Never neglect the symptoms (without distress), do the checks for early diagnosis (they save life in case of cancer), do not waste precious time. And rely on experienced doctors
Early diagnosis saves your life. The story of Fedez, who was operated on within a few days for a rare neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas, with his huge sounding board can help to pass at least three precious concepts: first, fundamental get regular tests that can detect any tumors (and which in Italy are offered free of charge by the National Health Service, but which still too many compatriots trash); second, decisive do not underestimate the alarm bells that our body sends us; third, it is important to get treated in experience centersespecially if the disease from which one suffers is infrequent and little known, for which particularly skilled and qualified doctors are needed.
Thus the percentage of those who live after cancer rises
For years, doctors have emphasized the importance of arriving early in the discovery of the disease because, as statistics show, above all thanks to the prevention and detection of cancer in its early stages, which have made so many steps forward in the fight against cancer. Steps forward that are measured in percentages and numbers, each of which concerns the life of the individual person. Thus, in fact, we came to have 87% of women live within five years of being diagnosed with breast cancer, 65% of those with colon cancer, 92% of those with prostate cancer or 77% of patients with cervical cancer. And they are just a handful of examples – he points out Saverio Cinieri, president of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (Aiom) -. Today there are about 3.6 million, 6% of the population, Italians alive after having cancer, with an increase of 36% compared to 2010. Thanks to the new therapies, of course, but even before prevention (a case of cancer out of three it could be avoided) and screening for early diagnosis that can detect the presence of precancerous lesions or a neoplasm in the early stages, when it is easier to treat and the chances of recovery are greater.
The life-saving exams
Cancer screenings have been developed and validated on millions of people around the world. In Italy the programs provide that women between 50 and 70 receive a letter of invitation from the ASL every two years to perform mammography for free. Furthermore, compatriots between 50 and 70 have the right, again every two years, to do the test for the detection of occult blood in the faeces (Sof). Finally, every three years for women between 25 and 64 there is the pap testwhich is progressively integrated or replaced byexamination that looks for Papillomavirus (Hpv), to be repeated every five years, depending on the age group. Mammography, tests for the search for occult blood in the stool, Pap test and examination for Papillomavirus in Italy are carried out free of charge through the National Health Service (NHS) – underlines Cinieri -. But for years we have not been able to improve the participation of Italians: still too many are those who throw the letter in the trash and do not take the opportunity. They all are tests that are simple to perform, painless, quick, the outcome of which can make the difference in eliminating an early tumor or pre-cancerous lesion. Why refuse ?.
Never neglect symptoms (without distress)
But young Fedez is still not one of the people for whom these checks are indicated, and in any case his tumor is not among those for which there are routine tests to be done. Precisely for this good that none of us ever underestimate the signals that our body sends us – points out Paolo Veronesi, president of the Umberto Veronesi Foundation, for 20 years engaged in cancer prevention and information campaigns -. Not just for cancer, but for health in general: ignoring the first symptoms, spending a lot of time when something is wrong is never a good idea. If there is a disease it will not disappear by itself, but over the weeks or months it can only progress, making the treatments more complicated and invasive. And, in the case of tumors, wasting time can also mean compromising the possibility of permanent recovery, if the neoplasm progresses and metastasises. So what to do? We must not live in anguish and panic at the first alarm bells – replies Veronesi, director of the Senology Program and of the Division of Surgical Senology of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan -. It’s just fine to talk to a doctor whenever you notice an abnormality. Also for “vague” disorders (such as fever, diarrhea, stomach pain, small skin wounds, swelling, bleeding, enlarged lumps or lymph nodes). Especially when you are young, but it applies to everyone: you should not think about the worst, often the explanation is a minor health problem, but simply be cautious. The sooner the diagnosis is made, the sooner it heals.
Quick times
Another issue on the agenda on social media is the speed with which the Milanese rapper first carried out the checks and then the operation. About the fact that he and his wife Chiara Ferragni are arch-famous? If on the one hand it is difficult to deny the benefits that can come from being well-known characters, on the other hand it is good to remember that the Italian NHS guarantees emergencies for everyone, in cases like that of Fedez, when time is precious. And even more so specialists speed up the time when the patient with suspicious symptoms is young. Certainly one cannot generalize, it all depends on the individual case – concludes Cinieri -, but the NHS provides for extreme rapidity (the commitment with an urgency code) for specialist visits or diagnostic tests that can be guided by the family doctor and prescribed, when he deems it appropriate, based on the symptoms and conditions of the patient being treated. The urgency provides that the required checks are carried out within two working days, in all Regions. Finally, before operating or proceeding with any other oncological therapy, a histological examination must be performed which effectively confirms the tumor subtype present in the individual patient. on the basis of the histology that the whole treatment process is decided.
Specialized hospitals
And when you have to choose where to get treatment, it is very useful to keep in mind that more and more scientific studies show that the experience of the specialists and the presence of a multidisciplinary team are fundamental for best results. Especially in the case of rare or particularly difficult to treat and operate tumors, such as those of the pancreas, ovary or brain, to be able to enjoy a large surgical case series relevant to a successful outcome of the intervention. This is why it is important to evaluate who you rely on and find out how the cancer you suffer from is treated in the chosen hospital center.
March 25, 2022 (change March 25, 2022 | 16:38)
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