Prevent skin cancer. This is the goal of the partnership between Rilastil – historic brand of the Italian group Istituto Ganassini, leader in the production of cosmetics for skin care – with the Ant Foundation, a non-profit organization engaged for 45 years in home care for cancer patients and in projects of early diagnosis open to citizenship. The collaboration between Rilastil and Ant was created with theobjective of increasing awareness on the topic of prevention and of offering a concrete contribution to the fight against neoplasms, in particular skin tumors and melanoma.
Melanoma is, in fact, a very aggressive type of tumor that can arise on the skin, sometimes on a pre-existing congenital or acquired nevus, but also on the mucous membranes and in the eye. Every year, in Italy, it registers 7 thousand new cases and 1,500 deaths. The age group most at risk is between 50 and 60 years of age and unfortunately 20% also affects individuals between 15 and 39 years of age.
Prevention plays a fundamental role in skin and body care, and Rilastil wants to be a promoter of these values. It has always been synonymous with dermatological efficacy and safety and once again it could not fail to offer its support to the Ant Foundation, focusing on two special projects: the Prevention Tour and the Top 10 Prevention Project.
Already since 2019 Rilastil has joined the early diagnosis projects on board the Mobile Ant Clinic making it possible to offer a total of over 1,300 free dermatological visits. The initiative is renewed again this year: starting March 7, Rilastil will offer free early diagnosis visits for Melanoma in various cities located throughout Italy thanks to the professionals of the Foundation. The project will start from Verona and then continue touching the cities of Milan, Naples, Perugia and Ancona, for a total of 22 days and 480 free dermatological visits carried out with the aid of dermatoscopy for the timely diagnosis of suspicious or neoplastic lesions: a non-invasive dermatological method that allows you to examine the characteristics of the pigmented structures of the epidermis, not visible to simple inspection with the naked eye.
The calendar
Verona, 7-10 March
Milan, 13-16 March
Naples, 28-31 March
Perugia, 4-7 April
Ancona, 18-21 April
For info and bookingi on the stages to visit www.ant.it starting Monday 13 February.
Prevention at school
The collaboration is then enriched, starting this year, with the Prevention project 10 cum laude dedicated to the younger generation. The initiative aims to bring the “Protection of Health” among the school desks through the creation of an educational program aimed at students of the fifth grade of primary school. The goal is to raise awareness of skin cancer prevention issues from an early age, providing the tools to take care of one’s skin. In fact, maintaining correct behavior is the first rule to avoid the onset of melanoma, starting with photoprotection: always using the right sunscreen as a daily gesture, from the first years of life, significantly reduces the risk of having a tumor to the skin.
They will be 85 primary school classes involved in didactic-educational meetings – conducted by the psychologists of the Ant Foundation – on the theme of prevention, during which the importance of taking care of one’s skin will be explained in order to keep it healthy for as long as possible, thus increasing the perception of risk and empowerment right from the ‘childhood. From this point of view, even the youngest can present themselves as examples of prevention and be the bearers of a message of awareness. Furthermore, at the end of the meetings, a second phase of the project will involve the pupils personally, who will be asked to re-elaborate the contents addressed in the classroom in a creative way, creating an original work centered on prevention and skin care. The works will then be evaluated by a jury and the two most deserving projects will receive an award which will be donated to the Institute to purchase educational and technological material.
“We are proud to be able to continue our commitment to the prevention of oncological skin diseases through these projects,” he said Victory Ganassini, Corporate Social Responsibility Director of Istituto Ganassini. «The skin, the largest organ of the human body, is vital for our well-being. Rilastil has always been committed to offering formulations that best protect the skin from the sun’s rays. The partnership with the Ant Foundation helps to raise public awareness on the subject of careful exposure to the sun every day. For us, being responsible means always remembering how important it is to protect yourself from the sun’s rays, with a specific product for any dermatological need”.
“Prevention is essential to fight cancer and we are happy to be able to work with Rilastil by offering citizens a concrete opportunity to undergo checkups”, he declared Raffaella Pannuti, president of the Ant Foundation. “At the same time we want to work on spreading the culture of prevention starting from the younger generations. Together we can help achieve a common goal: a healthier future.”
Health and Education are increasingly closely linked and affect the well-being of a country also with a significant impact on health results and social inequalities – underlines a note, which continues “In this sense, the Schools undertake to adopt theComprehensive approach to health recommended by the WHO which promotes the strengthening of health systems in a universalistic perspective with reforms oriented towards equity, solidarity, sustainability and social inclusion”.
Rilastil and the Ant Foundation – concludes the note – share the belief that prevention is the key to fighting skin cancer and have been working together for years to achieve this goal.