There are more and more permanent oncology tables set up by the regions to improve the organization and management of the patient. The Autonomous Province of Trento is now added to the list. The decision was made during an online meeting organized by the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (Aiom), by Senior Italia FederAnziani and by the Autonomous Province, within the tour that the two associations are carrying out to meet all the health councilors of our Country. “The primary objective that we must set ourselves is to train and keep medical oncology specialists in our area”, said Giancarlo Ruscitti, General Manager of the Health and Social Policies Department of the PA Trento: “Currently many of them work in the neighboring Regions and Provinces in how much the province of Trento is not very attractive. It is a long path and one that cannot see immediate results in the short term. We have to roll up our sleeves and get help in the reorganization process by the professionals who work in our Province ”.
There is no real Oncology Network
The province is small and sparsely populated and this does not always represent an advantage for the creation of a true Oncology Network. “Historically in Trento we have always managed to create collaborations between the various health structures and this is already happening also in the field of medical oncology – adds Orazio Caffo, Director of Oncology at Santa Chiara in Trento -. However, there is no real Oncology Network, there is a single Hub hospital which is that of Trento and then the various hospitals in the valley. The latter should be strengthened especially at the level of individual skills and their interconnected activities within agreed and predefined paths “.
Without Pdta
The fragmentation can create problems for patients and specialists especially in the management of follow-ups or in collaboration with local medicine: “There are also no PTDAs for many important and frequent oncological pathologies and we have a shortage of staff in various structures”, underlines Antonello Veccia , AIOM Regional Secretary for Trentino Alto Adige. The solution? “The connections between hospital and territory can be guaranteed by an efficient and well-organized Oncology Network – says Giordano Beretta, AIOM National President -. This can also happen in a mountainous area such as that of Trentino which has always been able to boast excellent professionals. Finally, clinical research could also receive strong impetus thanks to a better organization of medical oncology ”. In the next few years, in fact, the elderly population will grow further and, as we know, cancer is a more frequent disease in old age. “We will also have to deal with the aftermath of the pandemic and therefore a greater number of cancer cases diagnosed at a late stage”, concludes Roberto Messina, National President of Senior Italia FederAnziani: “In Trentino, as in the rest of Italy, there is need for better planning of health services ”.
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