(by Nicola Simonetti) Cancer of the ovary, the sixth most diagnosed cancer among women and the one with the highest mortality rate (60-70%), which makes it one of the first 5 causes of female death from cancer among women between the ages of 50 and 69 years.
The "BRCA gene" named "Gene Jolie":
Much interest has aroused this tumor when Angelina Jolie, subjected to examination, recognized bearer of a family gene that oriented towards the elevated risk of ovarian cancer that, usually, also involves the breast, underwent the removal of the two organs. A courageous choice of life that found favorable comments but also non-concordant.
In Italy 50.000 women live with ovarian cancer, the new diagnoses are about 6.000 per year with markedly increasing numbers.
"For a woman suffering from ovarian cancer the choice of hospital for treatment - says Nicoletta Cerana, president of Acto, the national network of patient associations engaged since 2010 in the fight against this neoplasm - is a real choice for life.
Ovarian cancer is the most serious and heterogeneous gynecological malignancy. Because of its complexity, ovarian cancer should be treated only in hospitals equipped to deal with the disease from all points of view (diagnostic, surgical, therapeutic, nursing and psychological-assistance) and capable of responding to all the needs of patients and of their family members".
But are things really like this? What do patients in the hospitals where they have been treated think? How do they evaluate them?
According to the survey conducted by ACTO onlus, 6 out of 10 Italians do not know this disease, over 70% ignore the symptoms and do not know which gynecological tests they should undergo to discover it in time. For this reason, the diagnosis, in most cases, always comes late, when the disease is at an advanced stage.
"To know it - declares Cerana - we launched the # lospedalechevorre campaign on Facebook- “With a few simple questions, we investigated the patients' experiences in the hospital during the entire treatment process, from diagnosis to therapy up to the follow-up period. It was not a survey, but rather a guided interview to understand how to make “the hospital more hospitable”.
The campaign was followed by over 90 thousand people and 150 women filled out the questionnaire providing the assessments and suggestions that were presented to the Senate during a meeting attended by institutions, representatives of the medical-scientific community and the advocacy world.
From these experiences - says Silvia Gregory, referent of Acto Roma - it is understood that professionalism is high, confirming the oncological excellence of our country, but there is also a demand from health professionals for greater humanity and attention to psychological needs".
"Much remains to be done for that 20% of patients who do not see their needs met " says Domenica Lorusso (Gemelli University Hospital IRCCS, Rome) - "And probably this can be done by implementing the organization and including other professionals in the care path as psycho-oncologists and case managers".
Patients must feel at the center of attention - said the Hon. Rossana Boldi, vice president of the XII Social Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies - "first of all as people and not just as sick people, because the psychological condition of patients is as important as therapy".
The Acto campaign, carried out with the unconditional support of Clovis Oncology, will move into the real world, to bring the experiences of patients to specialized centers throughout Italy and discuss with the doctors and institutions how to fill unmet needs and thus make the hospital truly "More hospitable".