Trends in Brazilian oncology studies over the last 5 ASCO Annual Meetings and their representation of Brazilian Oncology Census data.

Abstract

e23108 Background: The ASCO Annual Meeting attracts global interest. Based on the 2023 Brazilian Oncology Census (BOC), Brazil has an estimated 4,730 practicing medical oncologists. We contrasted oncology research contributions to ASCO over the past 5 years on the part of investigators from Brazil and their professional profile according to the 2023 BOC. Methods: This observational study analyzed abstracts presented at ASCO (2020-2024) via the ASCO Online platform. We identified studies led by first authors from Brazilian institutions. Data were cross-referenced with the 2023 BOC, analyzing regional distribution, demographics, and PubMed-indexed publications until December 30, 2024. Results: Of the 30,186 abstracts presented over the 5-year period, 349 met the inclusion criteria: 82 abstracts in 2020, 43 in 2021, 56 in 2022, 78 in 2023, and 90 in 2024. Of these, 71.2% originated from institutions in Brazil’s Southeast region, followed by the Northeast (12.0%), South (9.2%), Midwest (4.0%), and North (3.45%). This distribution reflects data from the 2023 BOC, where the Southeast leads in medical oncologists (54%), followed by the Northeast (18%), South (17%), Midwest (9%), and North (3%). Among individual states, São Paulo (SP) contributed the largest share of abstracts (46.9%), followed by Minas Gerais (10.3%) and Rio de Janeiro (8.5%), all three in the Southeast. Regarding gender distribution, 50.4% of the first authors were male and 49.5% female, closely reflecting Census data, which reported a 50% split between genders. Regarding institutional affiliations, 52.4% of first authors were primarily associated with public institutions, while 47.5% were affiliated with private institutions. Most abstracts were presented as Publication-Only (80.8%), followed by Poster Sessions (18%). The most frequent tracks were Quality Care/Health Services Research (12.32%), Breast Cancer (11.4%), and Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Genetics (10.8%). Concerning study design, 40.9% were retrospective studies, 23.7% were prospective studies, and 14.6% were meta-analyses. As of the cut-off date, 21.7% of the 349 abstracts had been published in PubMed-indexed journals, with a median time to publication of 369 days. Conclusions: Brazilian oncology research has consistently contributed to ASCO, with fewer submissions during the pandemic (2021-2022). The Southeast, particularly SP, leads submissions, reflecting resource concentration. Gender parity aligns with Census data, while retrospective designs and Publication-Only abstracts dominate. A 21.7% PubMed publication rate and median time of 369 days highlight Brazil’s growing visibility. Despite increased representation at ASCO, regional disparities in research output persist, underscoring the need for equitable oncology research nationwide to improve patient care.