PolmoniAMO_INGL

PolmoniAMO 9 Italian Manifesto One in 10 men and one in 35 women will develop lung cancer during their lifetime [1]. These data give a stark picture of how prevalent this cancer is, which is also burdened by a high mortality rate, making it the most frequent cause of cancer death in Italy. Given the high prevalence and mortality of lung cancer, the availability of effective screening programmes would be a valuable public health resource, both for the gener- al population and to monitor the health of particular subgroups such as heavy smokers (≥30 packets/year) and smoking workers who have previously been exposed to asbes- tos. However, lung cancer has historically received less attention than other equally prevalent cancers . This is partly due to the social stigma associated with it, which can be attributed to the fact that the majority of lung cancer patients have pre- viously smoked. There is currently no secondary prevention programme for this can- cer and, unlike breast screening, cervical screening/HPV-DNA testing, or faecal occult blood detection, the screening methods currently available do not fall within the scope of the cancer screening programmes approved and reimbursed by the National Healthcare System (SSN). The 5-year survival figures for lung cancer sufferers (16% in men and 23% in women) is a stark reminder that, despite the significant progress made in recent times, there is still a long and challenging road ahead . If smoking is the main weapon we must take away from this big killer, it is equally important to make use of the opportunities that clinical research has more recently pioneered in terms of diagnosis. In fact, it is well documented by scientific evidence that the prognosis of a malignan- cy detected at an early stage thanks to screening measures results in a significantly reduced risk of death in the population [2]. In this context, the early detection of lung cancer can transform a disease with a poor prognosis into a treatable disease with significant individual and social consequences. This addresses the issue of the chronicisation of the disease, which is characterised by an increasing number of long-suffering patients. Investing in lung cancer screening has never been more urgent and imperative because the health and socio-economic implications of failing to implement screening 1. BACKGROUND