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital de Clínicas, e Departamento de Radiologia e Oncologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)

^{Text: Romulo Santana Osthues | Images: Reproduction of exams provided by the researchers}

The post Researchers from CEPID CancerThera propose using the Brain-to-Liver Ratio to predict the aggressiveness of bone marrow cancer and measure patient survival based on PET/CT images first appeared on CEPID CancerThera.

The event marks a milestone in consolidating the integrated and multidisciplinary activities of CEPID CancerThera: more than 250 participants, 79 works presented as oral communications and posters and published in our proceedings, 301 authors involved, 36 lectures and 2 pre-congress courses, and 8 countries in dialogue (Brazil, Italy, Colombia, Portugal, Uruguay, Argentina, Angola, and Iran). These figures enabled robust discussions across basic, preclinical, and clinical areas of knowledge production in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

“It was a highly successful event, with strong participation, a wealth of information, excellent discussions, and a great deal of cooperation, which is the most important thing,” emphasized Dr. Carmino Antonio de Souza, onco-hematologist, professor at FCM/Unicamp, and director of CancerThera. He noted that the meeting was productive and scientifically in-depth, celebrating the rapid pace of research over nearly three years since the center’s founding. “This greatly increases our responsibility for the future. We must now maintain the pace of work, scientific production, service provision, and teaching at all levels,” he added.

Structural innovation and borderless dialogue

One of the distinguishing features of this edition was the adoption of an integrative format, with all congress discussions taking place in a single room. Dr. Celso Dario Ramos, nuclear physician, professor at FCM/Unicamp, and vice-director of CancerThera, emphasized that this structural change enabled participants “from basic, preclinical, and clinical areas to be in the same environment discussing and exchanging information, greatly enriching the congress.”

This perception was shared by Dr. Luciana Malavolta Quaglio, radiochemist, professor at the School of Medical Sciences of Santa Casa de São Paulo and principal investigator at CancerThera: “It was a unique opportunity to learn about all ongoing studies, fostering a singular space for interactions and future collaborations, and allowing for broader coverage of topics.”

“Everyone can clearly see what other groups are doing. This inspires new partnerships and collaborative work,” said Dr. José Barreto C. Carvalheira, oncologist, professor at FCM/Unicamp, and principal investigator at CancerThera. He also highlighted that this third edition demonstrated the evolution of work at the center, with greater maturity and strength, including the presence of international researchers and representatives from relevant Brazilian institutions such as the Ministry of Health and FAPESP—the main funding agency of CancerThera. “Thus, the congress gains in scientific rigor and improves projections and cooperation possibilities,” he said.

From laboratory to clinical application

The rapid connection between laboratory development and application in cancer patients was at the core of discussions. Dr. Pedro Paulo Corbi, chemist, professor at the Institute of Chemistry at Unicamp and principal investigator at CancerThera, highlighted that the congress brought together professionals “to develop new technologies that can improve people’s lives in Brazil, across all regions.”

Expanding on the technical aspect, Dr. Victor Marcelo Deflon, radiochemist, professor at the Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos at the University of São Paulo and principal investigator at CancerThera, noted that the event fostered inspiring dialogues for generating ideas and scientific collaborations, with enriching exchanges among different groups “seeking new therapies for existing systems,” always aiming at the success of the theranostic model.

This scientific and technological integration culminates at the clinical level, as observed by Dr. Elba Etchebehere, nuclear physician, professor at FCM/Unicamp, and principal investigator at CancerThera. “The interaction between Nuclear Medicine and Oncology is becoming increasingly strong, with new approaches and perspectives, expanding cancer diagnosis and treatment,” she emphasized.

International guests

One of the visiting speakers was Dr. Javier Giglio, radiochemist, director of Radiopharmacy at the Uruguayan Center for Molecular Imaging (CUDIM) and associate professor at the University of the Republic, Uruguay. He reinforced the transformative potential of theranostics, stating that “the future of personalized medicine lies in its development.”

From Portugal, Dr. António Manuel Rocha Paulo, chemical engineer and principal investigator at the Nuclear Sciences and Technologies Center of Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, noted that the congress reflected the challenges of translational research in cancer theranostics, which he described as a “dynamic and rapidly developing field.” He also celebrated the opportunity to consolidate ongoing collaborations and likely establish new ones.

Dr. Giuseppe Saglio, hematologist and professor at the University of Turin, Italy, highlighted the involvement of multiple disciplines—even those not traditionally linked to healthcare, such as Engineering—to “shape a new landscape in medical and clinical research.” He also praised the engagement of young researchers, emphasizing teamwork as essential to achieving major goals.

Young protagonism and scientific excellence

The success and renewal of science at the event were evident in the strong involvement of the new generation of researchers. According to Dr. Carmen Silvia Passos Lima, oncologist and hematologist, professor at FCM/Unicamp, and principal investigator at CancerThera, the congress exceeded expectations due to the large number of participants and the “high quality of the works presented, both orally and as posters.”

