title: Secondary prevention at 360°: the important role of diagnostic imaging.
abstract: The aim of this paper is to underline the importance of the role of general practitioners (GPs) in distributing vital information about prevention to citizens, to highlight the importance of the so-called voluntary prevention programmes, both for conditions for which no organised screening programmes exist and for those for which they do exist but may well be obsolete or inefficient. Nowadays, voluntary prevention is made more effective thanks to the new sophisticated diagnostic technologies applied worldwide by diagnostic imaging. Epidemiological data about the incidence and causes of death among the Italian population have shown that screening programmes should be aimed first at fighting the following diseases: prostatic carcinoma, lung cancer, colorectal carcinoma, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, aortic and peripheral vascular disease. GPs do not generally give good or adequate instructions concerning voluntary prevention programmes; GPs may not even be aware of this type of prevention which could represent a valuable option together with the existing mass screening programmes. Therefore, in the following analysis, we aim to outline the correct diagnostic pathway for the prevention of diseases having the highest incidence in our country and which represent the most frequent causes of death. If used correctly, these screening programmes may contribute to the success of secondary prevention, limiting the use of tertiary prevention and thus producing savings for the Italian National Health System.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Molecular Imaging and Radiotherapy, University Hospital "Tor Vergata", V.le Oxford 81, 00133, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Micaela
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ciarrapico
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manenti
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pistolese
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fabiano
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fiori
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sergiacomi
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stefanini
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonetti
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D010819:Physician's Role; D011315:Preventive Medicine; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control; D011859:Radiography; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control