NUMBER OF ITALIAN CANCER SURVIVORS RISES 37% IN 10 YEARS

The Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) said that around 3.6 million people are alive in Italy today having been diagnosed with some form of tumor, an increase of 37% on the number of cancer survivors the nation had 10 years ago.

However, AIOM also raised an alarm about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fight against cancer, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

It said more than two million fewer screening tests were done in Italy in the first nine months of 2020.

"Delays in early diagnosis can cause an increase in mortality rates," said AIOM President Giordano Beretta.

"The prevention programs must be restarted as soon as possible and financed with more funding."

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