As an example of this significant participation, the researcher herself highlighted the dedication of some of her young students, still at the beginning of their scientific careers, in the development and careful conduct of their research. She mentioned technical training fellow Hirya Costa Schibelsky, who delivered an oral presentation, as well as technical training fellow Quezia Nascimento Martins and intern Filipe Marques de Andrade, who presented electronic posters.

The high level of scientific production culminated in the awarding of the best presentations. The 16 best abstracts were selected for oral presentations, and among the 63 posters, five were recognized as outstanding.

“I feel honored that this work has been recognized by the scientific reviewers and the congress committee. I was particularly honored to meet and discuss with Professor Giuseppe Saglio, whose pioneering contributions to Hematology and translational Oncology have significantly shaped the field,” reported to the Oncodaily portal by Dr. Vahid Vahedian, a clinical biochemist and postdoctoral researcher at the School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo, who was one of the highlights as a poster presenter in the Case Report or Systematic Review category.

BEST PAPERS

Below is the list of the best works presented at the event, which will receive honorable mention certificates. Sixteen oral presentations and five posters were selected among the 79 submitted abstracts. All abstracts were published in a special supplement of the journal Hematology, Transfusion and Cell Therapy (Volume 48, Supplement 1, March 2026).

Oral communications

Basic research

Cannabidiol nanoformulations inhibit cell proliferation and cancer-stem cell marker CD133 in in vitro models of Burkitt lymphoma | Presenter: Helena Alves Freire dos Santos  (graduanda) (Authors: Helena Alves Freire dos Santos, Paula Vinha, Valéria Barbosa de Souza, Jacqueline Nicolosi, Bruno Roberto Perozzo, Natália Guimarães de Moraes Schenka, André Almeida Schenka)

Development of a bifunctional chelator for gallium aiming for theranostic application in nuclear medicine | Presenter: Dr. Joaldo Garcia Arruda (Authors: Joaldo Garcia Arruda, Fabio Luiz Navarro Marques, Célia M. C. Fernandez, António R. Paulo, Victor Marcelo Deflon)

EGFR-targeting GE11-derived peptide differentially modulates triple-negative breast cancer and glioblastoma cell proliferation in vitro | Presenter: Julia Naomi Ono (graduanda) (Authors: Julia Naomi Ono, Danielle Vieira Sobral, Fernanda Ferreira Mendonça, Luciana Malavolta, Leonardo Lima Fuscaldi)

Gold(I) complex AuDMAP promotes apoptotic responses and inhibits proliferation and mMigration in SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cells | Presenter: Isabela Carvalho Diniz (graduanda) (Authors: Isabela Carvalho Diniz, Fernanda Van Petten Vasconcelos Azevedo, Ericka Francislaine Dias Costa, Jennyfer Castro Da Silva, Camilla Abbehausen, Carmen Silvia Passos Lima)

Group 10 thiosemicarbazone metal complexes as an antiproliferative platform for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma | Presenter: Hirya Costa Schibelsky (graduanda) (Authors: Victor Maia Miranda, Fernanda Van Petten Vasconcelos Azevedo, Joaldo Garcia Arruda, Hirya Costa Schibelsky, Daniele Daiane Affonso, Carmen Silvia Passos Lima, Victor Marcelo Deflon)

KIF13B c.3163G> A variant in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: associations with risk and clinical outcomes | Presenter: Dra. Ericka Francislaine Dias Costa (Authors: Ericka Francislaine Dias Costa, Gustavo Jacob Lourenço, Carmen Silvia Passos Lima)

Nanoencapsulation of the gold(I) complex AuMTZ in lipid carriers improves selectivity and antitumor activity in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma models | Presenter: Dra. Fernanda Van Petten Vasconcelos Azevedo (Authors: Fernanda Van Petten Vasconcelos Azevedo, Gabriela Geronimo, Camilla Abbenhausen, Eneida de Paula, Carolina Coli Zuliani, Carmen Silvia Passos Lima)

Optimized radiolabeling of PSMA-617 with ¹⁶¹Tb for preclinical applications | Presenter: Dr. Javier Giglio (Authors: Javier Giglio, Kevin Zirbesegger, Juan Vazquez, Eduardo Savio)

Radiolabeling of the DOTA-C6-Anti-EGFr peptide with gallium-68: a preliminary study of synthesis, complexation, and radiochemical stability | Presenter: Ms. Aline Morais de Souza (Authors Aline Morais de Souza, Leonardo Yumoto Carvalheira, Caiubi Rodrigues de Paula Santos, Marycel Rosa Felisa Figols de Barboza, Leonardo de Lima Fuscaldi, Luciana Malavolta)

Preclinical research

Biological assessment of [¹⁶¹Tb]Tb-PSMA in human prostate cancer cell lines | Presenter: Ms. Manuela Bentura (Authors: Rosina Dapueto, Manuela Bentura, Florencia Arredondo, Juan Vazquez, Kevin Zirbesegger, Javier Giglio, Eduardo Savio)

