Smoker or ex: with Smac you can find out how you are

Increasingly rapid diagnosis of pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases, prevention of smoking-related diseases. These are the objectives of SMAC, Smokers Health Action Multiple, a free screening project for heavy smokers and ex-smokers that provides low-dose thoracic computed tomography (CT) combined with intense anti-smoking activity. The study, aimed at smokers over 30 years of age or former smokers over the age of 55 years was developed by Dr. Giulia Veronesi, head of the Humanitas Section of Robotic Surgery, at the University of California. operational thoracic surgery unit led by prof. Alloisio, with the support of Humanitas Cancer Center, Humanitas University, Ministry of Health, AIRC, ATS Milan Metropolitan City, General Practitioners, LILT Foundation and Umberto Veronesi

July 12: European Meeting at Humanitas

The SMAC Project will be presented at the CLEARLY meeting, a multi-center European project in which Humanitas is coordinator and part of the Transcan 2 program, included in Horizon 2020. The meeting, which will take place on Thursday, July 12 at the Humanitas Congress Center, will participate the main European experts cancer screening and translational research and will discuss lung cancer prevention through the identification of circulating biomarkers and imaging.

Identification of Early Cancer

The project addresses people at high risk for exposure to smoking. The first participants are scheduled for September this year. "Thanks to screening" – explains Dr. Veronesi – we can find tumors before they give symptoms of their presence, in a phase where they are operable in 80% of cases. Currently, most patients arrive at diagnosis when symptoms appear, so with the disease already advanced and less chance of recovery. In addition, thanks to screening, it is now possible to identify very small tumors, which can be treated by minimally invasive robotic and personalized surgery, saving most healthy lungs, with rapid functional recovery and early discharge. . In the United States, screening has already been a standard procedure since 2012, following international recommendations based on studies showing a reduction in the mortality of the screened population compared to controls. Our goal is to involve the institutions so that lung screening is also included in the measures of the Italian National Health Policy through this pilot study developed with the ATS of Metropolitan Milan and the family doctors ".

"Artificial Intelligence for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Nodules

A very promising aspect of the research will be to exploit artificial intelligence for the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules. "We planned to instruct a supercomputer with Tac Screening images to ensure that in the future the computer performs the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant lung nodules." , avoiding biopsies and invasive procedures for patients "- explains prof. Arturo Chiti, Head of Humanitas Nuclear Medicine and Professor at Humanitas University

Liquid Biopsy and Research

Among the many objectives of the study, besides the illustrated clinical applications, there are aspects translational research. In fact, blood sampling will require further study of the molecular markers of the tumor. "The experimental goal is represented by the badysis of molecules and blood cells in the field of what is called the" liquid biopsy ", which consists of discovering whether tumor cells in the blood, fragments of tumor genes or proteins "- prof. Gioacchino Natoli, researcher and professor of biochemistry at Humanitas University, to be able to use these molecular tests or a combination of these for the early diagnosis of tumors and other diseases related to smoking

Innovation in screening: no only pulmonary tumors

SMAC provides for the execution of certain tests, including calcium and coronary spirometry CT, for the detection of cardiovascular risk and the early detection of emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). "Smoking is a major risk factor for heart attack or atherosclerosis." The low-dose chest TAC calculates the degree of calcification of the coronary arteries, which is directly proportional to the risk of heart attack or stroke. coronary artery stenosis With screening, we can then badess the cardiovascular risk of the participants in the program and, if necessary, refer it to cardiological controls for prevention or modification of lifestyles and / or preventive treatments (statins) " – explains the teacher. Gianluigi Condorelli, Director of the Cardiovascular Department of Humanitas and Professor of Humanitas University. "In addition, with the blood dosage of certain proteins related to inflammation and spirometry, which badesses the functioning of the lung, as well as data on the presence or lack of images of Emphysema shown by the TAC, we can evaluate the anticipate treatment by reducing chronic disability "- says Dr. Francesca Puggioni, pneumologist of the center of medicine and personalized allergy Humanitas

Anti-smoking activities [19659004] Prevention also occupies a prominent place in the activities planned by SMAC, with the provision of personalized itineraries that help projection participants to quit smoking. "Smokers will be referred to the Humanitas Anti-Smoking Center, where they will have meetings for psychological support and pharmacological treatment to quit smoking, even though we can not exclude from the project those who simply can not be safe. To stop, the SMAC project will try every year to direct the most tobacco-dependent people to the center "- says Dr. Licia Siracusano, director of the Humanitas Anti-smoking Center.