MILAN (ITALPRESS) – An intense and authentic story that accompanies viewers on the journey of a woman diagnosed with breast cancer. A path made of fragility and uncertainty, but also strength, awareness and trust in scientific research. This is what “The Baggage” tells, the docufilm promoted by MSD Italia in collaboration with ANDOS onlus Nazionale, Europa Donna Italia, Fondazione IncontraDonna, Komen Italia, Salute Donna ODV, made by the production company Brandon Box.
Through the voice and gaze of the protagonist, Martina, the docufilm explores the deepest emotions following a cancer diagnosis. But, most importantly, it conveys a fundamental message: every tumor is different, just as the path of every woman facing it is different. This message is underscored by the competent and passionate voices of the Presidents of the five patient associations who collaborated on the docufilm. It is they who bring experience, data and concrete perspectives, helping to highlight the value of collaboration between patients, physicians, institutions, industry and reaffirming the importance of a personalized care pathway for each woman after diagnosis, from therapy options to psychosocial support.
“Baggage” will be available on the MSD YouTube channel and on the website www.tumore-seno.it.
“The Baggage” is more than just a documentary: it is a call to awareness, faith in science, and hope. “Patients ask for more information at every stage of their journey: to be able to choose to be treated at a specialist center and to know the characteristics of their tumor from the moment of diagnosis, so as to access the most appropriate pathways and therapies. In this journey, patient associations represent a valuable support: they help to lighten the burden of the “baggage” that each one carries, and act as spokespersons for patient requests at the institutional level.
“Every woman has the right to time, space, personal contact, and physical and psychological support.” Let’s say representatives of ANDOS onlus Nazionale, Europa Donna Italia, Fondazione IncontraDonna, Komen Italia, Salute Donna ODV, who are valuable partners of this project.
Breast cancer remains the most frequent neoplasm in women in Italy, with an estimated 53,600 new diagnoses by 2024. Thanks to advances in research, early diagnosis and increasingly personalized therapy, today 88% of patients are still alive five years after diagnosis: there are currently 925,000 women in our country living with a history of breast cancer.
One of the main scientific goals achieved in recent years is the possibility of giving each breast tumor a real identity card, which could identify different forms of the disease. This approach has changed patient pathways and improved their care. “The biological type of the tumor – that is, the analysis of its molecular characteristics – is fundamental for establishing the most effective therapeutic strategy. Today a woman must not only be aware of having a tumor but must also know, directly from the diagnosis, the subtype of the tumor”, comments Michelino De Laurentiis, director SC Experimental Clinical Oncology of Senology, National Cancer Institute Pascale Foundation, Naples. “Only based on this information is it possible to design a personalized pathway for each patient, evaluating whether to proceed immediately with surgery or with systemic therapy even before surgery.”
This is why it is important for women to turn to the Breast Unit, a specialized center that guarantees a multidisciplinary and coordinated approach. “In these facilities, breast surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, radiotherapists, nurses and psychologists work together from diagnosis to building personalized therapy pathways, based on the latest scientific evidence and the patient’s specific needs.” Commentary on Carmen Criscitiello, Associate Professor at Humanitas University and Head of the Breast Oncology group at the IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital in Rozzano (MI). “An organizational model, now recognized as the reference standard at European level, that is rewriting the history of breast cancer, offering new treatment possibilities and increasing hope even in the most complex cases”.
The suitcase – the trunk – that Martina filled and carried from the first scene of the documentary was full of fear and hope, but also trust in the research that allowed us to design a tailor-made path for her, as for any other woman. “The research is completely rewriting the history of breast cancer,” said Giuseppe Curigliano, Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Milan and Director of the New Drug Development Division at the IEO in Milan. “Today we have targeted therapies, immunotherapies, conjugated antibodies and increasingly personalized approaches that allow us to offer hope even in the most complex cases. Understanding the biological characteristics of each tumor allows us to choose the right treatment for the right patient, at the right time. This is real progress: transforming scientific research into the lives and quality of life of women facing this disease.”
As the documentary so sensitively shows, the patient’s journey is not only clinical, but also deeply human: Martina’s partner plays an important role in the story, as do the doctors and other patients and the network of relationships that are drawn to the protagonist and who are an integral part of the story. “Women face moments of disorientation and vulnerability, where psychological support and the presence of caregivers are fundamental. Caregivers represent a bridge between the doctor and the patient association, strengthening the therapeutic alliance with the doctor and encouraging the woman’s active participation in her own treatment path”, says Giampaolo Bianchini, Head of Breast Oncology at the Department of Medical Oncology of IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital.
Promoting greater awareness among patients, caregivers and the public regarding the importance of personalized diagnostic-therapeutic pathways, different according to the type of breast cancer, is the preferred theme of MSD Italy, which makes correct information one of its pillars. The docufilm “The Baggage” fits this narrative and follows another awareness campaign, launched in 2024, “Not everything is the same. Breast cancer and the path of life”. Artist Lucia Ocone’s voice acts as a link between two different projects. Important moments in the documentary are highlighted by excerpts of a monologue in which in 2024 she tells the experience of a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Along with prevention and research, correct information is one of the fundamental pillars of our commitment to oncology” – said Nicoletta Luppi, President and CEO of MSD Italy. – “In line with our mission to bring innovation where to date there have been no therapeutic solutions or preventive opportunities, we feel a great responsibility to disseminate knowledge on issues that have a major impact on health. We do this by exploring various channels and languages – from institutional communications to social media, from educational programs to partnerships with the scientific community and patient associations – in the belief that only in this way can we reach an increasingly wider audience. In this way we raise awareness, encourage more timely diagnosis, and support more effective treatment pathways, putting society and its needs first In addition, we strengthen collaboration with institutions, scientific communities and regions, to turn quality information into concrete actions for the benefit of patients. We believe in the power of stories: experiences that give people a voice make information closer and easier to understand.
By 2024, MSD will have invested nearly $18 billion in research globally. Thanks to this, 200 innovative drugs and vaccines were discovered, which by 2024 will make a difference in the lives of 450 million patients.
In Italy, MSD investments in clinical research in 2024 amount to 138 million euros, equivalent to more than 15% of total national investment, with 182 active research protocols.
-MSD press office photo-
(ITALPRES).
