Letizia of Spain champions cancer research in Milan

Queen Letizia of Spain arrived in Milan, at the Institute of Molecular Oncology of the Airc Foundation (Ifom), around 11:00. Hair loose, red midi dress, trench coat draped over her shoulders and nude décolleté with thin medium heels, in her hands a small matching floral bag. She had time to smile for the cameras and photographers, and then she immediately set off through the corridors of the institute for a visit to some of the laboratories of the Milanese center. The occasion for her presence in the Lombard capital was the annual meeting of the World Cancer Research Day, hosted this year by the Airc Foundation at Ifom.

The initiative is promoted by the Spanish Association Against Cancer, of which the Queen is honorary president, together with the main international organizations committed to fighting cancer: in addition to AIRC, also the American Association for Cancer Research and the European Association for Cancer Research, the scientific societies of medical oncologists American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), Cancer Research UK, the National Cancer Institute (NIH), and also the IARC agency and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

Before the meeting began, the Queen’s tour of Ifom included 3 stops: the laboratory of Claudio Vernieri, a scientist who is focusing his studies on breast cancer and tumor metabolism; the laboratory of Alberto Bardelli, who – in addition to being the scientific director of Ifom – is working on a project dedicated to the increase in the incidence of colon cancer in young people (together with his group he is investigating the possible causes of this increase and is focusing in particular on microplastics, which are now found everywhere and it is necessary to understand whether they play a role). Finally, the last stop of the Spanish Queen was at Lab G, a laboratory dedicated to pregnant women, to allow them to carry out their studies safely, protected from health risks for themselves and their babies. In Lab G, the Queen was able to meet a researcher, Giuseppina d’Alessandro, ‘enlisted’ by Ifom recently, when she was already pregnant and had just arrived from abroad, from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

At the end of the visit, Queen Letizia reached the meeting room for an opening greeting and to attend the reports of the experts who took turns on the stage. “Good morning,” she began in Italian, “first of all, let me deeply thank the Institute of Molecular Oncology of the Airc Foundation (Ifom) for hosting us today and giving me the opportunity to witness the remarkable work that is being done here. I would also like to acknowledge and appreciate the hard work of Airc and the Spanish Association against Cancer in organizing this very important event for World Cancer Research Day. We are all together here today to share a strong commitment to promoting the advancement of cancer research. Our most important goal is to ensure that the knowledge that comes from this research truly and effectively reaches the patient as quickly as possible.

“This year – continued the Queen – the focus is on innovation” and on “technology transfer into clinical reality” that can “increase equity in treatments” and “the quality of life of the patient. Now we listen to those who have the deepest vision and can bring visibility to the efforts of scientists and researchers. Thank you for being here and for your dedication”. At the end of this phase of the meeting, the Queen also met with 3 Spanish researchers who work at Ifom. A last private moment, before leaving the institute.

“Why was the Queen’s presence here today important? Because she certainly has greater visibility than we have, but she also has a sensitivity towards scientific problems – analyses Anna Mondino, scientific director of Airc since September – As president of the Airc’s homologous association in Spain, she is a great supporter of scientific research and researchers, and I believe that at this time it is very important to have representatives like her, who speak” to the world “through institutions and other communication channels. This is an important day that highlights the aspect of international collaboration. “Research itself is born from this” teamwork.