The journey of the “Ovarian Cancer. Let’s keep informed! ” (www.manteniamociinformate.it) makes a stop in Lazio, where every year there are an estimated 700 new cases of ovarian cancer and at least 4,000 women live with the disease. The campaign, promoted by Fondazione Aiom, together with Acto Onlus, Loto Onlus, Mai più sole and aBRCAdabra, and sponsored exclusively by Gsk, also in its second edition aims to promote information on ovarian cancer by highlighting the needs of patients and keeping the focus on early diagnosis, on therapeutic innovations that are improving survival and quality of life and on the importance of adherence to therapies. It does so through online events dedicated to women where specialists answer the most frequent and relevant questions of patients.
Information, late diagnosis, familiarity, therapies, adherence and quality of life were the themes of today’s online event in Rome, held on the Facebook page of the campaign, where gynecologists, oncologists, researchers and psychologists answered the questions and doubts of women. and patients from Lazio. “The campaign was strongly supported by the Aiom Foundation together with the patient associations – says Stefania Gori, president of the Aiom Foundation and director of the Irccs Sacro Cuore Don Calabri Oncology Department, Negrar – and the initiative stems from the need for women to be informed about this disease, insidious and in which it is not possible to make an early diagnosis with a screening, and they know which are the specialized centers of reference to treat it “.
In Lazio, the A. Gemelli Irccs Polyclinic Center of Excellence in Rome is the reference point for women with ovarian cancer. “As Policlinico Gemelli – declares Marco Elefanti, Director General of the Roman polyline – considering the volume of activity carried out by the center directed by Giovanni Scambia for the diagnosis and treatment of various forms of ovarian cancer, we are clearly and strongly oriented to welcome all actions and initiatives that can create sensitivity towards this serious pathology and, therefore, promote a preventive attitude to the issue among the population and women “.
“The Gemelli Polyclinic – continues Elefanti – has been heavily involved for years in the treatment of female pathologies in general, in particular ovarian cancer for which we have volumes that have no equal in the Center-South of the country. A multiplicity of interests gravitate to this issue. starting from the very active research, from the assistance that our clinicians continuously improve and from the didactic-training implications, understood as the transfer of knowledge to young doctors that this entails. So, the campaign ‘Ovarian Cancer. Let’s keep informed!’ it finds us naturally aligned. We believe that information and everything that creates awareness of possible risks and the actions that can be taken to reduce them, is a fundamental aid. Creating awareness upstream is decisive “, he concludes.
Information on this neoplasm is essential, also because at the moment the clinic does not have sensitive and specific screening for ovarian cancer and because the scenario today is evolving and one of the most important innovations of these years is the possibility for everyone women to access maintenance therapies, which allow to stave off relapses after chemotherapy and which have proved effective on this neoplasm.
“Information is a life-saving tool – says Domenica Lorusso, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, head of Uos Programming Cynical Research Foundation Policlinico A. Gemelli Irccs in Rome and contact person for Aiom Foundation – to spread culture on this pathology and suggest which ones they can being the signals to be taken into consideration, even if unspecific, can make the difference. Furthermore, knowing that there are centers of reference like ours in every region, specialized in the treatment and diagnosis of this serious tumor and letting women know that the first step to do after a diagnosis is to contact the Center immediately, it is crucial, because making a mistake in the first approach can be fatal in these cases. Information is also important for continuous updates on therapies “.
“In the last decade, thanks to molecular biology – continues Lorusso – which has given us the opportunity to reclassify this disease into different types of ovarian cancer, research has developed specific, personalized and targeted treatments such as Parp inhibitors, oral drugs to be used. in the maintenance phase after chemotherapy. These are well tolerated drugs although with a certain toxicity whose side effects are well known and easily manageable, prescribed in hospital and carefully monitored, taken at home even in the evening and which allow normal development Parp inhibitors have significantly increased the possibility of prolonging the time free from disease progression in women with the Brca mutation and new studies have shown that they can also be used in patients without the Brca mutation, which until recently they had limited therapeutic alternatives “.
“Unfortunately, at the present time, the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer cannot be done, it is a utopia and it is also the reason why most ovarian cancers are discovered late – says Giovanni Scambia, Uoc Director of Oncological Gynecology, Full Professor of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, Scientific Director of Science and Research, A. Gemelli Irccs University Polyclinic Foundation of Rome – it is important, however, that the woman undergoes an annual gynecological examination which must always be followed by a transvaginal pelvic ultrasound that can identify any ovarian or uterine pathology. However, we have some weapons, first of all to study the possible familiarity of women, the history of families and if there are cases in the family of ovarian or breast cancer or cancer in general, pay attention to them in more strictly because the only possible prevention is precisely to identify families at risk and work on them, inter eliminating at least a good 20% of ovarian cancers “.
Genetic testing, in case of familiarity with ovarian cancer, is an important preventive tool. “The Brca genetic test is carried out with the aim of seeing if two genes, which are called Brca1 and Brca2, are mutated or not, that is, if they have alterations in the genetic code compared to the normal form – explains Gennaro Daniele, Director of UC Phase I, Director Scientific Clinical Trial Center and Phase I Program Coordinator, A. Gemelli University Hospital Foundation IRCCS of Rome – this allows us to understand whether the two proteins that are produced from these two genes are functional or not. It is a very important test, because it has been discovered that mutations in these two genes predispose to the onset of some cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers “.
After the treatment, the patients are concerned about the follow-up. “A much debated issue is precisely what concerns the follow-up of patients free from disease after 5 years from diagnosis – says Anna Fagotti, Director of Uoc Ovarian Carcinoma, A. Gemelli Irccs University Hospital Foundation in Rome – there are numerous international guidelines but there is little consensus from the scientific community “. “Much depends in the planning of the follow-up on the starting stage of the disease, on the molecular profile of the tumor that can be associated with a Brca mutation and, therefore, present a risk for the patient to develop other tumors as well. It is a composite scenario. Ovarian cancer is not just one and today there is a need, linked to new knowledge, to personalize the controls in the most flexible way possible “.
Supporting the patient psychologically is always essential because the impact of ovarian cancer on her mental health can be devastating. “Receiving a diagnosis of ovarian cancer is dramatic but the disease must not paralyze the lives of patients – underlines Daniela Chieffo, head of Uos of Clinical Psychology, A. Gemelli Irccs University Hospital Foundation in Rome – it is important that an emotional fracture does not occur and affective between the woman and the relational context that surrounds her, in particular with her partner, children and the closest people. Psychological recovery must be encouraged as much as possible and opening a dialogue with the most significant people because it often happens that patients for protect the family close in on themselves to the point of a real alienation which is absolutely negative and to introject their anxieties and the pain that accompanies the disease and which, being no longer shared, are amplified dramatically. The relationship with others, the dialogue and sharing are fundamental stages in the process of care and healing “.