DNA damage inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4) gene is expressed under stress situations turning off the metabolic activity triggered by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Several in vitro and in vivo works have demonstrated the ability of DDIT4 to generate resistance to cancer therapy. The link between the metabolism suppression and aggressiveness features of cancer cells remains poorly understood since anti-mTOR agents who are part of the repertoire of drugs used for systemic treatment of cancer achieving variable results. Interestingly, the high DDIT4 expression is associated with worse outcomes compared to tumors with low DDIT4 expression, seen in a wide variety of solid and hematological tumors, which suggests the driver role of this gene and provide the basis to target it as part of a new therapeutic strategy. In this review, we highlight our current knowledge about the biology of DDIT4 and its role as a prognostic biomarker, encompassing the motives for the development of target drugs against DDIT4 as a better target than mTOR inhibitors.

Breast cancer (BC) is a highly prevalent malignancy in Latin American women, most cases being diagnosed at locally advanced or metastatic stages when options for cancer care are limited. Despite its label as a public health problem in the region, Latin American BC patients face several barriers in accessing standard of care treatment when compared with patients from developed countries. In this review, we analyse the landscape of the four main identified barriers in the region: i) high burden of locally advanced/advanced BC; ii) inadequate access to medical resources; iii) deficient access to specialised cancer care and iv) insufficient BC research in Latin America. Unfortunately, these barriers represent the main factors associated with the BC poor outcomes seen in the region. Targeted actions should be conducted independently by each country and as a region to overcome these limitations and create an enhanced model of BC care.

COVID-19 pandemic is the more challenging public health emergency of the century, producing the collapse of health systems and unprecedented levels of morbidity and mortality around the world, especially in low resource settings. Patients with chronic diseases are the most affected, not only due to the high susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection but also due to the decrease in opportunities for timely care. In this dark landscape, telemedicine, before limited to very specific scenarios, has become one of our main tools to manage cancer patients, particularly in Latin America where COVID-19 has had a strong impact on the public health. Telemedicine can provide rapid access to specialized cancer care in a scenario complicated, reducing the exposure of patients and healthcare personnel to the SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we would like to share our experience and our workflow using telemedicine at Oncosalud-AUNA, a private clinic in Peru.

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