On the occasion of Mother’s Day also returns the traditional Azalea Research of AIRC – AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research.

On Sunday, May 12th, the volunteers will be present in 3,700 Italian squares for the distribution of Le Azalee della Ricerca, the flower that symbolizes the battle against the female tumors, and all the funds raised will be destined to research projects on these tumors.

Research but also attention to prevention: with a donation of 15 euros, in fact, you will receive the azalea plant and also a guide containing information on the importance of adopting healthy habits and behaviors.

Humanitas is also taking part in the initiative by hosting an AIRC banquet at Building 2 with the Research Azaleas on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 May.

To find the nearest square and for more information click here.

AIRC Research

In the last three years AIRC has provided more than 32 million euros to the researchers for studies on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast and reproductive organs cancer. These are neoplasms that are estimated to have affected 68,300 women in Italy last year.

The most common is the breast cancer, with about 52,300 new diagnoses. However, it is also the tumor for which, in the last two decades, the best results have been obtained thanks to research. Despite the progress made, there is much work to be done, for example in the treatment of the most aggressive forms such as triple negative breast cancer, which affects especially at a young age and against which no targeted therapies are available, and metastatic breast cancer, which from the primary site has spread to other organs.

Gynecological tumors, on the other hand, concern about 16,000 patients. For endometrial and cervical cancers endometrium survival at five years has grown steadily, while the situation for ovarian cancer is more complex. This tumor is difficult to be diagnosed early and often has a high rate of recurrence and drug resistance. AIRC researchers are therefore experimenting with new combinations of therapies to reduce drug resistance and are also focusing on immunotherapy in an attempt to identify new medications capable of stimulating the immune responses of patients.