World Ovarian Cancer Day: increase survival and it will increase more and more

Five thousand and two hundred Italians every year. There are so many of them, and they are faced with one of the most insidious tumors, which has infiltrated the two small organs from which female sex hormones and reproductive cells are born. A cancer with which, moreover, about 50,000 women live in our country. Let’s try to imagine these people, hit in the place where their sexual identity is born by a diagnosis that promises a lot of effort, a lot of fear, and too often feeble hopes. The five-year survival rate, the cold percentage we necessarily have to look at to get an idea of ​​what is happening to these Italian women, is around 40%, but more and more are making it.

World Health Day

Between 2015 and 2020, mortality decreased by 11.9%, the Italian Association of Cancer Registries (Airtum) and the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (Aiom) estimated in their 2020 annual report.. And from here we must start to celebrate World Ovarian Cancer Day on May 8th. As we will do Salute at the Teatro Parenti in Milan, streaming on these web pages.

Two extraordinary clinics will talk about it, Nicoletta Colombo, from the Ieo in Milan, and Ketta Lorusso, from the Gemelli in Rome. Who will talk about what we talk about when we talk about ovarian cancer and what innovations are in the field today to defeat it.

But tackling cancer always requires a modern, efficient and adequately financed healthcare structure for diagnosis and treatment: is that of our country one? Only partially. What is needed, Nicoletta Cerana, president of the largest patient association, Acto Italia, will explain to us. And Senator Elena Murelli will explain how Parliament intends to support the sick and the doctors.

But talking about cancer means first of all talking about the experience of those who suffer from it, their efforts and hopes. In short, it means talking about a life that is certainly overturned by the disease, but which continues, continues, continues. Thanks to the courage and strength of women and their carers. Two patients in therapy, Emanuela Bellet and Silvia Gregory, both vice-presidents of Acto Italia, will therefore take the stage at the Parenti.

More and more women are making it

The number today, finally also for ovarian cancer, is, in fact, determination. Naturally fueled by medical-scientific research capable of offering solutions. Because, if it is still true that there is no real early diagnosis for this tumor, and that surgery is the most effective weapon (even more so if the disease is detected in its initial stage), it is also true that the genomic revolution in oncology has opened a new path.

We know that BRCA 1 and 2 mutations are linked to about 15-25% of ovarian cancers registered in Italy. And that a specific therapy is available in these cases. But we also know that these are not the only mutations that are important. These are the most famous, the Jolie mutations, but there are others and others need to be identified. Is it easy to take these tests in Italy? Not for all, and we will certainly talk about this at Parenti on 8 May.

In defense of women

This day marks our commitment. Ovarian cancer mainly affects women after the age of 50, those who have not had children (a choice that we want and can defend today), those who have had an early menarche and/or a late menopause. It seems to us that femininity is striking in its most intimate and secret expressions, which we also want to defend.

It is silent and elusive. But the 11% increase in survival over five years, as Airtum and Aiom say, opens our hearts. It can be done. If everyone does their part, if women start listening to the heart of their femininity, if researchers and companies give us new tools, if doctors help us, if institutions make money and facilities available. We at Health are here.