After the Frecciarosa, comes the Frecciazzurra. In Italy, over 208 thousand new male cancer diagnoses are recorded every year. The most frequent is prostate cancer which affected 41,100 men in 2023 alone. These neoplasms are on the increase, but reducing the risk of their onset is possible. Hence the new national campaign ‘Male Cancer Prevention’, presented today to the Ministry of Health and promoted by the IncontraDonna Foundation in collaboration with the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Group. It enjoys the patronage of the Ministry of Health and the support of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (Aiom), the Aiom Foundation, Agenas and Farmindustria. The campaign’s testimonial is the actor Cesare Bocci.
Video Cesare Bocci: ‘Men, prevent tumors! Today it’s possible
The first edition of the new campaign includes, on April 17, free medical consultations on high-speed, intercity and regional trains. The booklet ‘Health Vademecum, Dedicated to You – Male Oncology Prevention’ will also be distributed. The objective is to disseminate information on board the train and raise awareness on the issues of prevention and correct lifestyles with the support of communication material and the involvement of doctors and volunteers. Particular attention is paid to male tumors: prostate, testicle, kidney and bladder. The campaign is also aimed at younger people to educate them about the importance of HPV vaccination and to those over 50, to raise their awareness of the need to carry out regular checks.
“Oncology prevention is a priority of mine and of the Ministry – we read in the introduction to the Vademecum signed by the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci -. We are committed to increasing awareness of the importance of checks, participation in screening programs and adoption of correct lifestyles. Through these measures we can contribute to reducing the incidence of male cancers”. The project, the general director of Prevention of the ministry Francesco Vaia underlined, also has the objective of “bridging the gap currently existing between the two sexes in terms of access to prevention measures”.
“After the success of the thirteen editions of the “Frecciarosa”, we decided to start a campaign focused on male well-being – underlines Professor Adriana Bonifacino, President of the IncontraDonna Foundation -. Health protection and the culture of prevention are concepts to be preserved with commitment and dedication, which is why thanks to the doctors and the precious help of the volunteers of the IncontraDonna Foundation we will be back on board the train to provide useful advice and information, encouraging and involving people to be more aware of how to reduce the risk of the onset of oncological diseases, especially genitourinary ones”. “Consolidating and spreading a common culture in favor of cancer prevention is one of our objectives and today we are particularly proud to see the “Prevention travels by train” initiative grow and enrich itself with a campaign dedicated to male cancer prevention. This new project once again materializes the commitment of Trenitalia, and of the entire FS Group, in healthcare and inclusion and gives us the opportunity to spread a cultural approach based on raising awareness and promoting prevention, fundamental for a style of healthy life” he declares Stefano Cuzzilla, President of Trenitalia.
“Preserving men’s health in our country is possible – underline Francesco Perrone (AIOM National President) and Emilio Bria (AIOM Coordinator for Lazio) -. It should be remembered that 40% of cancers can be avoided by adopting some correct behaviors, especially after a certain age. We have decided to give our contribution to the drafting of the new Vademecum because correct information is the first step in combating cancer and other serious diseases. There is also the need to communicate correctly on the incidence of HPV-related tumors. The virus affects both males and females equally and can cause cancer in different parts of the body such as the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, mouth and pharynx. It is estimated that a man is five times more likely to become infected and is often unaware of being a carrier of the virus.”
“There is a tendency on the part of the male population to underestimate the importance of checks with the specialist – says Andrea Tubaro, Professor of Urology and Head of the Urology Unit – Sant’Andrea Hospital -. At a urological level, early diagnosis is important to ensure recovery from these diseases which often do not cause any symptoms and show no signs of themselves. Effective treatments exist and new therapies are added every year but early diagnosis remains an essential prerequisite.”
“We support the IncontraDonna Foundation, which promoted this initiative aimed, for the first time, at the male universe. Fundamental initiative because men, unlike women, often pay less attention to prevention. Prevention, on the other hand, is fundamental for a healthier society and a more sustainable system. The pharmaceutical industry is at the forefront with concrete actions and innovative projects to develop a “culture of health“, and companies are increasingly engaged in R&D. In fact, there are almost 23,000 drugs in development in the world in 2023, 40% of which concern tumor pathologies”, he concludes Enrica Giorgetti, general manager of Farmindustria.
(WATCH THE VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH CESARE BOCCI AND ADRIANA BONIFACINO IN THE ‘INTERVIEWS’ SECTION)
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