PRECAMA: Molecular Subtypes of Premenopausal Breast Cancer in Latin American Women (PRECAMA)

May 1, 2025 updated by: International Agency for Research on Cancer

Molecular Subtypes of Premenopausal Breast Cancer in Latin American Women (PRECAMA): a Multicenter Population-based Case-control Study

Breast cancer has become a major public health problem in Latin America, as it is the most common form of cancer among women. Women are more likely to develop breast cancer at younger age, and to be diagnosed at an advanced stage compared to western women. Over the past twenty years, the mortality from breast cancer in Latin America has also been increasing very rapidly, and is currently the leading cause of cancer mortality. Little is known on specific risk factors for premenopausal breast cancer in general, and in Latin America in particular. There is a lack of specific knowledge on tumor molecular and pathological characteristics of breast cancer in Latin America premenopausal women, and this has major consequences on cancer treatment and survival.

To improve our understanding on determinants of breast cancer incidence and mortality in young Latin America women and support preventive actions, we implemented an international, population-based multi-center study in Latin America: the PRECAMA study (Molecular Subtypes of Premenopausal Breast Cancer in Latin American Women (PRECAMA): a multicenter population-based case-control study).

PRECAMA is coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and is conducted within 4 Latin American countries: Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile. Major aims of the project are the following:

  1. To develop a multi-centric population-based case-control study on breast cancer in premenopausal women in several countries in Latin America with structured collection of individual, clinical, pathological information and biological specimens, according to strictly controlled protocols
  2. To characterize, in these populations, the subtypes of premenopausal breast cancer on the basis of their molecular and pathological phenotypes
  3. To improve the identification of specific endogenous/exogenous factors, and disentangle the interplay of these different factors with regard to breast tumor subtypes.
  4. Provide advanced training, induce a structuring effect on the breast cancer research community in Latin America and influence the public health agenda regarding the management of breast cancer.

The results of our study will be of utmost importance to understand the etiology of breast cancer in Latin America countries, and would provide important information on the role of modifiable exposures for breast cancer prevention.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Breast cancer (BC) has become a major public health problem in Latin America (LA), as it is the most common form of cancer among women. In Women are more likely to develop BC at younger age, and to be diagnosed at an advanced stage compared to western women. Over the past twenty years, the mortality from BC in LA has also been increasing very rapidly, and is currently the leading cause of cancer mortality among LA women. The large number of incident BC cases among premenopausal women, which is only partly explained by the population age-structure, is therefore of major concern. Little is known on specific risk factors for premenopausal BC in general, and in LA in particular, and risk factors related to diet, obesity and low physical activity play a role on incidence and mortality. Estrogen receptor (ER) and/or Progesterone receptor (PR) expression in breast tumors may differ according to risk factors and to molecular pathological characteristics. There is a lack of specific knowledge on tumor molecular and pathological characteristics of BC in premenopausal women, particularly in lower resource countries where the hormone-dependence status is poorly documented. This has major consequences on cancer treatment and survival.

To improve our understanding of determinants of BC incidence and mortality in young Latin America women and support preventive actions, we implemented an international, population-based multi-center case-control study in LA: the PRECAMA study (Molecular Subtypes of Premenopausal Breast Cancer in Latin American Women (PRECAMA): a multicenter population-based case-control study).

PRECAMA is coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and is conducted within 4 Latin American countries: Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile. Major aims of the project are the following:

  1. To develop a multi-centric population-based case-control study on BC in premenopausal women in several countries in LA with structured collection of individual, clinical, pathological information and biological specimens, according to strictly controlled protocols
  2. To characterize, in these populations, the subtypes of premenopausal BC on the basis of their molecular and pathological phenotypes
  3. To improve the identification of specific endogenous/exogenous factors, and disentangle the interplay of these different factors with regard to breast tumor subtypes.
  4. Provide advanced training, induce a structuring effect on the BC research community in LA and influence the public health agenda regarding the management of BC.

Standardized methods and questionnaires have been developed and implemented as well as standard operating procedures for laboratory activities. Incident primary invasive cases aged 20-45 years are recruited from major cancer hospitals in four large Latin American cities (Mexico City, San Jose, Medellin, and Santiago) prior to any treatments. Controls for the study are selected from the population residing in the same cities for at least 3 years and matched to cases on age (+/- 5 years) and health care institution. For each subject, complete questionnaire data on socio-demographic factors, health history, reproductive history, use of hormones, early risk factors, body silhouette at different ages, physical activity, diet, occupation, environmental risk factors, ethnicity, and family history of cancer are collected. Validated and standardized food frequency questionnaires are administered to gather information on diet. Anthropometry (body weight, standing and sitting height, waist and hip circumferences) are measured according to standardized protocols. Blood and urine samples are also collected for biomarker analyses. For all cases, highly standardized immunohistochemical and molecular analyses are performed to identify BC subtypes.

