Scientists at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine have discovered a new way to track metastatic cancer cells in the organismx, a protein complex called chaperonin, which could help identify cancer early and give patients more options in the future. of treatment.
The results of the study have been published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.
The team of scholars coordinated by the Professor Annette Khaled stated in recent research that he used a protein complex called chaperonin as new marker for metastatic cancer cells in the blood, thanks to which it is possible to have a clearer indication of the spread of cancer. Using the new marker chaperoninUCF scientists were able to detect more cancer cells in the blood, through a procedure called liquid biopsywhich could help breast and lung cancer patients better monitor their disease.
The UCF research team used the system CELLSEARCH FDA-approved, which was purchased thanks to a generous donation from the Catherine McCaw-Engelman and the Family Cancer Research Collaborative Fund, set up to honor a woman who died of colon cancer in Winter Park, Florida, was not detected until it did not spread. The equipment is capable of isolating, photographing and counting cancer cells from a single blood tube and has been adapted for the detection of the chaperonin complex in blood cells.
As for Italy, in 2021 deaths from cancer decreased and survival increased: an estimated 181,330 deaths from cancer (100,200 men and 81,100 women), 1870 fewer than in 2020. More generally, in the last six years, there has been an overall decrease in cancer mortality of 10% in men and 8%. % in women. From 2015 to date, deaths from stomach cancer have decreased by 18.4% in males, lung cancer deaths by 15.6%, prostate deaths by 14.6% and colorectal cancer by 13.6%. In the female population, deaths from bladder (+ 5.6%) and lung (+ 5%) carcinomas, closely linked to cigarette smoking, are increasing, while those in the stomach (-25%), colorectal (- 13.2%), ovary (-9%) and breast (-6.8%).
“Survival analysis makes it possible to evaluate the outcomes of primary and secondary prevention actions, the timeliness and effectiveness of therapies, the impact of assistance and terminal care – he declared Giordano Beretta, President AIOM – Survival in our country is in line with the highest levels observed in Europe. In Italy, the number of people alive after diagnosis is increasing more and more, in 2020 there were about 3.6 million, 6% of the population, with an increase of 36% compared to 2010 ″.
“In six tumor sites, however, survivors are still less than 30%, with pancreatic cancer trailing 11% in both sexes. Research efforts must be directed in particular to these pathologies. In men, the general decrease in mortality mirrors the reduction in cancer deaths due to smoking. But anti-smoking prevention campaigns must be increased to control the epidemic of tobacco-related neoplasms in the female population ”.
“The eleventh edition of the publication ‘The Numbers of Cancer in Italy’ confirms a general decrease in mortality rates for various cancers, due in particular to the important diagnostic and therapeutic advances made in recent years – observed the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, in the preface of the book -. This is a tangible sign of the importance of new technologies and scientific advances in the protection of health and in the construction of an increasingly efficient and proximity public health system ”.
“As is known, the scenario determined by the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic caused a slowdown in the implementation of screening programs, especially during the initial stages of the emergency. This has had an effect on the early diagnosis of many diseases, including cancer. To facilitate the recovery of diagnostic and therapeutic services, the Ministry of Health has promoted an extraordinary funding of about half a billion, making it available to the Regions. In the support-bis decree, the duration of this intervention has been extended for the whole of 2021. It is only a first step. Still other resources will be needed ”.
A survey conducted by our scientific society has estimated, at a national level, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on breast and colorectal cancer surgery. Anna Sapino, President SIAPEC-IAP – For breast cancer, the number of cases operated in 2020 was 12% lower (-805 cases) than in 2019, and this reduction was observed for cancers of all sizes, in particular for smaller ones. There was a significant increase in pT2 breast tumors (between 2 and 5 cm), compared with a decrease in smaller ones (pT1, between 1 and 5 mm) ”.
“Also for the colorectal there was a reduction in cases operated in 2020, 13% lower (-464 cases) compared to 2019, with a particularly marked decrease for in situ cancers, while there was a significant increase in neoplasms with perforation of the peritoneum. The results of this survey show, in general and for both pathologies, a decrease in in situ tumors characterized by high probability of healing (-11% for the breast, -32% for the colorectal), which may be the consequence of the temporary reduction of cancer screening in 2020 “.
“Healthy lifestyles are the most important weapon to defeat cancer – he concluded Maria Masocco, Scientific Responsible PASSI and PASSI d’Argento, Higher Institute of Health -. Almost 30% of citizens are sedentary. Since 2008, the sedentary lifestyle in the adult population has increased, particularly in the South, where it went from 35% in 2008 to values that reach almost 45% in 2019. More than 4 out of 10 adults are overweight, or 31.5 % overweight and 10.8% obese, with a growing trend for obesity, not only in the South but also in the North ”.
“The pandemic caused a setback in 2020 also in the decline in the number of smokers, progressively recorded between 2008 and 2019. This slowdown is particularly sustained by women over 35 years of age, including, for the first time since 2008, there is a reversal of the trend with a modest but not negligible increase in the share of smokers. The share of those who try to quit smoking also drops from 36% in 2019 to 31% during the pandemic, in particular from 39% to 31% among women “.
This information regarding the incidence of tunors in Italy is reassuring and demonstrates how research and prevention go hand in hand in the fight against all cancers. For this reason it is necessary to combat a sedentary lifestyle and an unregulated diet lacking the necessary nutrients. If you are interested in a healthier lifestyle, talk to your trusted doctor who will be able to guide you towards specialists in the sector.
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