Leontina Clotilde—known to everyone simply as Nina—has turned 100. Born in 1926, she carries her age with a pride that surprises anyone who meets her. Outside, she gets around in a wheelchair, but at home she still walks with crutches. Energetic, determined, and vibrant, her two daughters are always by her side. It is with this strength that Nina is now successfully facing a new challenge: the recurrence of a squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Recurrence After Nearly Ten Years

This wasn’t the first time Nina had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. In 2015, she had already undergone successful surgery on her temple, and for nearly ten years, the tumor had remained dormant. Then, in 2024, it returned.

This time, the mass reappeared near her eye: an increasingly visible growth on her face. Nina and her daughters had only one major fear: that as it grew, it would close her eye, robbing her of her sight. As is often the case, her first impulse was to avoid facing the problem head-on. Nina held off on treatment for about a year. It was then her dermatologist who pointed the way: to seek help at INOC—the Candiolo National Cancer Institute.

At INOC: From Surgery to Immunotherapy

At INOC—the Candiolo National Oncology Institute—Nina first undergoes surgery. But for a tumor located in such a critical area as the eye, surgery alone is just the beginning of the journey. The Dr. Marco Rubatto, who heads the Skin Cancer Surgery, believes that a change of approach is necessary to achieve a definitive and safe outcome. This is wherecancer immunotherapy: one of the most advanced cancer treatments available today.

For Nina and her daughters, embarking on a new journey at the age of 100 is no small feat. But their trust in the doctors and their desire to return to normal life are stronger than any hesitation.

The specialists at INOC evaluate Nina holistically: not just her cancer, but her overall health, which is excellent despite her being a century old. One infusion every 21 days. A modern treatment protocol, the result of the most advanced research in the field of oncology.

Immunotherapy: Extraordinary Results Without Side Effects

Treatment begins in April. Three or four days before the second infusion, something unexpected happens: the mass begins to shrink. As time goes on, the growth becomes less and less visible, until almost all that remains is the memory of her initial fear. Nina experiences no side effects.

It’s hard to describe how amazed Nina and her daughters were. Given her age, they never would have imagined such a positive response to immunotherapy.

Cancer and the Elderly: Why Age Is No Barrier to Cancer Treatment

Today, Nina continues her treatment at INOC—the National Cancer Institute of Candiolo—looking toward the future with peace of mind. Hers is not just a story of healing. It is a story about what it means to never stop believing in the possibilities of medicine, cancer research, and life itself.

At INOC—the Candiolo National Cancer Institute—chronological age is no barrier to treatment. What matters is a person’s overall health and their determination not to give up. And Nina, with her crutches and her daughters by her side, has more than enough determination to keep going.