Tommaso Simoncini: Support Not Stigma – 8th World Gynecologic Oncology Day
Tommaso Simoncini, President of ISGE – International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology and the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS), shared on LinkedIn:
“Support Not Stigma
Beside women, beyond the disease
September 20, 8th World Gynecologic Oncology Day (World GO Day)
On September 20, we celebrate World GO Day, promoted by ESGO and ENGAGe to support the more than 3 million women living with a gynecological cancer. More than one million new cases are diagnosed every year, and estimates indicate this figure will exceed 2 million by 2050.
This year’s theme, Support Not Stigma, calls on us to move beyond awareness and build concrete systems of support, overcoming the taboos that still surround women’s health. When symptoms are downplayed or left unspoken, diagnoses come later, and outcomes can worsen: speaking about them openly is already a form of care.
At the Pisa University Hospital (Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana (AOUP)), every patient is supported by a multidisciplinary team of gynecologic oncologists, surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, psychologists and nurses.
For years now, AOUP has been Italy’s fourth-largest center by volume and complexity in the treatment of gynecological cancers, offering an excellent surgical pathway characterized by technological innovation, respect for women’s needs and oncological radicality. The recent dual recognition of AOUP by the European Society of Gynecological Oncology (ESGO) as a center of excellence for ovarian cancer surgery and for endometrial cancer is proof of the great work carried out over the years.
Caring also means knowing the woman as a whole person. Our dialogue with scientific societies such as the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology (ISGE), committed to advancing knowledge of gynecological endocrinology and women’s health, gives proper attention to the female sphere, including hormonal balance, fertility and sexuality, and helps us assess patients’ quality of life.
The care pathway is built together with those who live it. That is why the support of ACTO, Alleanza Contro il Tumore Ovarico (the Italian alliance against ovarian cancer), is so valuable: it brings the real needs of patients and their families into the hospital and reminds us that listening is part of care.
Reducing stigma requires constant prevention and information. Pap tests, HPV tests, HPV vaccination, healthy lifestyles, and prompt reporting of persistent symptoms are essential tools to protect the health of women today and of future generations.
A woman is not her disease, and no one should face it alone.”
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