Precancerous Lesions & Early Cancer Management Group
The PRECAM group represents a unique network in the field of clinical and translational research in Early Cancer, with a greater focus on Gastrointestinal Oncology, bringing together researchers from different leading cancer institutions, such as the IPO of Porto, IPO of Coimbra and the University Hospital Centre of Porto.
This multidisciplinary team focuses on the main mission of creating new knowledge and evaluating new and disruptive technologies in a comprehensive and integrative vision, to improve the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with precursor lesions and early cancer, through the personalization of healthcare. It is also our priority to understand groups’ perceptions on cancer screening/management to guide the development of effective healthcare strategies that better meet the needs of both citizens/patients and providers.
SCIENTIFIC COORDINATOR
Mário Dinis Ribeiro, MD, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0003-0121-6850 / 731E-7010-177F
Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist
Director of the Medicine Department IPO Porto
Sub-coordinator TL2 – Cancer, RISE-Associated Laboratory
Invited Full Professor MEDCIDS / FMUP
Email: mario.ribeiro@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
TEAM
Senior Researcher
Ana Carina Pereira, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0003-4302-2501 / 3515-2BE2-B60D
Assistant Researcher (2023.14811.TENURE.002)
Email: ana.martins.pereira@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Junior Researchers
Catarina Lopes, PhD
ORCID/Ciência ID: 0000-0003-0176-286X / 6719-02C2-856E
Research Technician (AIDA|ID: 101095359)
E-mail: catarina.p.lopes@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Patrícia Alves, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0002-2105-6367/ E11A-503D-5267
Junior Researcher (EUCanScreen | ID 101162959)
E-mail: patricia.alves@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Other Researchers
Ana Paula Santos, MD, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0002-8896-305X / BC1E-DE39-17DF
Consultant, Endocrinology
E-mail: anapaulasantos@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Diogo Libânio, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0003-2691-7522 / 1C13-7D9E-A4B5
Consultant, Gastroenterology
E-mail: diogo.monteiro@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Associated Researchers
Andreia Albuquerque, MD, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0001-5258-2987 / DD1A-51B5-316E
Consultant, Gastroenterology UFP/Associate Professor UA
E-mail: a.albuquerque.dias@gmail.com
Filipa Fontes, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0001-9246-589X / 5F10-FB9E-C805
Clinical Operations Specialist, Bial
Email: filipafmf@gmail.com
Miguel Areia, MD, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0001-9787-8175 / 3516-7AAD-D948
Consultant, Gastroenterology IPO Coimbra
E-mail: miguel.areia75@gmail.com
Pedro Pimentel Nunes, MD, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0002-7308-3295 / 0616-5C59-DC3B
Consultant, Gastroenterology Unilabs & Assistant Professor FMUP
E-mail: pedronunesml@gmail.com
Ricardo Marcos Pinto, MD, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0001-9695-8261 / 791D-EF1B-B4C7
Consultant, Gastroenterology CHUSA & Assistant Professor ICBAS
E-mail: ricardomarcospinto@sapo.pt
Ricardo Kuttner-Magalhães, MD, PhD
ORCID ID/Ciência ID: 0000-0002-8522-5756 / F31A-B091-3D92
Gastroenterologist & Invited Professor ICBAS
E-mail: rkuttner@gmail.com
PhD Students
With External Funding
Supervision
Adriana Valentim Serra, MSc
ORCID/Ciência ID: 0009-0005-4616-5462/ B711-456D-B60C
E-mail: adriana.serra@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Tatiana Almeida, MSc (FCT 2024.00816.BD, in collaboration with Cancer Genetics Group – CGG)
ORCID/Ciência ID: 0000-0002-9444-8257 /CD18-88C4-CE90
E-mail: tatiana.almeida@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Co-Supervision
Daniela Rocha Santos, MSc (FCT UI/BD/154820/2023 in collaboration with Experimental Pathology & Therapeutics Group – EPTG & Clinical Research Unit – CRU)
ORCID/ CIÊNCIA ID: 0000-0003-1081-5142/ 4617-DBEA-8AE6
E-mail: daniela.r.santos@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Mariana Gonçalves Eiras, MSc (FCT 2024.04511.BD, in collaboration with Experimental Pathology & Therapeutics Group – EPTG & with Cancer Genetics Group – CGG)
ORCID/ CIÊNCIA ID: 0009-0006-7483-4771/ F310-BAED-C2E9
E-mail: mariana.eiras@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Renato Carvalho, MSc (GPTE) (FCT 2025.02935.BDANA, in collaboration with Experimental Pathology & Therapeutics Group – EPTG)
ORCID/ CIÊNCIA ID: 0009-0009-5272-4178/ 4817-5B7F-4D35
E-mail: renato.carvalho@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Research Assistant/Technicians
Anastasiia Udovyka, MSc
ORCID/Ciência ID: 651D-3EC8-A038/ 0009-0001-5662-6251
Research Assistant (Gate 15198-COMPETE2030-FEDER-00886200)
E-mail: anastasiia.udovyka@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
Raquel Ramos, MSc
ORCID/Ciência ID: 0000-0002-3691-9196/ EE12-F786-0962
Research Technician (TOGAS|ID: 101101252)
E-mail: raquel.a.ramos@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
MSc Students
2026/2027
Supervisão
Leonor Carvalho, BSc, Master in Medicine and Molecular Oncology, FMUP
2025/2026
Rúben Marques da Costa Alves, BSc; Master in Educational Sciences, FPCEUP
Outros colaboradores
Catarina Brandão, MD; Head of the Gastroenterology Department
Inês Marques de Sá, MD; Attending Gastroenterologist
Raquel Ortigão, MD; Attending Gastroenterologist
Objetivos
Committed to advancing diagnosis and monitoring of precursor lesions and early-stage cancer through personalized healthcare, the PRECAM group will focus on:
– Assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of screening programs in digestive cancers in Portugal and Europe.
