ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Mamographic screening is about to change face. Thanks to the resources provided for in the new Economic Manovra, the prevention programme can become more equitable throughout the national territory and also be extended to age groups still excluded in many regions. A long-awaited turn by patient associations who for years have called for broader and more uniform access to prevention, as also demonstrated by the Policy Brief of Europa Donna Italia, “Benefici e impact of the enlargement of the mammographic screening age”, presented today to the institutions. Present at the meeting: Raffaella Paita, Elisa Pirro, Enzo Amich, Simona Loizzo and Ilenia Malavasi.
“We have created this second Framework of Policy Brief – says Rosanna D’Antona, President of Europa Donna Italia – with the aim of proposing national, regional and communication strategies capable of improving adherence to organised mammographic screening programmes. The first request we provide in the document is the uniform extension of the age group, from 45 to 74 years, in all regions. In order to involve civil society on this issue, we have launched the social campaign “The fortune costs, the misfortune more”, which today has collected over 2,500 allocations: Common towns, patients and former patients, representatives of the medical-scientific community, institutions and media, have signed it to ask that the two million women, today excluded by age from the mammographic screening program, can finally access it.”.
“The specific appropriation provided by the Budgetary Manovra just approved by the Council of Ministers for the extension of the age group of mammographic screening – says On. Enzo Amich – is a concrete and fundamental step that Parliament will have to confirm with tenacity and that will allow to uniform access throughout the national territory, overcoming the current regional disparities and consolidating oncological prevention as a pillar of public health”. “Among female tumors, breast cancer is first for incidence and mortality in our country. But if it is intercepted to the beginnings – notes Paola Mantellini, Director of the National Screening Observatory – everything changes: it can be treated with less invasive and more effective therapies, more conservative surgical interventions and survival five years after diagnosis in Italy now exceeds 90%. This is why screening is a life-saving measure, and the extension of its age range is crucial. We consider it important to introduce the age extension in the Essential Levels of Assistance, thus facilitating the extension even in the regions subject to the plans of return. ”
During the morning, the Altems Advisory, spin-off of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome, was presented, which aims to analyse the relationship between costs and benefits of the extension of the mammographic screening program throughout the Italian territory. In our country, at present, six regions have adopted the full extension of the age group of mammographic screening, from 45 to 74 years. In all the others, enlargement is only partial or completely absent and screening remains limited to women between 50 and 69 years. “They are disparities that do not do well to the health of women – says Corrado Tinterri, coordinator of the Scientific Technical Committee of Europa Donna Italia -. Today 40% of patients diagnosed with breast cancer are under 50 years old: Many of them remain excluded from screening programmes. Yet, since 2017 the European Guidelines recommend extending the age range from 45 to 74 years. It is time to give a uniform answer to these indications.”.
“We express our heartfelt thanks to the Government – concludes Rosanna D’Antona – for having transposed the demands that we carry forward with determination for a long time. A special thanks goes to the members of the European Parliament Alliance and to all parliamentarians and parliamentarians, of each political group, who have actively engaged in institutional matters to promote the cause of breast cancer prevention, supporting and carrying out our requests. Together with the 185 patient associations of our network, we now hope that the allocation of funds will ensure adequate resources for the extension of mammographic screening, so that it is truly assured to all women between 45 and 74 years, in each region, overcoming current territorial unhomogeneity.”.
– photo press office Europa Donna Italia –
(ITALPRESS).
