The bill on cancer oblivion has just been unanimously approved in the Chamber of Deputies. And in record time after the reunification of the texts in the Social Affairs Commission. Now the ball passes to the Senate. “We applaud the approval of the bill on the right to be forgotten oncology by the Chamber of Deputies – he comments Saverio Cinieri, President of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (Aiom) -. It is the first fundamental step for the protection of over one million people in Italy, who have overcome cancer but continue to be considered ill by society, with discrimination in accessing services such as taking out insurance and mortgages, difficulties in of adoption and employment”.
Laura Marziali: “My story for the law on the right to be forgotten” by Tiziana Moriconi 27 October 2022
What does the bill provide?
The law on cancer oblivion provides that people who have recovered from cancer are not required to provide information on previous illnesses when stipulating contracts for banking, financial and insurance services and in other situations – such as in the workplace – where today this information are requested. This right applies after 10 years from the end of treatment for adult cancers and after 5 years for those of the pediatric age. “This law can put our country at the forefront in Europe in the protection of people affected by cancer who have overcome the disease – continues Cinieri -. Unlike the measures adopted in other countries, the bill approved by the Chamber includes specific provisions also regarding employment contracts and adoptions”.
How many people have recovered from cancer
It is estimated that 3.6 million people live in Italy today who have been diagnosed with cancer in the past. Of these, over one million (27%) can be considered cured. “The new law photographs the current socio-health reality found in Italy – he comments Francesco Cognetti, President FOCE (Federation of Oncologists, Cardiologists and Hematologists) -. Thanks to the excellent quality of our medical oncology, constant medical-scientific innovation, efficient early diagnosis campaigns, we have managed to obtain truly remarkable cure rates for various oncological pathologies”.
The “after sickness” is important. The story of Laura and her son by Tina Simoniello February 14, 2023
Recovery is a different concept from survival: a cancer patient is considered cured when they reach the same life expectancy as the general population. This time varies according to the type of cancer, as explained on the Aiom Foundation website. In the last two years, the Foundation has launched a major information campaign, #iononsonoilmiotumore, which has seen the creation of the first guide on oncological oblivion, a website (dirittoallobliotumori.org) and a collection of signatures to approve the law which has exceeded 107,000 signatures. “The constant dialogue with the institutions – concludes the president Giordano Beretta – is finally leading to an important result, namely the final approval of the law. After 10 years from the end of treatment for adult cancers and after 5 for those of the pediatric age, patients can be considered cured not only on a clinical level but also for society”.
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