Dr. Adriana Albini, Scientific Collaborator, IRCCS IEO - European Institute of Oncology
 
Thanks to research, we are now able to defeat diseases even before they appear. Prevention is better than cure, especially when it comes to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. We must focus on prevention and become aware that we can do a lot to reduce both incidence and mortality.
 
While life expectancy for patients is increasing, the number of people affected is also growing, and the average incidence rate is rising.
 
The war we are fighting against cancer is extremely costly and not always successful.  For this reason, we need to change our strategy. If we were able to reduce the need for treatment—either because fewer people fall ill or because diseases are detected in time—pharmaceutical costs would decrease in favor of preventive measures, and the result could be spectacular.
 
The key words are essentially three: primary prevention, early diagnosis, and effective, less toxic therapies, all supported by a strong commitment to research.
 
A healthy lifestyle—summarized as: don’t smoke, eat well and maintain a healthy weight, and stay physically active (move!)—alone can significantly reduce the risk of complex diseases and their complications.
 
Prevention requires broad-ranging actions which, although demanding, yield long-term results: public initiatives and incentives are necessary.