(ANSA) – ROME, SEPTEMBER 14 – With an incidence of 15,000 new cases per year, almost 2 every hour, lymphoma is one of the most frequent blood cancers and still poses many challenges to the scientific community. Supporting research and improving knowledge is the goal of Lymphoma Awareness Day, celebrated on September 15.
Among the initiatives promoted by the Italian Lymphoma Foundation, there is the fourth edition of “There’s more taste with research”: from September 15 to October 15, the menus of bars and restaurants that are ‘friends of Fil’ will include a food and wine proposal and by choosing the “research dish/cocktail”, citizens will be able to contribute to the fundraising. There are 32 participating establishments in 7 Italian cities: Alessandria, Acqui Terme, Colognola ai Colli (Verona), Modena, Naples, Piacenza, Valtorta (Bergamo).
The day also serves to raise awareness of the alarm bells. “Since we cannot use screening tests, it is essential not to underestimate some signs,” remind the experts of the Policlinico of Milan: swelling of one or more superficial lymph nodes that are not painful; persistent fever without an evident infectious cause; heavy night sweats; generalized itching and unjustified weight loss.
Lymphomas originate from mutations in hematopoietic stem cells and are divided into two types: Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin. Hodgkin lymphomas are tumors of the immune system characterized by an initial peak of incidence around the age of 30 and a second around the age of 70. They represent the most frequent neoplasm between the ages of 20 and 30 with an incidence of 3-4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year. This tumor, Avis recalls, “is one of the major successes in oncology as documented by the excellent 5-year survival rate of around 90%”.
Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of immune system neoplasms that originate from B or T lymphocytes. In 2023, approximately 14,400 new diagnoses were estimated and they are among the 10 most frequent tumors in Italy.
They mostly involve elderly subjects and the number of new cases has stabilized at 20 per 100,000 inhabitants. (ANSA).
2024-09-14 20:47:30