AIL says 30,000 new blood cancers diagnosed annually in Italy, but research is reshaping outcomes

Stark numbers, shifting outlook

Every year about 30,000 new hematological neoplasms are diagnosed in Italy, over 2,100 of them in children and adolescents. Approximately 500,000 people in the country live with a blood cancer. The figures were released by the Italian association against leukemias, lymphomas and myeloma (AIL) during a press conference at Palazzo De Carolis in Rome ahead of the Giornata nazionale per la lotta contro leucemie, linfomi e mieloma on 21 June. Despite the heavy epidemiological burden, speakers insisted the outlook has changed profoundly.

“The fundamental commitment of AIL is to support research. We present encouraging data that give great hope, but there is still much to do: for this reason our main task is to continue supporting researchers, who are among the best in the world and are obtaining excellent results.”

The association, founded almost 60 years ago, stressed that innovative treatments are now offering more patients a chance to live longer while keeping a good quality of life.

CAR-T and immunotherapy at the forefront

Cell therapy is redefining the treatment paradigm for many hematological cancers. Products based on CAR-T cells are already approved for refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas and multiple myeloma. The field is now moving toward earlier use, with clinical trials testing CAR-T at first relapse in high-risk patients and even in newly diagnosed cases where conventional therapies are likely to fail.

“CAR-T cells represent one of the most advanced frontiers of immunotherapy. Numerous CAR-T products are already approved for clinical use in refractory and resistant disease, but the objective is progressively shifting toward an earlier deployment.”

Beyond CAR-T, immunotherapy and haematopoietic stem-cell transplants were cited as therapies that have increased cure rates and allow a growing number of patients to manage their disease chronically.

Precision medicine and early trials

Molecular diagnostics are making treatments far more targeted. The biological heterogeneity of blood cancers is now captured with much greater precision, enabling clinicians to select therapies that go beyond traditional chemotherapy. This shift has been especially beneficial for older patients, such as those with acute myeloid leukaemia, who now have effective and less toxic drugs.

“The research of the last 10 years has taken an extraordinary leap: it has not only extended lives and cured patients who previously had no prospect of recovery, but has also substantially improved quality of life.”

An AIL-funded prospective study on CAR-T in myeloma is collecting clinical data and biological samples across Italy, with the goal of identifying biomarkers that predict which therapy is best suited to each patient.

Beyond cure: supporting chronic patients

Because many patients now live with their condition for years, AIL is expanding its support services beyond research funding. Case AIL, home care, psychological and nutritional assistance are all part of an effort to accompany people through the entire therapeutic pathway. The association highlighted that close to 500,000 Italians are managing a blood cancer as a chronic illness, making sustained, wraparound care essential.

Research investment and national coordination

In 2025 AIL financed 206 research projects on blood diseases and supported 111 hematology and transplant centres with personnel, equipment, drugs and dedicated facilities. The association works closely with the Gimema group, the Italian network for independent adult hematology research, and in 2026 it is strengthening collaborative projects with the main scientific societies. New initiatives target myelodysplastic syndromes, pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, rare cutaneous lymphomas, and the use of Digital Twin models, alongside specialist training programmes.