Cancer: Hope, promising Car-t cure, 300 treatments in Italy

In the oncology field "Car-t cell therapy is currently one of the most promising therapies available to us: it has made it possible to save pediatric patients with leukemia and lymphomas who had no therapeutic prospects. As of November 15, 2021, they were carried out in Italy about 300 treatments of Car-t "and 9 patients were treated to the Child Jesus. Thus the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza at the ceremony of the 'Days of Research' of the Airc. "Ailments that seemed incurable are becoming treatable," he said.

In particular, explained Speranza, "the project financed by Parliament with 10 million euros in favor of the Irccs of the Alleanza Against Cancer and coordinated by Franco Locatelli has already provided very important scientific results and have been successfully treated at the Bambino Gesù with freshly produced Car-t cells, with an innovative method, nine patients with leukemia refractory to other therapies ".

In addition, the minister underlined, "the ministry has financed a project for the construction of a network of cellular pharmaceutical workshops with over 60 million euros to be used for the development and administration of new advanced therapies, in particular specifically focused on Car- t ".

The Ministry of Health, he concluded, "in the awareness that research plays a primary and transversal role in all sectors in the implementation of national and European strategies in oncology, confirms its commitment by financing the research activities carried out by the Irccs and the networks of specific research for individual pathologies and in the last five years about 200 research projects aimed precisely in the oncology field have been financed with competitive calls ".

Cancer: Hope, the government is top priority for intervention

"Despite progress, cancer is still the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease and the government considers it an absolute priority for intervention, also in synergy with non-governmental organizations". This was stated by the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, speaking at the Quirinale at the celebration ceremony of 'Days of Research', an initiative promoted by the Italian Association for Cancer Research (Airc).

"Every year - underlined Speranza - over 350 thousand cases of cancer are diagnosed and the pandemic has had a negative impact with a 50% decrease in screening activities in the first months of this year, and cancer patients have paid a price. very high. For this reason, in the Budget Law we have allocated 500 million euros, in addition to the 500 million for 2020, for the recovery of screening and we still have to insist on this ground ".

Today, he continued, "evils that seemed incurable are instead becoming curable, thanks to advances such as Car-T cell technology. Various research projects financed by the ministry and in the PNRR are investing a good 4 billion on home care and this will affect even on cancer patients ".

Also in the Pnrr, recalled Speranza, "100 million euros are also allocated for rare diseases and tumors and 120 million for the enhancement of research in the NHS. We are aware that working together with the other EU member states is strategic. The fight against cancer. - he concluded - you can only win by working together ".