The “incomplete” Pink Ribbon of the AIRC Campaign marks the urgency of new treatments for breast cancer

True, advances in research into breast cancer diagnosis and treatment have now led to up to 87% 5-year survival. Nevertheless this disease continues to affect about 55,000 women in Italy every year, one in eight in their lifetime, confirming themselves as the most common tumor in the female gender.

Today, the challenge is therefore entirely centered onurgent need to find new treatments for those facing the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, like the type triple negative, which affects mainly at a young age, and the metastatic breast cancer, which affects about 37,000 women in our country alone.

A very difficult challenge, which AIRC Foundation for cancer research he wanted to visually represent with an incomplete pink ribbon, because it requires everyone’s commitment to be fully colored. It requires the commitment of women, who must undergo the screening and control examinations recommended for early diagnosis; it requires the commitment of researchers, to work to develop new therapies; and requires the commitment of supporters, who with their donations allow research to never stop.

An appeal, the one launched by the AIRC Foundation which this year becomes even more urgent due to the emergence of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on screening programs. Some researchers have estimated that in 2020 in Italy, in the three-month lockdown alone, about 10,000 patients may not have received an early diagnosis of breast cancer, a number that rises to 16,000, if the following quarter is included. A delay that must be bridged as soon as possible, to reduce the number of diagnoses in more advanced stages of the disease.

THE NASTRO ROSA AIRC 2021 CAMPAIGN: FROM THE LIGHT THAT TURNS ON

In Italy, the Nastro Rosa international breast cancer campaign kicks off on the evening of Thursday 30
September, When AIRC Foundation e The Estée Lauder Companies Italia will light up in
pink the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan for the Breast Cancer Campaign. From the first
October will be the turn of hundreds of municipal buildings and monuments across the country, yes
will light up thanks to the collaboration between AIRC and ANCI (National Association of Municipalities
Italians), to draw citizens’ attention to the importance of supporting cancer research and prevention.

And there’s more: throughout the month of October, AIRC will disseminate information and advice on the site nastrorosa.it, on social media with the hashtag #nastrorosaairc, through the magazine Basic and thanks to the collaboration of
campaign partner. On this occasion, the “TITS UP! Stories of women battling cancer al otherwise”, Podcast series born from the collaboration between the AIRC Foundation and Storielibere.fm, which tells of women who have faced or are facing breast cancer on their own skin and have decided to talk about themselves even in the darkest moments, all with the “chest out”. The Serie Tits Up! is conceived and narrated by Samanta Chiodini and can count on the contribution of the AIRC researcher Lucia Del Mastro, Coordinator of the Breast Unit of the Policlinico San Martino in Genoa.

ALL THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO RESEARCH WITH A DONATION

Determining to make one’s support felt for the Foundation and for Research, each voluntary financial contribution – especially in the month dedicated to the treatment of breast cancer – is one more step towards the defeat of the disease and can be made in many ways:
– choosing the Pink Ribbon pins AIRC, available for a minimum donation of 2 euros
in pharmacies and distribution points indicated on nastrorosa.it;
– by carrying out a donation by credit card on nastrorosa.it or by calling the toll-free number 800 350 350 (active from Monday to Saturday from 8.30 to 19.30);
– by calling 45521 from a landline phone to donate 5 or 10 euros or by sending one or more SMS worth 2 euros to 45521;
– through a bank transfer IBAN IT 18 N 05034 01633 000000005226;
– by opening a fundraising page on the Rete del Dono portal, subscriptions through this link;
– for artisans and small businesses who want to support the campaign with theirs
activities a dedicated path has been created through this link;