The results of our study will be of utmost importance to understand the etiology of breast cancer in Latin America countries in epidemiological transition, and would provide important information on the role of modifiable exposures on the disease which may provide important support for breast cancer prevention.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
3000

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Brazil
      • Barretos, Brazil
        • Completed
        • Barretos Cancer Hospital
  • Chile
    • Independencia
      • Santiago, Independencia, Chile
        • Active, not recruiting
        • INC
    • Peñalolén
      • Santiago, Peñalolén, Chile
        • Active, not recruiting
        • Hso-Crsco
    • Providencia
      • Santiago, Providencia, Chile
        • Active, not recruiting
        • FALP
  • Colombia
      • Barranquilla, Colombia
        • Completed
        • Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Norte
      • Bucaramanga, Colombia
        • Recruiting
        • Hospital Internacional de Colombia Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia
        • Contact:
          • Norma C Serrano
      • Bucaramanga, Colombia
        • Recruiting
        • International Hospital of Colombia
        • Contact:
          • Ana I Orduz
      • Bucaramanga, Colombia
        • Recruiting
        • SENOSAMA foundation
        • Contact:
          • Claudia Amaya
      • Cali, Colombia
        • Completed
        • Instituto de Oncología HematoOncologos
      • Pasto, Colombia
        • Recruiting
        • Public Health University of Narino
        • Contact:
          • Alvaro Paz
    • Antioquia
      • Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia, 050010
        • Recruiting
        • Grupo Infección y Cáncer. Universidad de Antioquia
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
  • Costa Rica
    • San Jose
      • San José, San Jose, Costa Rica
        • Completed
        • Agencia Costarricense de Investigaciones Biomédicas (ACIB)
  • Mexico
    • Morelos
      • Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, 69100
        • Completed
        • Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP)

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

20 years to 45 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Premenopausal Latin America women

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • woman between 20 and 45 years old
  • woman less than 3 years older or younger than the case
  • living in the area that the study is taking place during the past 3 years
  • woman menstruated at least once in the past 12 months
  • woman diagnosed with a primary breast cancer by histopathological examination (only for cases)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • woman receiving tumor treatment, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy or anti-estrogens (for example, tamoxifen) (except treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers)
  • woman taking (or has previously taken) any of the following medications in the past 6 months: tamoxifen, Evista (raloxifene), Fareston (toremifene), Aromasin (exemestane), Femara (letrozole), Arimidez (anastrozole) or Megace (megestrol)
  • woman suffering from chronic kidney failure
  • woman having a pathology that will hinder adequate communication
  • woman who is pregnant or nursing
  • woman who has been previously diagnosed with a cancer(except for non-melanoma skin cancers)
  • any other reason to exclude

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Controls
Women with no cancer recruited from the population residing in the same cities for at least 3 years and matched to cases on age (+/- 5 years) and health care institution. For each subject, complete questionnaire data on socio-demographic factors, health and reproductive history, early risk factors, physical activity, diet, occupation, environmental risk factors, ethnicity, and family history of cancer are collected. Validated and standardized food frequency questionnaires are administered to gather information on diet. Anthropometry is measured according to standardized protocols. Blood and urine samples are also collected for biomarker analyses.
Other: lifestyle
Observational study
Cases
Incident primary invasive breast cancer cases aged 20-45 years are recruited from major cancer hospitals in five Latin American cities (Barretos, Mexico City, San Jose, Medellin, and Santiago) prior to any treatments. For each subject, complete questionnaire data on socio-demographic factors, health and reproductive history, early risk factors, physical activity, diet, environmental risk factors, ethnicity, and family history of cancer are collected. Validated and standardized food frequency questionnaires are administered to gather information on diet. Anthropometry is measured according to standardized protocols. Blood and urine samples are also collected for biomarker analyses. Highly standardized immunohistochemical and molecular analyses are performed to identify cancer subtypes
Other: lifestyle
Observational study

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
breast cancer
Time Frame: at recruitment
breast cancer
at recruitment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
International Agency for Research on Cancer

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Barretos Cancer Hospital
Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, Mexico
University of Chile
Universidad de Antioquia
Fundación Inciensa

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Sabina Rinaldi, PhD, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
  • Principal Investigator: Maria Luisa Garmendia, PhD, INTA, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
  • Principal Investigator: Carolina Porras, PhD, Proyecto Epidemiológico Guanacaste, Fundación INCIENSA, Costa Rica
  • Principal Investigator: Gabriela Torres-Mejía, PhD, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Mexico
  • Principal Investigator: Gloria I Sánchez, PhD, Grupo Infección y Cáncer, Universidad de Antioquía, Medellín, Colombia
  • Principal Investigator: Fabiana Vazquez, Barretos Cancer Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 12, 2012

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 30, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 5, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 5, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 9, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 6, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 1, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • PRECAMA

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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