Oncologist Petrella, ‘screening reduces breast cancer mortality’

“The important milestones achieved in terms of probability of recovery confirm the importance of early diagnosis but must not let us let our guard down because the incidence of breast cancer records an increase of 1% every year.” The warning comes from Giuseppe Petrella , oncologist and full professor of General Surgery at the Tor Vergata University of Rome who, on the occasion of the month of breast cancer prevention, launches with Consulcesi the new ECM training course “Breast disease: prevention, diagnosis and therapy – the Francesca’s story. “Although the data on survival 5 years after diagnosis – explains a well-known Consulcesi – place Italy among the top European countries, the increase in female cancers, from breast cancer to the most worrying lung cancers and bladder alert the experts who reiterate the need to strengthen prevention through family doctors who first and foremost must urge checks and through a strengthening of territorial services along the whole peninsula where there is still an inequality between North and South. In Italy people die less of tumors, but mainly where prevention works, ie in the northern regions. This is confirmed by the latest report of the Osservatoriosalute 2021 according to which the South still suffers “delays in the implementation of screening programs and a more unfavorable prevalence for some relevant cancer risk factors, such as smoking and obesity”, which adds the report, “The southern regions are on the way to becoming those with the highest mortality and incidence for some frequent cancers.” Humanitas of Catania in fact, if in the North it reaches 80%, in the southern regions it is close to 60%. Hence the key role of general practitioners who, Petrella reiterates, “must raise awareness among the population, especially women and from a young age. age to undergo preventive checks “as well as to” stay constantly updated on the news concerning causes and treatments in the field of onc diseases In order to provide the best possible care “. With 60 thousand new cases this year, breast cancer is confirmed as the first among female cancers, accounting for almost 45% of all cancers affecting women and about 15% of cancers diagnosed in Italy. The course, conducted by Petrella with a team of experts specialized in the various medical areas involved in the diagnostic and therapeutic process of breast cancer, is part of a large series of FAD (distance learning) courses created by Consulcesi on the subject of neoplasms. This, associated with the training film ‘The story of Francesca’, is accessible online until 31 December 2022, the deadline for the acquisition of the compulsory credits envisaged for the three-year training period 2020-2022.