‘Tratti di Respiro’, illustrated stories of life with lung cancer

by time news

Telling the heterogeneity of lung cancer, one of the big killer neoplasms, with 34 thousand deaths in one year in Italy, according to the Aiom 2020 Report. This is one of the objectives of the ‘Breath Traits’ campaign which kicks off today. The Roche initiative, created with the patronage of the Walce Onlus (Women against lung cancer in Europe) and Ipop Onlus (Together for pulmonary oncology patients) patient associations, aims to raise awareness and turn the spotlight on the pathology in all its different forms, on the importance of an early and accurate diagnosis and on the perspectives offered by innovative therapeutic approaches in lung oncology.

The project involved 4 professional illustrators who made their creativity and artistic trait available to outline the stories of 8 people with lung cancer (5 women and 3 men), 3 caregivers and an oncologist, collected in a series of digital illustrations.

When we talk about lung cancer – remember a note – we often refer to a single disease, but in reality there are multiple forms of lung cancer, each characterized by some distinctive features. At the origin of the different types of cancer there are often specific genetic alterations, such as the mutation of the Egfr gene and the rearrangement of the Alk and Ros1 genes. At the same time, each disease story is different from the other and each testimony is full of facets that distinguish the personal and unique journey of those who are faced with a diagnosis of this type.

“In the field of prevention, smoking remains one of the main risk factors associated with lung cancer and it is important to support and encourage awareness campaigns on the dangers of cigarette smoking aimed especially at young people”, comments Maria Rita Migliorino, head of UOSD of Pneumology with oncological address of the San Camillo-Forlanini hospital in Rome and councilor of the board of Walce Onlus. “Fortunately – he observes – they were great progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of this pathology, with the identification of genetic characteristics of the tumor cell that allow an increasingly personalized therapy for each patient. The research and determination of these mutations, a sort of ‘identity card’ of the disease, allow the clinician to direct the patient towards a personalized and appropriate therapeutic path “.

“The ‘Tratti di Respiro’ campaign wants to tell about lung cancer through a new language, capable of giving life to emotions and stories going beyond words, also aiming to undermine the false myths of the disease through the direct testimonies of those who face this challenge every day “, says Stefania Vallone, secretary of the board of Walce Onlus.

The tables that make up the digital collection will be shared on the social profiles of the illustrators and Roche Italia, while a dedicated information page will be available on www.roche.it, with project updates and in-depth information on lung cancer. Throughout the month of October, users will be invited to support the campaign, publishing stories with a balloon drawn on their accounts, accompanied by a message of support to the protagonists of the illustrated stories. A collection of all the contributions received will be published on the campaign channels in November, on the occasion of the month dedicated to raising awareness on lung cancer.

The illustrated stories – the note details – tell the breaths, the emotions, the challenges of those who live and live with this pathology, along the entire path of life and therapy: from the moment of the discovery of the disease, which like a hurricane upsets everyday life , to the diagnosis and the importance of its timeliness and accuracy, in order to correctly identify, if present, the specific genetic alterations underlying the tumor and to gain space and life times, intervening with the most appropriate treatment. ‘Tratti di Respiro’ also wants to tell the possibilities that therapeutic innovations make available to these patients, through treatments that are increasingly personalized and targeted to the needs of the individual.

“At the center of the illustrated stories are not only the people affected by lung cancer, but also those who support them in this path, on the one hand the caregivers who live the disease together with them day after day in the family, and on the other the oncologist, a figure to whom patients entrust their anxieties, worries and hopes “, explains Bruno Aratri, president of Ipop Onlus.

“Roche has been involved for years in the field of lung oncology to develop innovative and personalized therapeutic approaches for those affected by the various forms of this disease”, states Federico Pantellini, Medical Affairs Lead Roche Italy. “With the creation of campaigns such as ‘Tratti di Respiro’ our commitment goes beyond research, promoting correct information and awareness, in collaboration with patient associations, to help improve the diagnosis and treatment pathways currently available”.

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