by InTrieste
A month after announcing a regional campaign to support breast cancer research, local officials and representatives from the supermarket chain Despar gathered Thursday at Udine’s Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital to formalize the results: more than 335,000 customer micro-donations amounting to €114,941.49.
The initiative, titled Sostieni la Ricerca (“Support Research”), ran throughout October across 76 Despar, Eurospar, and Interspar stores in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Shoppers contributed by rounding up their receipts at checkout — a method that has become increasingly common in Italian charitable drives. The funds will support a research project led by the Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC) and the Udine branch of Andos, the national breast-cancer survivors’ association.
Researchers will use the donation to advance a study on DNA methylation in breast cancer cells, an emerging field seen as promising for early diagnosis and personalized oncological treatment.
Breast cancer is the most common tumor affecting women in Italy, with more than 55,000 new cases reported nationally in 2023, according to the National Cancer Registry. Friuli Venezia Giulia has one of the country’s highest incidence rates — roughly 1,500 new cases annually — but also one of the highest five-year survival rates, at 89.4 percent, outpacing the national average.
Regional health officials framed the initiative as an example of successful collaboration between public institutions and private companies. “This demonstrates once again that the public-private partnership works well here,” said Riccardo Riccardi, the regional councilor for health, who noted that such efforts strengthen research and care capacity.
Hospital leaders echoed the sentiment. “We will use this significant contribution to continue improving our response to this very common disease,” said Denis Caporale, general director of ASUFC.
Despar Nord has participated in charitable partnerships in the region for more than 15 years, company representatives said. Fabrizio Cicero, the chain’s regional director, called the effort “a shared goal” between the voluntary sector, the health system, and consumers. “We are proud of our customers’ generosity,” he said.
Medical experts emphasized the scientific importance of the funded project. “Research on DNA methylation will help us recognize recurrence risk earlier and choose more targeted therapies,” said Carla Cedolini, director of the hospital’s breast surgery unit. “This support allows us to dedicate additional resources to a project that could significantly improve patient prognosis.”
For Andos Udine, the campaign also carries symbolic weight. “This represents a concrete step forward for prevention and early diagnosis,” said Mariangela Fantin, the association’s president.
Despar Nord’s marketing and communications head, Tiziana Pituelli, added that the company intends to continue backing similar initiatives. “Our hope is to help bring this complex disease under control,” she said.
