Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – "The path initiated by national institutions on nutrition in oncology has already marked important milestones: from the recognition of nutritional screening for cancer patients, which was approved in last year's Budget Law, to the work of the National Committee on Nutritional Security at the Ministry of Health. Now, in the development phase of the 2027 Budget Bill, we must continue this commitment and take a further step to ensure uniform access throughout the country to Foods for Special Medical Purposes (AFMS): products specifically formulated and intended for the dietary management of patients who, due to a disease, disorder, or specific medical condition, have nutritional needs that cannot be met with a normal diet.
Among these, Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) represent an effective clinical solution to combat calorie-protein malnutrition associated with diseases and provide proven benefits on clinical outcomes and patient quality of life. This is what the Federation of Voluntary Oncology Associations (FAVO), the Italian Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (SINUC), the Italian Society of Artificial Nutrition and Metabolism (SINPE), and the Alliance Against Cancer (ACC) announced in a statement. Representing patients and scientific societies, they appeal to the Government and Parliament to ensure that the budget does not interrupt the path undertaken, but includes an initial intervention to ensure equal access for all cancer patients, wherever they live.
In a complex phase for the country – the note informs – called upon to respond to different priorities and to carefully use public resources, “the needs of the most fragile people cannot be overlooked.
Malnutrition affects over half of cancer patients at their first visit and, if left untreated, can compromise treatment response and quality of life, as well as lead to complications and hospitalizations. Currently, the availability of free Afms depends on the decisions of individual Regions and, in many cases, on the organization of individual Local Health Authorities (ASLs).
The result is unequal access to nutritional therapy: some patients must bear the cost or undergo complex procedures, while others risk forgoing it. The benefits for patients are accompanied by greater economic sustainability of the National Health Service: as demonstrated by the pharmacoeconomic study 'Estimation of the economic value of foods for special medical purposes (AFMS) in the management of cancer patients in Italy', presented last June in the Senate at the initiative of Senator Elena Murelli, a widespread distribution of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) for newly diagnosed cancer patients with malnutrition would lead to a net annual economic savings of approximately 45 million euros. Indeed, against an investment of approximately 50 million euros per year, the costs avoided thanks to the reduction in rehospitalizations, emergency room visits, and visits are estimated at approximately 95 million euros per year.
"Access to Foods for Special Medical Purposes cannot depend on the region of residence," stated Paola Varese, president of FAVO. "For many cancer patients, this is an essential therapy that can impact their quality of life, their ability to resume activities, and the overall outcome of treatment. For FAVO, AMFs are a strategic support for comprehensive management of patients' needs, and defining their prescribability can become a driving force for consolidating virtuous pathways within oncology networks. The government and the Ministry of Health have already shown concern for this issue: we are confident that the draft Budget Law, already in its drafting phase, will include an initial intervention to ensure access to them throughout the country, pending their inclusion in the Essential Levels of Care, a proposal we have already advanced at FAVO."
"Weight and muscle loss impact treatment response, tolerability, and survival," explained Maurizio Muscaritoli, president of Sinuc. "AFMS, prescribed and monitored by physicians as part of well-established clinical nutrition and medical nutritional therapy programs, are effective and safe tools. Therefore, they should be considered an integral part of the oncology treatment pathway, with consistent access rules." "We need a national framework that defines common prescription and delivery criteria and ensures continuity of care between hospital and community," added Antonella Lezo, president of Sinpe. "A signal in the Budget Law would allow this process to be concretely initiated."
"Available evidence indicates that personalized nutritional support is associated with benefits for the nutritional status, function, and quality of life of cancer patients, as well as contributing to the reduction of complications and prolonged hospital stays," reiterated Riccardo Caccialanza, Secretary of the Survivorship Care and Nutritional Support Working Group at ACC. "This is why access to AFMS cannot depend on the region of residence. The Budget Law is an opportunity to continue the process and recognize clinical nutrition as an integral part of oncology care, for the benefit of patients and the sustainability of the National Health Service."
"The data presented to the Senate in June made it clear that ensuring clinical nutrition for cancer patients is also beneficial to the National Health Service (NHS), which would generate an estimated net economic benefit of approximately €45 million per year," commented Senator Murelli, 10th Committee on Social Affairs, Health, Public and Private Employment, and Social Security. "This result reinforces the need to continue along this path, and I am confident that the Government will carefully evaluate, starting in the draft Budget Law, a first concrete step toward uniform access to AFMS. For my part, I will work to ensure this issue is addressed in the text and subsequently during the parliamentary review, so that no patient is penalized based on the Region in which they live." The statement concludes: "Favo, Sinuc, Sinpe, and Acc thank the Ministry of Health for the work initiated within the National Roundtable on Nutritional Safety (Tansin) and confirm their willingness to collaborate with the Government and Parliament to ensure effective and uniform access to clinical nutrition for cancer in Italy."
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