Breast cancer, 256 Breast Units and lots of information just a click away
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What is the status of the Breast Units, the multidisciplinary breast cancer centers in Italy? Here it is: there are 256, but 42 (16%) treat fewer than 150 cases per year, which is one of the minimum requirements recommended by national health institutions to ensure quality care. 56% are coordinated by a breast surgeon, 24% by an oncologist and 19% by other health professionals, such as the radiologist.
The data, presented today on the closing day of the AIOM Congress, are the result of a census by the scientific society, which launches a new national campaign “Breast-carcinoma of the breast”.
Breast cancer, it’s October: put prevention on your agenda
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The campaign to inform women
What is it about? A site – breastunit.info – where you can find the list of Breast Units present in Italy and the main information on breast cancer: from prevention, to early diagnosis and screening, from symptoms to therapies. The campaign, made possible with the contribution of Novartis, will also take place on social networks and a national conference will be organized to outline patients’ paths and improve their quality of life together with clinicians, patient associations and institutional representatives.
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“The Breast Unit must be the only center that follows a woman throughout her care process. Only in this way are we able to offer qualified and multidisciplinary care to patients”, she says. Saverio CinieriNational President of AIOM: “It is also thanks to ‘team work’ that survival rates have increased in recent years and the quality of life of breast cancer patients has improved. The woman is cared for by a team of professionals and by working groups that study the individual case, they identify the most suitable therapy, the possible surgical path and then the subsequent treatments. We want to improve the level of information in Italy, increase the number of early diagnoses and thus save more lives ” .
After the mastectomy, in search of the perfect bra
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The multidisciplinary breast care centers were established with a State-Regions head for 8 years ago, in December 2014. And today it is found that they are effectively present throughout the country. However, the organization of some Units must be improved and above all it is essential that all the required parameters are respected.
“In addition to the number of cases per year – Cinieri continues – it is essential that there is effectively the presence of all six different professionals: radiologist, surgeon, pathologist, oncologist, radiotherapist and data manager”.
Password: multidisciplinarity
Indeed, multidisciplinarity must not be an empty word. Only with teamwork is it possible to counteract a very complex oncological disease that has a whole series of secondary aspects to manage “, echoes Giuseppe Curigliano, National Councilor of AIOM:” The medical oncologist must be supported by other professionals, first of all the surgeon who plays a fundamental role. The psycho-oncologist who is present in 87% of all oncology departments of the Peninsula is also increasingly important. It is a professional figure who can guarantee concrete and relevant support to the more than 800 thousand women who fight against this form of cancer “.
Breast cancer today
Breast cancer in our country leads to 55,000 new diagnoses every year. “Oncology has achieved extraordinary results and survival from the most frequent cancer in Italy has significantly increased”, underline Matteo Lambertini, National Councilor of AIOM, and Michelino De Laurentiis, Director of the Department of Breast and Thoraco-Pulmonary Oncology of the Institute national cancer Irccs Pascale Foundation of Naples: “It is 88% five years after diagnosis and the recovered patients wish to return to a normal life even when the treatments have potential side effects”.
When cancer affects young women, for example, it is essential for many to have procedures in place to preserve fertility whenever possible. “This aspect can also be managed better with the teamwork of the Breast Units, together with a better dialogue between specialists and the patient – continue the experts – Together it is possible to find therapeutic solutions that are effective against cancer and, at the same time, compatible with the woman’s desire for motherhood “.
Breast cancer, a new resistance drug is tested
by Valentina Guglielmo
Important advances have also been made in metastatic breast cancer. “Among the drugs available to us, ribociclib proved to be particularly effective in combination with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant”, explains Cinieri: “This drug inhibits two proteins called cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK-4/6). which, if hyperactivated, can allow cancer cells to grow and divide excessively rapidly. It has shown excellent results in terms of increasing median overall survival in postmenopausal women with HR + / HER2- metastatic breast cancer. ”
“It is a privilege to be able to collaborate with AIOM in this new project – concludes Chiara Gnocchi, Country Communication & Patient Engagement Head Novartis Italy -. Our company supports and promotes medical-scientific research in oncology at 360 degrees and is committed to bringing patients the best possible therapies. However, we are convinced that the fight against cancer must also include correct information both on new treatments and, more generally, on the organization of health care “.
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