From today, access to genomic tests will be free throughout Italy. The Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, has in fact signed the implementing decree that unlocks the 20 million euros allocated last December by the Budget Law for the application of these examinations. In women with early stage “hormonal” (HR positive, HER2 negative) breast cancer, genomic tests can predict the risk of recurrence and thus help doctors understand when chemotherapy is needed and when it can be avoided, saving toxicity and costs.
Breast cancer, who are genomic tests for?
“This is a battle of civilization for which the Italian Association of Medical Oncology has worked hard alongside patient associations”, he comments Giordano Beretta, National President of Aiom and Head of Humanitas Gavazzeni Medical Oncology in Bergamo.
Up to now these analyzes, recommended by the most important international guidelines and used in the main European countries, have been free only in Lombardy, Tuscany and in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, which have approved their reimbursement with regional regulations.
“Immediately after the establishment of the Fund – continues Beretta – Aiom asked for the immediate approval of the implementing decree to heal these territorial disparities and promoted a virtual tour in eight Regions precisely to raise awareness among oncologists on the role of genomic tests in breast cancer. . We thank Minister Speranza for having accepted our appeals to speed up the process that led to the signing of the implementing decree. This important result is the fruit of teamwork and of the fundamental collaboration with patient associations “.
Breast cancer, for many postmenopausal women it is possible to avoid chemotherapy
by Tiziana Moriconi
The need for adjuvant chemotherapy (which follows surgery and aims to reduce the risk of recurrence) is usually based on the characteristics of the patient and the tumor. “While adjuvant chemotherapy is often indispensable for tumors expressing the HER2 protein and triple-negative ones, and the benefit is evident, in tumors expressing estrogen receptors but not the HER2 protein (ER + / HER2-), instead, the advantage of adding chemotherapy is controversial in some cases, “he explains Saverio Cinieri, President-elect Aiom and Director of Medical Oncology and Breast Unit of the ‘Perrinò Hospital of Brindisi: “Genomic tests are an important tool for the clinician in the choice of treatment for women who, on the basis of their anatomopathological and clinical characteristics, are in a sort of ‘gray zone’, in which chemotherapy cannot be included or excluded with certainty compared to hormone therapy alone. Not giving unnecessary chemotherapy, in addition to reducing patients’ anxieties and treatment disparities, will lead us to eliminate a full of suffering and hardship for thousands of women “.
“From today the fight against the most widespread and frequent cancer in our country changes – he echoes Francesco Cognetti, President of the Together Against Cancer Foundation and Director of Medical Oncology Regina Elena of Rome: “Finally, patients assisted in the health facilities of our country will have free access to fundamental exams for the personalization of oncological treatments. As the Together Against Cancer Foundation we have been the we are the first to fight so that all patients have tests that have shown a decisive role in supporting oncologists in choosing the best therapy “.
Breast cancer, genomic tests save money and avoid unnecessary chemo
In fact, extensive clinical studies conducted on tens of thousands of patients have demonstrated the usefulness of genomic tests. Part of these experiments were conducted in Italy. The tests were already available in Germany, the UK, Spain and Greece. “The savings for the health system must also be considered given that this examination”, continues Cognetti: “Its cost is about 2 thousand euros, while a course of chemotherapy ranges from 7 to 8 thousand euros. Without forgetting the indirect costs, related to lack of productivity resulting from debilitating treatments, and infertility induced by chemotherapy in younger women. We thank the representatives of the institutions who have given themselves with particular dedication to the implementation of the measure “.
“We welcome with great enthusiasm the Government measure on the reimbursement of genomic tests for breast cancer”, comments Rosanna D’Antona, President of Europa Donna Italia, the Movement that protects women’s rights to prevent and treat breast cancer. An objective achieved also thanks to the intense national Chemo campaign: if I can avoid it that Europa Donna Italia has conducted in recent months on its web and social channels, with the participation of patients, caregivers, clinicians and citizens. Thanks to which over 15,000 signatures were collected to solicit the process of issuing the Decree. “We thank Parliament and the Government – concludes D’Antona – for the work done and we are ready to continue, together with the 170 Associations that are part of our network, our monitoring and solicitation to the Regions so that, in turn, immediately issue the measures required by the Ministry for the disbursement of the loan. In fact, it is no longer acceptable to further prolong the patients’ wait “.
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