Pigozzo (Iov): “A multidisciplinary team is needed for a patient with melanoma”

It affects all ages, even the youngest groups: under the age of 49 it represents the second cancer by incidence in men and the third in women. It is melanoma, for which “the Italian Cancer Registries Association (Airtum) estimates just under 15 thousand new cases for 2020, with a slight prevalence for males (55% with 8 thousand new cases). It is important that the patient is followed by a team that includes dermatologist, surgeon and oncologist. The management of patients with melanoma, even in the post-Covid phase, must take place within multidisciplinary groups “. Thus Jacopo Pigozzo, medical specialist in oncology at the Venetian Oncology Institute (Iov) Irccs in Padua, in an interview published on the website of ‘Alleati perla Salute’ (www.alleatiperlasalute.it), the portal dedicated to medical-scientific information made by Novartis. “The role of the dermatologist is fundamental – explains Pigozzo – because it represents the first diagnostic step. It is in fact the dermatologist who allows the diagnosis of melanoma. And we know how early diagnosis is a key point for the subsequent course of the disease: it is more timely the diagnosis and the greater the chances of recovery. Furthermore, dermatology is a service present in the area and for the patient it is the gateway to the multidisciplinary group. treatment of a tumor, and this also applies to melanoma. Together with the dermatologist, the figure of the family doctor is also decisive: together they not only allow a diagnosis to be made quickly, but also direct the patient to a hospital path “. Subsequently, the patient, after having contacted his own doctor and dermatologist, “arrives at the oncologist, but not before having undergone a surgical procedure – continues the expert – because the oncologist deals with the medical therapy that is administered today. substantially in two situations: preventive therapy in operated patients (the so-called adjuvant therapy which allows to reduce the risk of the tumor recurring) and in the cases of those patients who are not operable “. Thanks to telemedicine, teleconsultation and oral therapies, the management of the patient with melanoma even in the Covid-19 era has been ensured without problems. “These options have given us important help in the 20 months that have just passed – highlights Pigozzo – In the first phase, during which we had to review the organization of the hospital facilities, being able to manage patients remotely certainly represented a considerable advantage, because on the one hand it allowed patients to reduce access to hospitals and on the other hand it allowed us to follow them directly at home. To a group of selected patients who did not have particular needs we guaranteed the administration of oral therapies to be performed easily at home, also thanks to the delivery of medicines at home. All this has allowed us to protect the patients themselves from the risk of contagion and to reduce the number of admissions to the hospital “, especially in the early stages of the pandemic. Regarding the follow-up in melanoma and the specialist-patient relationship, the Iov oncologist has no doubts: “Follow-up is fundamental, it is part of any patient care path – he specifies – It is structured in the centers where there is a multidisciplinary group and allows us to reach the main goal: to identify a possible relapse at an early stage in order to increase the chances of treatment and the patient’s life expectancy. Obviously, the patient-specialist relationship is important because in the follow-up of the patient with advanced disease, therefore already seen by a dermatologist, surgeon and oncologist, the patient must be followed and evaluated over time by several specialists “. “The return to the places of care – observes Pigozzo – is now a fact. The hospital is safe, the activity relating to the management of the patient with melanoma is substantially in line with that of the pre-Covid period, with visits and checks Obviously, compared to before the pandemic, various security steps are observed (access control, spacing, hand sanitation, use of masks) that were not there before, but which we must maintain because they are essential to guarantee patient safety “. The complete article is available at: https://www.alleatiperlasalute.it/open-innovation/melanoma-rparmi-ai-luoghi-di-cura-nella-gestione-della-malattia.