by Vera Martinella by Vera Martinella
60 patients are enrolled, candidates for surgery or chemo-radiotherapy, who will first undergo physical preparation, nutritional intervention and psychological support to verify if this optimizes the response to treatment
Every year in Italy approximately 10 thousand people receive the diagnosis head and neck cancer, a group of malignancies that can affect the upper aerodigestive tract (mouth, tongue, lips, throat, larynx, vocal cords), the salivary glands, nasal cavities and the paranasal sinuses. Tumors that affect the face and organs important for the quality of life, central to breathing and nutrition. «Diseases for which lThe aesthetic and psychological impact can be heavy, which is why treatments aim, as much as possible, to “save” the body part from invasive interventions – underlines Laura Locati, head of Translational Oncology at the IRCCS Maugeri in Pavia -. Rehabilitation is essential for recovery after treatment, but a growing body of research indicates that physical activity, nutritional intervention and support psychological tests carried out before therapies can improve the response to oncological treatments». From these assumptions a study was born, coordinated by the IRCCS Maugeri, which intends recruit 60 patients in three Italian centers that will be prepared in the structures participating in the project (Pavia, Naples and Sassari), with the aim of verifying whether pre-habilitation can concretely improve the immune system’s response to therapies and reduce their unwanted effects.
60 patients are recruited in Pavia, Naples and Sassari
«The therapeutic approach for head and neck tumors can be surgery or radio-chemotherapy – continues Locati -. If it was once thought that the patient should rest for arrive at the surgery in the best physical condition, today we know that this result is obtained with aadequate physical and psychological preparationwhich puts the patient in a position to respond best to therapies”. For this reason the objective is to verify how thepersonalized and supervised physical activity by a kinesiologist expert in preventive motor activityassociated with nutritional and psychological support, influences the response to treatment. The study, financed with PNRR funds and carried out in collaboration with the Policlinico San Matteo Foundation IRCCS and CNAO (National Oncological Hadrontherapy Center, also in Pavia), thePascale Cancer Institute of Naples and theUniversity Hospital of Sassariprovides tailor-made pathways for patients who have just received a diagnosis of head and neck cancer. The project, lasting two years, involves the enrollment of 30 patients who are candidates for surgery and 30 with an indication for chemo-radiotherapy treatment, who have received a diagnosis of curable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The enrolled patients will undergo pre-qualification in the structures participating in the project, and will then be treated in their respective hospitals of origin (for further information write to [email protected]).
Younger patients due to the Papillomavirus
In most cases, Head and neck cancers are discovered lateat an advanced stage, when therapies must be more invasive and the chances of recovery are lower. This is mainly due to the fact that these types of cancer are little known and the symptoms (for example burning or lesions in the oral cavity, sore throat, pain in the tongue, lowering of the voice, painful swallowing or swelling in the neck) are underestimated. About 75% of head and neck cancers are attributable to the consumption of tobacco and alcoholic beverages, but in recent years there has been a significant increase, especially in oral cancers, largely attributable to papillomavirus or HPV infection. «If previously head and neck cancers were very frequent in subjects over 65 (24% of new cases are diagnosed in patients over 70 years of age), mostly smokers and alcohol consumers, in recent years the number of young patients (55 years on average) who develop this tumor often due to HPV – concludes Locati -. They are our target audience for the study.” The pre-qualification path envisaged by the working group involves the use of latest generation technologies such as D-Wallequipment currently supplied to the gym of the Pavia Institute, and a special clock which will be used to monitor vital parameters during and after training and keep performance under control during physical activity. Participants will have to wear it for the entire duration of the pre-habilitation period, during the intervention or therapy administration phase (from 2 to 4 months) and for the entire follow up period (6 months from the intervention or from the conclusion of the oncological treatment cycle).
October 22, 2024 (modified October 22, 2024 | 09:21)
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