2023-06-30 19:02:31
The cases of colorectal cancer among the under 50s are increasing. “The latest evidence attests to a 30% growth in the last decade, against better control of the disease in the general population thanks to screening and early diagnosis tools”. The trend is underlined by the Humanitas Research Foundation, which has launched an ad hoc project on early forms of colorectal cancer (Eocrc). This issue was also discussed yesterday in Brussels at the European Parliament, during the launch of the European Cancer Community Foundation which will have the aim of “making cancer treatment more effective, efficient, equitable and inclusive in Europe”.
In Brussels – reports the Humanitas Foundation for research – the General Assembly of the European Cancer Organization (Eco) was held, a coalition of bodies and experts whose mission is to reduce the burden of cancer worldwide and improve results and quality of treatment for cancer patients, exploiting the weapons and effectiveness of multidisciplinary and multiprofessional approaches to cancer. A discussion on the strategies to be undertaken for the next three-year period 2024-2027, in which Antonino Spinelli, director of the Colon and Rectum Surgery Operational Unit of the Irccs Humanitas Clinical Institute of Rozzano (Milan) also participated on behalf of Italy , as general secretary and president-elect of the European Society of Coloproctology (Escp). In the presence of European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas and several other politicians, the European Cancer Community Foundation was launched.
The Eco General Assembly was also an opportunity to bring emerging topics to international attention, such as the increase in cases of colorectal cancer in the youth population. “This specific form of the disease, precisely in consideration of the development in young patients – explains Spinelli – is defined as Eocrc, i.e. an early-onset neoplasm, compared to the more frequent form that traditionally affects older patients. Our division has for some time identified the Eocrc as one of the main lines of research; we have founded, together with other institutions, an international register (Geocode) and we participate in several other international projects on this topic”.
Spinelli, ‘cases without known risk factors, late diagnosis and worse prognosis’
Spinelli’s team has various studies on Eocrc underway, with multidisciplinary collaborations. One of the researches, supported by the Humanitas Foundation, indicates “how the increase in cases that is being recorded in young people is not related to an increase in cases caused by genetic syndromes, such as Lynch syndrome, or predisposing diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. These are sporadic cases, i.e. without known risk factors”.
“Moreover – underlines the specialist – our studies show that in this class of patients the diagnosis of cancer is later than the onset of symptoms, since the alarm signal-symptom is often underestimated in young people. However, this figure can only in part of explaining the worse prognosis in young patients, compared to seniors, even in the early stages.Finally, one of our recently published studies would show that young patients respond worse to multimodal therapies in rectal cancer”.
On the basis of these results – concludes the note – the next research objectives will be aimed in particular at a molecular characterization of the Eocrc, at the identification of predictive biomarkers of response to therapies and of new therapeutic targets.
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