Fondazione Pesenti is once again supporting LILT – Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro i Tumori (the Italian League for the Fight Against Cancer) – by backing the “Nastro Rosa” campaign of LILT Milano Monza Brianza. The initiative aims to raise awareness among women about the importance of passing on the habit of preventive care from mother to daughter, particularly through support for the MammoRisk project.
Furthermore, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, LILT is introducing a new personalized prevention program: SenoRisk, specifically designed for women under 40 at increased hereditary or familial risk.
The launch of the Nastro Rosa campaign took place at Palazzo Marino in Milan, with the participation of the city’s Welfare and Health Councillor Lamberto Bertolé, campaign ambassador Mara Maionchi, LILT Milano Monza Brianza President Marco Alloisio, General Director Luisa Bruzzolo, and Medical Director Gianfranco Scaperrotta.
MAMMORISK: results
Since 2021, LILT and Fondazione Pesenti have partnered to promote MammoRisk, a personalized prevention program based on advanced data analysis methods (data mining), developed using the world’s largest breast cancer screening database.
MammoRisk uses an algorithm that combines personal and family medical history, breast density, and a salivary PRS (polygenic risk score) test to provide each woman with an individualized breast cancer risk score. Based on this, a tailored five-year early diagnosis plan is created.
Between October 2020 and March 2023, 288 women aged 40–70 participated in the MammoRisk program, 170 of whom had a family history of breast cancer. These 170 women (average age: 50/48 years) underwent a full MammoRisk assessment to classify their 5-year risk of developing breast cancer.
Participants received a specialist consultation, mammogram, breast density evaluation, and a comprehensive anamnesis. They then underwent a salivary PRS test to determine their polygenic risk score. This risk evaluation enabled LILT’s specialists to offer each woman a customized prevention pathway.
SENORISK: a program for young women with higher hereditary or familial risk
Three years on, with excellent results from MammoRisk, the project is entering Phase 2: SenoRisk. This phase expands the program to include breast oncology consultations for young women and men with increased hereditary or familial risk.
The importance of Phase 2 lies in providing care for women under 40, a group currently excluded from official screening programs and often lacking preventive care unless self-initiated. It also includes men, who, though rarely affected (about 800 male breast cancer cases annually in Italy compared to 56,000 in women), can carry genetic mutations that increase their risk.
Supporting research is a core value of the Fondazione Pesenti’s mission. We are honored to stand alongside LILT in promoting a culture of prevention and early diagnosis in oncology, extending outreach across the territory and fostering genuine “health education”, which includes preventing the social and psychological distress often linked to illness.
INSIGHTS