Against lung cancer an alliance of scientific societies, doctors, associations and institutions asks, in 9 points, the creation of Lung Unitson the model of the Breast Units for breast cancer, and the systematic use of genetic and genomic testing to guarantee clear, personalized and homogeneous treatment paths throughout the country, for a better quality of life and sustainability of the health service. These are the main contents of an operational policy document (Policy brief) to guarantee the right to health of patients with lung cancer, presented today in Rome and drawn up on the basis of what emerged during the working table which saw the collaboration between oncologists, patient associations and European institutions. The meeting, organized by FB & Associati, involved the top experts and the most representative realities of the sector and was organized with the unconditional contribution of Pfizer.
Every year in Italy 41,000 cases of lung cancer are diagnosed, which kills about 34,000 people: as if a city like Gorizia, Aosta or Vibo Valentia disappeared from the map of our country every year. The developed Policy brief – explains a note – is part of a broader project that has already seen a similar path for breast cancer, thus concentrating energies, scientific responses and replicable experiences of clinical practice on the two main responsible for the increase in the number of tumors in our country and whose fight can take greater advantage of the use of diagnostic and therapeutic responses already available, but still used in a non-homogeneous way in the various Italian territories. In the document, the patient associations highlight inequalities (discrasia) in treatment, difficulty in accessing many services and excessive bureaucratisation. The proposals provide for the establishment of Lung Units, multidisciplinary centers such as the Breast Units – which have increased the survival rate by 18% for women with breast cancer – to encourage the systematic use of genetic and genomic tests for timely treatment and precision.
In the coming years – reads the Policy brief – it will be essential, also to ensure the sustainability of the National Health Service and the social and health costs associated with oncological diseases, a greater commitment to improve access to diagnosis and innovative treatments for lung cancer, enhance the role of genomics for public health, support new technologies, research and innovation. All this considering that, also in this area, the use of various types of genomic tumor profiling, together with genetic tests, are opening up new perspectives in the study and management of the disease, in accordance with the European Plan against cancer . It is therefore necessary to support the histological diagnosis of lung cancer the search for molecular alterations, especially in non-smoking patients, in order to access targeted therapies that, if not yet approved or reimbursed, may be available in clinical trials or expanded access programs. These tests, already carried out at diagnosis to set up the most appropriate therapeutic strategy, should be repeated to identify any resistance mutations and/or new molecular targets. Furthermore, liquid biopsy should be considered especially when tissue biopsy is not possible or the sample is inadequate for conducting molecular diagnostic tests.
For lung cancer “we have assets or in the immediate future 10 biomarkers that should be done by defaultthus guaranteeing 55-60% of patients to be able to benefit from precision medicine in their history of illness – says Silvia Novello, full professor of the University of Turin and President of Walce Onlus – However, even today many patients are not tested adequately as there in this sense also differences at the regional level. It is a priority to ensure that all patients have equal access to tests and medicinesensuring, where necessary, the oncological relocation to structures of excellence for a uniform diagnosis and treatment on the national territory”.
For Gabriella Fontanini, full professor of pathological anatomy and director of the Thoracic Clinical Center of the University Hospital of Pisa, “we are making progress on precision medicine. In lung cancer there are new therapeutic opportunities for 41,000 patients a year. Yet access to complete biomolecular diagnostics cannot be guaranteed. For someone like me who sees first-hand every day how much access to genetic and genomic tests and targeted therapies make a difference in the treatment trajectory of a patient with lung cancer, lost every day in the activation of quality pathways towards reference is a day taken away from the hope of success in the fight against one of the worst forms of cancer, a real big killer”.
“In recent years – underlines Stefania Vallone, secretary general of Walce – we have seen a change in the opportunities offered at a diagnostic and therapeutic level. In this sense, the association is also working together with other organizations to try to offer new opportunities”.
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