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There must be no before and after. A diagnosis doesn’t have to interrupt an existence. And you must always be ready to be able to rediscover your creativity, the desire to take care of yourself even with yoga, to know that good food can be a pleasure capable of stimulating the senses. The message that emerges from the new edition of “It’s time for life”, information campaign promoted by Novartis Italy and created in collaboration with Women’s Health Onlus. The initiative, dedicated to women with advanced breast cancer but useful for all, offers a series of appointments on the web with good food, yoga and creativity at the home of women living with advanced breast cancer and who due to pandemics are facing the difficulties of isolation and new obstacles in managing the disease.
This is how the tumor is challenged
“The health emergency we have witnessed in the last year has marked a breaking point, with the removal of patients from the wards, the suspension or modification of screening and treatment paths and delays in visits and in follow-up. In the period January-February 2021 alone, the new diagnoses of breast cancer suffered a 3% decrease compared to the same period in 2020. ” explains Paolo Marchetti, Director of Medical Oncology B, Policlinico Umberto I and Sant’Andrea University Hospital, Full Professor of Oncology, “Sapienza”, University of Rome. “Now it is important to promote the full return to care as soon as possible and to support women in reconnecting with the wards and the hospital. Returning to treatment means not only fully resuming the therapeutic path upset by the pandemic, but recover a multidisciplinary approach assistance, essential for responding to the needs of patients in the daily management of the disease in its many facets “.
These aspects, linked to the need for an existence as normal as possible, are at the heart of the initiative. Because heart, mind to body must travel together, also considering that in terms of therapies the situation is gradually offering new alternatives thanks to science. He confirms it Philip de Braud, Full Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Milan and Director of the Oncohematology Department of the IRCCS National Cancer Institute Foundation: “The creation of supplementary pathways and services to meet the multiple needs of patients has assumed a key role in recent months, both for women and their caregivers, and for the entire healthcare team involved in the care process. Today we can offer innovative therapeutic opportunities, able to act in a targeted way on the tumor and this personalized approach to diagnosis and treatment must be reflected in an equal attention to the specific characteristics of each woman, also from a psychological and emotional point of view, to grasp the uniqueness and needs that concern the many aspects of life “.
Lessons with Life Academy…. And not only
Among the novelties in the program, the Facebook page @time will host the “Life Academy” until October, a series of online lessons, curated by pairs of influencers and experts and divided into “Enjoy”, “Think” and “Inspire“.
A series of events that through recipes, yoga exercises, illustrations and creative games want to support and involve women with breast cancer, to rediscover moments of well-being and quality time, starting with the rediscovery of the pleasure of good food. A focus on food is renewed with a special initiative.
Thanks to the partnership with “My Cooking Box”, “It’s time for life” brings home to women with breast cancer all the ingredients and instructions to make a healthy and tasty recipe, created for them by the food and wine expert and TV face Chiara Maci and by the biologist and nutritionist of the National Cancer Institute of Milan Anna Villarini. The special box “It’s time for life” is available for online purchase on the website http://www.mycookingbox.it, with shipping throughout Italy. Over 800 boxes will be dedicated to patients and distributed for free through Women’s Health Onlus. In addition, the campaign’s @tempodivita Facebook page will host a series of Live Talks from April to October, which will cross Italy because they will host four Breast Units from different Italian regions.
Expert oncologists, flanked by other experts in multidisciplinary fields such as psychologists, gynecologists and nutritionists, will sit in the virtual living room close to the patients and talk to each other online, opening the dialogue to the testimonies and questions of all the participants.
In collaboration with Novartis Italia
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