Clinical research

Compassionate treatment of radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients with 177Lu-PSMA, and direct comparison between 18F-PSMA and 18F-FDG PET-CT | Presenter: Ms. Murilo Oliveira Cerci (Authors: Murilo Oliveira Cerci, Denise Engelbrecht Zantut-Wittmann, Celso Dario Ramos, Simone Kuba, Ana Lígia Guiotti Marroni Germano)

Ex vivo drug screening as a criterion for patient selection in clinical trials | Presenter: Ms. Samara de Sousa Mariano (Authors: Samara de Sousa Mariano, Leandro de Paula Henrique Assis, Juliana  Ronchi Correa, Maria Luiza Silva Pires, Aryannny Paula Sousa Ferreira, Manuella Munuera Hoff Rosati, Nathalia Moreno Cury, Adrielli Caroline Soare, João Meidanis, Amilcar C. de Azevedo, Jose Andres Yunes)

Systemic inflammation and nutritional status as prognostic factors in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with sorafenib | Presenter: Ms. Yolanda José Ricardo Soares Manuel (Authors: Yolanda José Ricardo Soares Manuel, Ananda Giovana Cabral Silva, Renata Erbert Contriciani, Leo Victor Kim, Sandra Regina Branbilla, Ligia M Antunes Correa, Maria Carolina Santos Mendes, José Barreto Campello Carvalheira)

The washout phenomenon as a theranostic challenge: a kinetic analysis of 18F-PSMA uptake in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma | Presenter: Dranda. Giulia Picciola Bordoni (Authors: Giulia Picciola Bordoni, Maria Emilia Seren Takahashi, Fabíola Furtuoso Zarpelão, Najua Abou Arabi Silveira, Heringer V.C.C.R., Simone Kuba, Natália Tobar Toledo Prudente da Silva, Sérgio Querino Brunetto, José Barreto Campello Carvalheira, Carmino Antonio de Souza, Celso Dario Ramos)

Case report or systematic review

Infectious and hematologic toxicities of CPX-351 in acute myeloid leukemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis | Presenter: Estefani Alves Cardoso Santos (graduanda) (Authors: Estefani Alves Cardoso Santos, Isabela Carvalho Diniz)

Theranostics of differentiated thyroid cancer with Iodine-131: diagnostic integrations, therapeutic response, and challenges of translational research | Presenter: Victória Perez Huada (graduanda) (Authors: Victória Perez Huada, Carlos Takahiro Chone)

Electronic posters

Basic research

Predicting combined radiotherapy-immunotherapy outcomes in murine TNBC via Bayesian calibration of biology-based ODE models and [89Zr]-CD8 PET image | Presenter Guilherme Rodrigues (Authors: Guilherme Rodrigues, Paulo Fernando de Arruda Mancera, Anna G. Sorace, Patrick N. Song, Thomas E. Yankeelov, Ernesto A. B. F. Lima)

Preclinical research (tie)

Liposomal nanoformulation of a copper-based complex associated with PARPi modulates angiogenic processes in endothelial cells | Presenter Gislaine Gonçalves Rocha (Authors: Gislaine Gonçalves Rocha, Fernanda Cardoso da Silva, Paula Marynella Alves Pereira Lima, Samuel Cota Teixeira, Helen Soares Valença Ferreira, Raoni Pais Siqueira, Lígia Nunes de Morais Ribeiro, Wendell Guerra, Cristina Ribas Furstenau, Thaise Araújo)

An affordable and easy to implement strategy for preclinical molecular imaging in Theranostics development | Presenter: Jorge Mejia Cabeza (Authors: Jorge Mejia Cabeza, Michel David Raed, Maria Clara Westmann Anderlini Mattos, Arthur Viana De Laffitte, Orfa Yineth Galvis Alonso, Profa. Dra. Solange Amorim Nogueira, Lilian Yuri Yamaga, Marycel Rosa Felisa Figols de Barboza, Luciana Malavolta)

Clinical research

An exploratory genomic analysis of gastric cancer with 18F-PSMA uptake | Presenter: Renata Erbert Contriciani (Authors: Renata Erbert Contriciani, Barbara Cipriano, Larissa Ariel Oliveira Carrilho, Leo Victor Kim, Fabíola Furtuoso Zarpelão, Sandra Regina Branbilla, Ligia M Antunes Correa, Caroline Torricelli Corrêa, Natália Tobar Toledo Prudente da Silva, Luiz Roberto Lopes, Nelson Adami Andreollo, Maria Carolina Santos Mendes, Elba C. S. C. Etchebehere, José Barreto Campello Carvalheira)

Case report or systematic review

Checkpoint molecules on tumor cells: A paradigm shift in cancer therapy | Presenter: Vahid Vahedian (Authors: Vahid Vahedian, João Agostinho Machado Neto, Keli Lima, Parviz Azimnasab-sorkhabi)

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

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