Umberto Veronesi

Umberto Veronesi (Italian pronunciation: [umˈbɛrto veroˈneːzi, -eːsi]; 28 November 1925 – 8 November 2016) was an Italian oncologist, physician, scientist, and politician, internationally known for his contributions on prevention and treatment of breast cancer throughout a career spanning over fifty years. He was the founder and president of the Umberto Veronesi Foundation. He also founded and held the role of scientific director and scientific director emeritus of the European Institute of Oncology. During his life and career, Veronesi was awarded a number of prizes for his contributions.

Veronesi was the scientific director of the National Cancer Institute in Milan from 1976 to 1994. His clinical and research activity focused on the prevention and treatment of cancer. In particular, he dealt with breast cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in women, and was the first theorist and staunch proponent of quadrantectomy; he demonstrated how in the majority of cases the survival curves of this technique, provided it is combined with radiotherapy, are the same as those of mastectomy but with a better aesthetic and psychosexual impact. As a politician, Veronesi was Minister of Health from 2000 to 2001 and a member of the Senate of the Republic. He was also a supporter of civil rights, vegetarianism, and animal rights.