01/19/2026 | Michelle Valle / Cepon Communication

https://estado.sc.gov.br/noticias/cepon-e-destaque-internacional-em-pesquisa-clinica-oncologica-e-amplia-acesso-a-tratamentos-inovadores-pelo-sus/ 

Santa Catarina gains international prominence in the health field with the advancements in clinical research developed by the Oncological Research Center (CEPON). The unit of the State Health Secretariat (SES) ended 2025 with 48 active clinical studies, two of which have received worldwide recognition, increasing the survival rate and quality of life of patients treated by the Unified Health System (SUS).

The results reinforce the State Government's commitment to innovation, science, and strengthening public cancer care, ensuring that patients in Santa Catarina have access to cutting-edge therapies, often even before their incorporation into the public system.

For the general director of CEPON, Dr. Marcelo Zanchet, clinical research is a strategic tool for equity in access to healthcare. “Through clinical studies, we are able to offer SUS (Brazilian public healthcare system) patients treatments that are as effective as, or even superior to, those available in supplementary medicine, reinforcing CEPON's role as a national reference,” he emphasizes.

World-renowned lung cancer research

Among the most impactful studies is FLAURA 2, focused on the treatment of lung cancer with EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) mutation, a genetic alteration that drives uncontrolled cell growth. CEPON was the Brazilian center that included the most patients in the study, among approximately eight participating services in the country. According to Camila Donadel, coordinator of Clinical Research at CEPON, the significant participation secured the institution authorship in the scientific publication. “We were the research center that included the most patients in Brazil, which led us to be included as authors of the study,” she explains.

The results were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most respected scientific journals in the world. The study demonstrated that the combination of the drug osimertinib with chemotherapy provides better disease control, delays cancer progression, and offers significant benefits even for patients with brain metastases, resulting in more time and better quality of life.

Advances also in the treatment of bladder cancer

CEPON also had a prominent participation in the international IMvigor011 study, focused on muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Once again, the institution was the Brazilian center with the largest number of patients included.

The study indicated that the use of the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab after surgery reduces the risk of disease recurrence and increases survival in patients who present residual signs of cancer identified by blood test (ctDNA). This strategy allows for more precise treatment selection, avoiding unnecessary therapies in patients with a low risk of disease recurrence. The results were also published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Hope that transforms lives

For patient Andreia Moreira, 45, a participant in the AVANZAR study focused on lung cancer, the clinical research meant more than access to treatment: it represented the possibility of a future. “Today, the research is my hope for life,” she says. Diagnosed with metastasis before identifying the primary tumor, she was referred to the clinical research after being informed that the options available through the SUS (Brazilian public health system) at that time were limited for her disease profile.

“On the same day, the doctor discovered there was a study at CEPON. I came straight there. Every 21 days, when I come to take my medication, I say I come to see my guardian angels and receive my dose of hope.” She highlights the welcoming atmosphere she received from the team: “I was received with affection from the first contact. Here, I felt safe and welcomed, as if someone had lit a light in that dark hole that is the diagnosis.”

How to participate
Oncologists from any institution can refer eligible patients to participate in clinical studies conducted by CEPON.
Ongoing research: www.cepon.org.br/educacao/pesquisa
Phone: (48) 3331-1553
WhatsApp: (48) 98825-8130
Email: contatopesquisa@cepon.org.br
Email: imprensa@saude.sc.gov.br