Over 130 health centers throughout Italy are participating in the ‘Make Sense Campaign’, the European awareness campaign for the prevention of head and neck tumors promoted by the Italian Association of Head and Neck Oncology (Aiocc) through free early diagnosis days, with open access or by appointment. From September 16 to 21, hospitals, clinics, Local Health Authorities, Local Health Authorities, Local Health Authorities and private medical centers will be united by two main objectives: to educate as many people as possible to recognize any symptoms of head and neck tumors, but above all to remember, once again, how prevention is a good practice to be cultivated every day, not just one week a year. Also for the XII edition of the Make Sense Campaign, presented today to the Senate – as stated in a note – the high participation of Italian health centers is confirmed. Lombardy, Lazio, Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia Romagna and Marche are the regions that, among the 18 participating in the initiative, have the highest concentration of participating centers.
In Italy, head and neck cancer represents 3% of all tumors, while in Europe it is the seventh most common. Despite its seriousness and increasing spread, few people are aware of it, yet the possibility of developing a tumor of the upper aerodigestive tract, during one’s lifetime, is equal to 1/46 in men and 1/197 in women. In Italy, more than 9 thousand cases are diagnosed every year, 9,750 in 2022 (source Aiom), of which approximately 72% are among men; however, cases are also increasing among women, with a rise from 2,200 cases recorded in 2017 to 2,700 in 2022. Furthermore, it is a tumor more common among those over 40, but a recent increase has also been observed among younger people.
“The incidence of head and neck cancer in our country is approximately 7-8 new cases/year/100 thousand inhabitants – explains Marco Radici, president, Italian Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SIOeChCf) – There is extreme variability depending on the region also based on the spread of risk factors (smoking, alcohol, industrial pollution, etc.): it goes from 0.5 new cases in the province of Enna to 14 new cases in the province of Pordenone. Every year we register from 10 to 18 thousand new cases”, so much so that it is, “in terms of frequency” the “fifth neoplasm in men” after prostate cancer (50 thousand) and colorectal cancer (42 thousand), breast (40 thousand) and lung (32 thousand).
“Prevention – continues Radici – is fundamental, as is early diagnosis. In Italy we are still behind. Screening campaigns would be necessary, in addition to those to dissuade against” risk factors such as “alcohol and smoking, as well as information on problems related to HPV. There is certainly a general ignorance about head and neck cancers, as well as a certain resistance to undergoing ENT and dental visits”. For this reason “we ask for information campaigns in schools, refresher courses for general practitioners and the recognition of reference centers for the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancers”. Since its inception, the Make Sense Campaign has aimed to inform and educate on the existence of head and neck tumors, often unknown or underestimated, to convey a simple yet essential message: it is possible to recover. And the more you are prepared on the subject, the more you are able to identify any symptoms and act promptly by contacting your doctor for the necessary tests, to intervene quickly on the disease, exponentially increasing the chances of recovery.
“Head and neck cancer represents a significant threat: if diagnosed late, it can be fatal in about half of the cases – underlines Giovanni Succo, president of Aiocc and of the European Head and Neck Society and director of the University Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology 2 of the San Giovanni Bosco Hospital in Turin – On the contrary, an early diagnosis guarantees complete curability in 90% of cases. The Make Sense Campaign is starting a week dedicated to raising awareness of this disease, involving patients, family members, survivors, health workers and representatives of institutions. At the same time, throughout Europe and in many other parts of the world, attention will be focused on this oncological reality, whose overall incidence corresponds to the sum of numerous types of tumors considered rare. An impressive information and operational task force, also through the performance of thousands of free visits, is at the forefront of the prevention of head and neck cancer”.
Head and neck tumors “are a complex disease – observes Lisa Licitra, director of Sc Medical Oncology 3, Head and Neck Tumors, Fondazione Irccs Istituto nazionale tumori Milano and member of Aiocc – which requires well-concerted multidisciplinary approaches and whose treatments, at the moment, still generate too unfavorable results. The very heterogeneous biology of this type of tumor makes it difficult to develop and test drugs that prove capable of meeting the drug approval criteria, especially due to the small number of subgroups in which these drugs are effective”.
Some “tumor isotopes – continues Licitra – cannot be treated with drugs that have proven to be active and the precision therapy model, successful in oncology, is not practicable and not even practiced, when effective, due to regulatory limitations. We hope for a more simplified access to drugs with the possibility of benefiting from a dedicated quota of the national AIFA fund, a specific dialogue with companies for nominal and compassionate use, an update of the criteria dedicated to the pathology and an off-label use dedicated to the pathology”.
The Make Sense Campaign “can actually save lives – emphasizes Francesco De Lorenzo, president of the Italian Federation of Volunteer Associations in Oncology (Favo) – by raising awareness among citizens on the importance of not underestimating some symptoms related to the head and neck area (pain in the tongue or throat, ulcers that do not heal, swelling of the neck and other similar symptoms) and thus allowing for an early diagnosis to ensure a high recovery rate. To this end, Favo will mobilize all the associations that are part of it to ensure that the greatest number of people are reached and, where necessary, also by directing them to the reference centers of the newly established National Network of Rare Tumors, ensuring early diagnosis, targeted treatments and a better quality of life”.
Early understanding of the warning signs is crucial for early diagnosis, which increases the survival rate to 80-90%, compared to a 5-year life expectancy of 40-50% for those who discover the disease in an advanced stage (ibidem). Experts agree that if even one of these symptoms is present for 3 weeks or more, it is necessary to see a doctor: sore tongue, ulcers that do not heal and/or red or white patches in the mouth; sore throat; persistent hoarseness; pain and/or difficulty swallowing; swelling of the neck; blocked nose on one side and/or nosebleeds. In this regard, the campaign ‘1 symptom for 3 weeks, 3 weeks for 1 life’ fits perfectly into the broader framework of the European Make Sense Campaign, promoted by the European Head & Neck Society (Ehns), whose motto this year is ‘Equal access, equal care: uniting Europe against head and neck cancer’. The Italian campaign is supported and supported by about thirty organizations, institutions and scientific societies. More details and a complete list of medical centers participating in the initiative are available at aiocc.it.
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