“Now more than ever, we need to accelerate our joint commitment because cancer did not go into lockdown during the pandemic. The screening not performed and the slowdowns in diagnostic procedures have caused a reduction in early diagnoses with the risk of serious delays in identifying the disease and possible reductions in healing in the coming years “. This is the warning of the scientific director of the Italian Association for Cancer Research Foundation (Airc), Federico Caligaris Cappio, on the occasion of the annual ceremony at the Quirinale dedicated to “Days of Research” Airc, in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and of the ministers of the university and health, Maria Cristina Messa and Roberto Speranza.
From 2010 to today, Airc has earmarked more than one billion euros in funding to support cancer research, supporting the best research projects and training the careers of our scientists. “It is important that young people who work in Italy can enjoy conditions of greater stability by entering a career path characterized by clear merit-based criteria that associate specific career progress with certain results” highlighted the president of the Airc Foundation Andrea Sironi.
Research, together with the resumption of visits, screening and interventions at full speed after the difficulties posed by the pandemic, is precisely one of the “priorities” identified by Health Minister Roberto Speranza. The other is the fight against cancer, “an absolute priority for intervention for the Government”. Cancer is a disease to be fought with innovative weapons – explained Minister Speranza -. I believe that the advances in terms of therapies based on Car-T cells, currently one of the most promising therapies at our disposal, which have made it possible to save patients, including pediatric patients suffering from leukemia and lymphomas, who had no therapeutic perspective, are relevant. Ailments that seemed incurable are becoming treatable. As of November 15, 2021, approximately 300 Car-T treatments have been carried out in Italy ».
The Head of State presented three important awards to scientists and supporters of Airc. The “Beppe Della Porta” Prize was awarded to Professor Enrico Tiacci, of the University of Perugia, “for his contribution on the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic hematological neoplasms”.
The ceremony ended with the intervention of the President of the Republic, who underlined that “without investments in research there will not be that equitable and sustainable development placed at the center of European policies and which we have indicated as a common goal for the entire planet. We have to make up for historical delays in this field and we have the opportunity to do so ».