– Developing non-invasive, accessible and scalable diagnostic tests, like liquid biopsies.
– Enhancing minimally invasive diagnostic techniques, such as endoscopy, with improved quality and leveraging AI.
– Improving clinical management by creating decision-making tools, intervention strategies, and conducting cost-effectiveness studies to enhance patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency.
– Understanding citizens’, patients’ and healthcare providers’ perceptions towards screening and management of precancerous lesions in gastrointestinal tract, including their preferences, knowledge and intention to adhere, and contributing to the promotion of cancer screening adherence.
– Developing capacity and fostering sustainable change in gastrointestinal cancer screening and early diagnosis by contributing to the advancement of lifelong medical education.
PROJECTS WITH EXTERNAL FUNDING (click to more information)
PROJECTS WITH INTERNAL FUNDING (click to more information)
Selected publications
Antonelli G, et al. QUAIDE – Quality assessment of AI preclinical studies in diagnostic endoscopy. Gut 2024;74(1):153-161
Rei A, et al. Metachronous lesions after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection: First assessment of the FAMISH predicting score. Endoscopy. 2023 May 9. doi: 10.1055/a-2089-6849
Libânio D, et al. Prospective comparative study of endoscopic submucosal dissection and gastrectomy for early neoplastic lesions including patients’ perspectives. Endoscopy 2019;51(1):30-39. doi.org/10.1055/a-0628-6601
Areia M, et al. Endoscopic screening for gastric cancer: A cost-utility analysis for countries with an intermediate gastric cancer risk. United European Gastroenterol J 2018;6(2):192-202. doi.org/10.1177/2050640617722902
Hess T, et al. Dissecting the genetic heterogeneity of gastric cancer. EBioMedicine. 2023;18(92):104616. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104616
NATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
Adelino Leite-Moreira | UnIC
Conceição Calhau | CINTESIS / UNL
Diogo Caetano & Elisabete Fernandes | INESC MN & INL
Miguel Coimbra | INESC TEC
Salomé Pinho | i3s
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS / CONSORTIUM
Anax Fotopoulos / Markus Mohler |ONCOSCREEN Consortium, Greece
Javier P. Gisbert / Francis Megraud / Colm O’Morain / Adrian G. McNicholl | Hp-EuReg – European Registry on the Management of Helicobacter Pylori Infection, Spain
Johannes Schumacher | Centre for Human Genetics, University of Marburg, Germany
Marcis Leja / Tamara-Matysiak-Budnik / Iris Vogelaar-Lansdorp / Zorana Maravic / Javier P. Gisbert / Juozas Kupcinskas / Dan Lucian Dumitrascu / Annemieke Smet / Mike Morrissey / Katarzyna Neubauer / Nadan Rustemovic / Sandra Milic / Wessel vaonn de Veerdonk / Victoria McEneaney / Jochen Weigt |TOGAS Consortium, Latvia
Marino Venerito / Peter Malfertheiner | staR – European Network on the Germline Genetics of Gastric Cancer, Germany
Michael Mwachiro / Florian Lordick / Amos Mwasamwaja / Lars Aabakken | Afroc – Africa Connect Project: African Initiative against Oesophageal Cancer, Kenya and Botswana-Ethiopia-Rwanda-South Africa-Tanzania-Uganda Germany and Czech Republic-Netherlands-Portugal-Sweden-USA
Rodrigo Jover | European Polyp Surveillance (EPoS) Trials, Europe
Talía Malagón / Kimon Chatzistamatiou / Elisabeth McClymont / Staci Sudenga / Anna R Giuliano | IPVS Early Career Working Group,Switzerland
Tania Fleitas / Marcis Leja / Fátima Carneiro / Javier P. Gisbert / Leticia Moreira / Tamara Matysiak-Budnik / Laimas Jonaitis / Mário Dinis-Ribeiro / Manon Spaander | AIDA Consortium, Spain