Presentation of the Centre
Fundación Arturo López Pérez (FALP) is a cancer center based in Santiago, dedicated to providing high-quality, patient-centered cancer care. FALP was the first accredited OECI's Cancer Centre outside the European Union and the United Kingdom. With a strong focus on innovation, research, and continuous improvement, FALP offers comprehensive prevention, diagnostic, treatment, and follow-up services. In 2024, FALP spearheaded the creation of the Latin American Organization of Cancer Institutes (OLACI), a regional organization aimed at fostering collaboration among Latin American oncology institutes. Through this initiative, FALP seeks to enhance cancer care and research across the region by promoting shared knowledge, best practices, and collaborative projects.
Main Research Activities
The Cancer Research Department was created at the end of 2020, aiming to convene the most relevant research-related units at FALP, with the purpose of enhancing and generating a more professional structure for local investigation. Once the goal to obtain the OECI's Cancer Centre accreditation was achieved, our institution is moving forward to improve the quality standards of its processes, aiming to become a Comprehensive Cancer Center. In this context, our Cancer Research Department is considering its transformation into a new local organization that will provide a more comprehensive point of view for increasing our scientific activities and products. The Clinical Trials Unit, Translational Medicine Labs, the Clinical Epidemiological Unit, the Unit of Health Technology Assessment, Biobank, the Lab for Cancer Patient Education, the Lab for Mental Health focused on cancer patients, Data Science, and Bioinformatics will be complementary pillars integrating the diversity of disciplines for powering our capabilities in research.
Formal alliances with national and international institutions and universities are being sought for collaborative work in the cancer research field. Recently, a significant agreement was signed between FALP and Fundación Ciencia y Vida, which will scout Basic Sciences and Translational research in cancer.
In 2024, the Clinical Trials Unit randomized 144 patients in different phase 1-2-3 clinical trials. Additionally, a total of 71 clinical trials were open for enrollment during this period, including 22 early-phase studies. Scientific publications with FALP affiliation have been increasing during the last 3-year period, with a total of 39 in 2022, 53 in 2023, and 66 in 2024, respectively.
Core Facilities
Our facilities span three interconnected buildings and a new outpatient center, designed to provide comprehensive cancer care. We offer 47 medical consultation rooms, 92 inpatient beds, 16 ICU beds, and 10 operating rooms, including robotic surgery suites. Our infrastructure also includes 8 procedure rooms, a chemotherapy center with 68 chairs, and a nuclear medicine unit equipped with 2 PET-CT and 1 SPECT-CT scanner.
Our advanced radiotherapy department features 5 linear accelerators and a brachytherapy unit, while imaging services, a pharmacy with robotic drug preparation, and specialized laboratories—including pathology, molecular biology, NGS, and a tumor bank—further enhance our high-quality care.
As part of our regional expansion strategy, we have begun construction of a new hospital in Viña del Mar, set to serve 2 million people in the Valparaíso Region. This project marks a significant milestone in extending our reach and impact.
Education
Agreements for academic education have been established with Chilean universities and professional institutes. In 2017, the International Atomic Energy Agency decided to fund a Master's course in Advanced Radiotherapy, open to radiation oncologists from across the region. This program, held at FALP in collaboration with the Universidad de los Andes, launched its second edition in September 2018. Since then, we have successfully developed four editions of this program, with the latest one concluding in 2024.
We also offer four specialized training programs for medical professionals in oncology surgery (breast, head and neck, digestive, and urology), medical oncology (solid tumors), hematology, and radiotherapy. These programs provide official recognition as specialists for their graduates in Chile.
In addition to our medical specialization programs, we provide undergraduate and postgraduate training in various healthcare professions, including nursing, nutrition, medical technology, and nursing technicians.
In 2024, a total of 529 students—394 undergraduates and 135 postgraduates—completed part or all of their training at FALP.