2024-09-18 09:09:34
Goodbye Totò Schillaci, the unforgettable captain of the ‘magic nights’ of Italy ’90, died today at the age of 59 only due to stomach cancer. who had influenced him a few years ago. The former footballer has been hospitalized in the Pneumology Department of the Palermo Civic Hospital since 7 September, when his health conditions worsened. Colon cancer, Maurizio Vecchi, professor of gastroenterology at the University of Milan and director of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy at the Polyclinic of the Lombardy capital, explained to Adnkronos Salute a few days ago, is “the second most frequent cancer and it is between the top in Men and women, a neoplasm that must be noted.
The ‘numbers’ of colon cancer, the key point of prevention
The data speaks clearly: according to the statistics released every year in the report ‘cancer numbers’, in 2023 there will be around 50 thousand new diagnoses of colorectal cancer, a number less than the new cases of breast cancer (around 55,900). “High frequency,” the expert noted. But this tumor also has another characteristic: “If caught in the early stages, it can disappear completely and has an excellent prognosis for life, with a 5-year survival rate of over 90%.”
For this reason, Vecchi continued, “it is very important to adhere to the screening” provided for this disease. “Unfortunately, this idea has not been widespread among the public, because only 30-40% of people participate in this type of program. It is an unsatisfactory rate, very low.” And there is another alarm that opens new evaluations: “Unfortunately, recently, a greater frequency of cases of colon cancer has been reported, especially at an age that was not expected before”, among young people. “Therefore there is consideration of lowering the starting age of screening to 45.”
Tests, diagnosis: what to do
If the tumor is diagnosed late, “when it is very large and when there are distant metastases, at that point the 5-year survival is reduced”. This is why this neoplasm is “the perfect target for the screening program, which in this case includes once every two years, starting from the age of 50, an invitation to pick up a test tube from the pharmacy to test for occult blood in the garbage. , and take the test, bring the sample back to the pharmacy, all for free.”
If the dark blood test is positive, “the patient is often invited without charge to undergo a second level test, which is a colonoscopy. It appears appropriate in this higher level. Cancer is a cancer of which we must do with it. , also because the prevention programs in this case are truly aimed not only at making an early diagnosis of the already existing tumor, but also at the detection of adenomatous polyps of the colon, which are the representatives ‘before’ of carcinoma , and can be removed during the colonoscopy, starting from a path that has already started towards colon cancer This is the only place in which we have put out real prevention, because we have will remove a wound that is not just a tumor, but it will become one.”
In general, “the percentage of tumors diagnosed in the first stage has increased, because the screening activity has reduced the level of the disease. And – continues Vecchi – there are studies that show in the US, but also in Italy , as “Implementation of screening ultimately reduces mortality.” And here, shows the expert, “also because it is always a surprise that the disease can reoccur after a while, when it has completely disappeared with surgery and possibly with adequate therapy. In some cases it it is clear that this happens, especially when the diagnosis, surgery. in the liver where the typical site of the first metastases is and we cannot be sure that, even if we go to remove their lymph nodes or those liver lesions, there are no surrounding cells of either will reveal themselves later.”
“Today we say that the forms examined at the most advanced level can be around 10-15%, the existing level in the organs of the body that can be observed 30-40% of events. While there are around 50%, was discovered in the first phase “, explains the importance. After the liver, the second ‘filter’ of the organism that can be affected “is the lung – explains Vecchi – So we understand how important it is for the media to also devote time and space to colon cancer. 95% of these neoplasms it is represented by the so-called sporadic tumor, which has its own family history, so people who have had cases in the family are exposed to this risk, even if the tumors of the veins have occurred in the day- age or around the age of 50 In these situations, the first intelligent relatives must start screening even before the expected age for everyone.”
Therapies
As for the therapies, “they have progressed well over the years, both from the point of view of the subcutaneous procedures, which have improved a lot and focus, and of the chemotherapies, which have become much more advanced In rectal tumors below selected cases with normal genetic characteristics in which the vaccine has been found to completely correct the disease And we also work in the direction of mRNA antibodies and to mechanisms that can increase the diagnostic power without the use of invasive methods in the space of a few years For example, the so-called ‘liquid biopsy’ should be applied: from the blood sample we will be able to identify the presence “And it wouldn’t be a bad choice if a 50-year-old whose mother had cancer at 70 wanted to undergo a colonoscopy. But another point worth remembering is that, even when the diagnosis reaches an advanced stage. , it is possible to intervene, with a targeted approach also on the secondary wound So don’t give up.”
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