On Sunday 11 May, on the occasion of Mother’s Day, 3,900 Italian squares will host the AIRC initiative to support research on women’s tumors, which last year hit 175,600 women.
The research azalea, an unmistakable symbol of the fight against female tumors, returns to color the Italian squares. This Sunday, thousands of AIRC volunteers will distribute 600,000 seedlings against a minimum donation of 18 euros. The initiative, born in 1984, celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the AIRC Foundation this year and is confirmed as an essential appointment to support independent oncological research.
The numbers tell a complex reality: in 2024, 175,600 women received a diagnosis of cancer in Italy. Breast cancer remains the most frequent (53,065 cases), followed by colorectal (21,233) and lung (12,940). But there is a note of hope in this apparently dark panorama: thanks to the progress of the research, today 2 out of 3 women are living five years after the diagnosis. A significant result, although with considerable differences between various types of cancer.
Behind these numbers there are stories of resilience, such as that of Roberta, 37 years old, who faced a Hodgkin lymphoma with the support of Mamma Carla.
Those who do not find the azaleas in the square can buy them on Amazon or visit azaleadellarcerca.it to identify the nearest distribution point. A small donation that, like a seed, can make new possibilities of care and hope sprout.
