Lorenzo De Silvestri and Carlotta Mazzitelli, AIRC testimonial: “Together in life and research against cancer”

«My wife is deployed firsthand because she did her life of the research, I tried to use my image, my social networks and my presence to help research as much as possible, to raise funds. I discovered the importance of research for everyone at home ». Lorenzo De Silvestri For Bologna is the mayor, footballly speaking, the player who became a flag, the one who, when a new partner arrives inserted him in the chat of the, leads him to meet the city. His wife is Carlotta Mazzitelli researcher at the Sant’Orsola hospital in Bologna. They are one of the couples most distant from the stereotype of the footballer and his partner and are testimonials and supporters of Airc, Italian Foundation for Cancer Research In particular on days such as Sunday 11 May when the research azalea returns, on the occasion of Mother’s Day, in more than 3,500 squares throughout Italy.

«I can say I have done my work of my passion, because the research is precisely what I have dedicated to my life so far and it is what I have studied for and my current job. I work at the Sant’Orsola, specifically dealing with breast cancer »explains Carlotta Mazzitelli. «He decided his life for me in a certain sense, because as a child I lost my father for a tumor and I decided that at that traumatic event I wanted to give a positive meaning and I tried to transform the pain into energy more to help others. I made a mission that was therapeutic for me and useful for the community ».

The awareness of this researcher has arrived with the closeness since childhood, but still many adults do not approach research except when the disease affects a family member or a friend. “Still too often,” adds Carlotta Mazzitelli, “I can say that, at least in the research, Covid has a little responsible for the community on how important research can be. It is true unfortunately that either one thing lives it, as it happened to me in the family or Lorenzo through me, or or or you don’t realize completely ».

The objective of the Nazalea of ​​research is also to collect new resources to be allocated to research projects on tumors that affect women. Only last year in Italy were estimated 175,600 new diagnoses. The attention to research has increased in recent years has increased because tumors are now often in the lives of our acquaintances and many have seen that the progress of the research lead to healing in many cases. «Airc also helps a lot in prevention. Unfortunately in Italy, adhesion to screening programs is still very low and instead it is essential to be able to identify those tumors when they are still in the initial stage. The responsibility must also be in this sense, in making good prevention on ourselves. Arriving in time tumors that would be incurable, instead they can be treated »explains the researcher, who will be a mother in the summer.

There are also many good behaviors to convey, for everyone. Lorenzo De Silvestri explains: «I do it showing my behaviors from physical activity to eating healthily to prevent tumors. Obviously the non -smoking. It does not always take root, but being an example gives me that lifeblood to be able to continue to do even if the younger generations are often subject to examples, in my opinion, wrong, but much easier, for example, to be seen on social media ».

“The world of sport,” he adds, “he could do more, go to schools, commit himself directly. This is also why I made a relationship with AIRC: young people look at the players of course, they look at the athletes. They are the means to share the right messages. I share them all because they are naturally part of my belief ».

Today in Italy 2 out of 3 women who get sick with cancer are lived five years after the diagnosis Thanks to the constant progress of the research that have made available methods for increasingly early diagnosis, less invasive surgical approaches and more precise, targeted and better tolerated therapies. However, there are significant differences between the different types of cancer from this point of view: after a breast cancer about 88% of women are alive five years after the diagnosis While For women affected by a gynecological cancer The percentages are approximately 79% for the cerler’s body cancer, 68% for uterine cervix and 43% for the ovary. There early diagnosis plays a fundamental role in increasing the probability of overcoming the disease.

Carlotta Mazzitelli deals specifically with breast cancer. «It is a study that concerns prevention because it would lead to an early diagnosis of the disease and this, in my opinion, will be the strategy with which we will be able to defeat more and more tumors. I have patients who are suffering from breast cancer and who should be subjected to a therapy before surgery. At the time of the diagnosis I take a blood sample to the patient and account what are the circulating cancer cells that are cells that start from the primary tumor and then go to the circle and create the beginning of metastases. Finding them in the circle at the beginning would be a way to prevent the tumor more aggressive. I then go to compare this sample of start therapy with that at the end of the therapy, before the surgery and see if the count of these cells has increased or decreased to also give help to see whether the therapy has an effect or not “.

This research sector is mainly feminine unlike others in the STEM sector. «The research, in particular in this sector, is feminine and also in important positions. In research you must have passion, organization and empathycharacteristics that are women ». It is also teamwork, like Lorenzo De Silvestri’s football: «By living a locker room every day for me it is very important to make a group, understanding what others think. Carlotta’s work then helps me a lot because, when I come home, I bring me a little normal to what are actually the things to improve for people. I think teaming also serves to search because the more you teams up and the more you can find a cure in the shortest possible time».

The world of football is often seen as far, separated, that is, people who live an uncommon life. «I also had examples of normal people who live their lives, a very simple relationship, normal values. I understand, however, that in the world of football you are often very young, you have great responsibilities, you are under one the spotlight, it is obvious that life also leads you to do some different things, you are a bit in a muffled world. But I also learned about many guys who grew up in healthy families and then want to continue to grow in a healthy way ». He adds his wife: «I think many generalizations have been made. As true as there may be, in our little one we are the example of two people who do their job, both with passion and who have managed to make two worlds live together that seem more distant then than what they are actually ».

The story of their union is very similar to that of people who are brought for study or work in different cities. «We have made some compromises. I was doing the doctorate in Genoa and he played in Turin. They have been years of sacrifices for the couple, but when there is mutual respect, it is expected. Now we are in Bologna we live with stability ».

In Bologna, as in over 3500 other squares of Italian cities this Sunday is that of the research azalea. Thousands of volunteers Of AIRC Foundation 600 thousand seedlings will be committed to distributing a minimum donation of 18 euros, an important day to remember sixty years of commitment in support of the best independent oncological research. “Science, research, must no longer be described only in the scientific community, in the congresses, as something elitist, but must become something daily” add both, “and we must use all possible means also to reach young people”.

Born in 1984, the first fundraising campaign on the squares, the research azalea continues to represent the reference appointment to celebrate mothers and women with a flower, which has become a real symbol of women’s health. This initiative has allowed AIRC to raise funds for guarantee continuity to doctors and researchers committed to tackling tumors affecting women. The appointment is also an opportunity to promote the importance of prevention and tell the most important goals achieved by oncological research.

In Italy only last year they estimated themselves 175,600 new diagnoses in the female gender. The most frequent tumors among women are those of breast (53,065 new cases), of colorectal (21.233), of lung (12,940), ofuterus (8,652), of thyroid (8.322), del pancreas (6,712), the Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (5.950), the skin melanoma (5,872), Cancer of the bladder (5,789) and of stomach (5,512), according to the AIOVIVIVAL data.

From April 24, Azalea is also available on Amazon. Here all the information and distribution points on azaleadellarcerca.it.