Dr Guillermo Tortolero-Luna

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), along with the global scientific community, is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Guillermo Tortolero-Luna.

Dr Tortolero-Luna, a highly esteemed epidemiologist and cancer researcher, served as the Director of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center from 2012 onwards. He also co-directed the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry, one of the few nationwide high-quality cancer registries with a long history of data collection in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. His extensive research spanned the entire spectrum of cancer control, from risk factors to survivorship, focusing on Hispanic populations in both Puerto Rico and the United States mainland. He was a huge supporter and collaborator in many international cancer registry activities, including those of the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR) and the Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development (GICR). He was part of the IARC Scientific Council Review Panel of the Cancer Surveillance Branch in 2021.

Dr Tortolero-Luna will be remembered not only for his academic achievement but also as an excellent educator, both within the lecture hall and outside the walls of the university. He was a mentor for many, with an extraordinary ability to ignite curiosity, to challenge perspectives, and to nurture intellectual growth. Despite his recognized position, he was always willing to collaborate and to share his knowledge and expertise with kindness and generosity. The cancer registry community will always remember his support, his valuable contributions, and the unassuming yet always friendly way in which he engaged.

With his passing, we have lost a great scientist, leader, teacher, colleague, and friend.

IARC extends its heartfelt condolences to Dr Tortolero-Luna’s family.