Patients compliance in an early detection program for upper aero-digestive tract tumours in North-Eastern Italy

  • Salvatore Barra
  • Anna E Barón
  • Luigi Barzan
  • Giuseppe Caruso
  • Andrea Veronesi
  • Renato Talamini
  • Roberto Comoretto
  • Silvia Franceschi
Article
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Summary

An early detection program for tumours of the upper respiratory and digestive tract has been conducted from December, 1988 to May, 1989 in the Friuli Venezia-Giulia region, Northeastern Italy. This region shows very high mortality rates for cancers in these sites. Six hundred seventy-one high risk patients (i e habitual smokers and/or drinkers) were referred to Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists from 16 General Practitioners (GPs) for a free examination as part of the screening program. Four hundred thirty-six patients underwent the visit (65%) with fifty-five precancerous lesions and eight epithelial tumours detected-among them. This program appears to have accomplished its aims of establishing a closer relationship between GPs and ENT specialists, discovering early cancerous and precancerous lesions, and targeting high risk patients with an educational message against smoking and heavy drinking.

Keywords

Vocal Cord Laryngeal Cancer Precancerous Lesion Chronic Inflammatory Process Habitual Smoker 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Résumé

Une étude pilote de dépistage a été conduite dans la région Friuli-Venezia Giulia, dans le Nord-Est d'Italie, depuis décembre 1988 jusqu'en mars 1989 concernant les cancers de l'appareil respiratoire et digestif supérieur. Ces régions montrent un taux très élevé de mortalité par les cancers. 671 patients à haut risque (fumeurs et/ou buveurs) ont été adressés aux spécialistes ORL pour une consultation gratuite de dépistage.

Zusammenfassung

Von Dezember 1988 bis Mai 1989 wurde in der Region Friaul-Venedig-Giulia in Nordost-Italien eine Pilotstudie zur Früherkennung von Tumoren des oberen Respirations- und Verdauungstraktes durchgeführt. Die Region ist gekennzeichnet durch sehr hohe Karzinom-Mortalitätsziffern dieser Lokalisationen. 671 Hochrisikopatienten (d h regelmässige Raucher und/oder Trinker) wurden von 16 Allgemeinpraktikern an Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Spezialisten zur kostenlosen Vorsorgeuntersuchung überwiesen. Bei den 436 Patienten, welche an der Untersuchung teilnahmen, wurden 55 präkanzeröse

Läsionen und acht Epitheltumoren entdeckt.

Die Pilotstudie scheint das Ziel erreicht zu haben, die Beziehung zwischen Allgemeinpraktikern und Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Spezialisten zu verbessern, frühe kanzeröse und präkanzeröse Veränderungen zu entdecken und die Hochrisikopatienten über die gesundheitlichen Risiken von Rauchen und Trinken aufzuklären.

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Copyright information

© Birkhäuser-Verlag 1990

Authors and Affiliations

  • Salvatore Barra
    • 1
  • Anna E Barón
    • 1
    • 2
  • Luigi Barzan
    • 3
  • Giuseppe Caruso
    • 3
  • Andrea Veronesi
    • 4
  • Renato Talamini
    • 1
  • Roberto Comoretto
    • 3
  • Silvia Franceschi
    • 1
  1. 1.Servizio di EpidemiologiaAviano Cancer CenterAvianoItalia
  2. 2.Department of Preventive Medicine and BiometricsUniversity of Colorado Health Sciences CenterDenver
  3. 3.Divisione di OtorinolaringoiatriaOspedale CivilePordenone
  4. 4.Divisione di Oncologia MedicaAviano Cancer CenterAvianoItalia

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