Umberto Veronesi

Infobox Prime Minister
name = Umberto Veronesi
order = Minister of Health
term_start = 25 April, 2000
term_end = 11 June, 2001
primeminister = Giuliano Amato
predecessor = Rosy Bindi
successor = Girolamo Sirchia
birth_date = Birth date and age|1925|11|29|mf=y
birth_place =
nationality = flagicon|Italy Italian
alma_mater =
profession = Oncologist
children =
spouse =
residence =
party = Independent

Umberto Veronesi (born November 29, 1925) is an Italian surgeon and oncologist, internationally known for his contributions on prevention and treatment of breast cancer throughout a career spanning over fifty years.

cientific career

Veronesi was born in Milan. He obtained his degree in medicine from the University of Milan in 1950, and soon decided to dedicate his professional activity to the study and treatment of cancers; after brief periods in England and France, he joined the Italian Cancer Institute in Milan as a volunteer.

Veronesi is known as the founder of breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer treatmentwith the invention of the technique of quadrantectomy which challenged the idea, then dominatingamong surgeons, that cancers could be treated only with aggressive surgery; since then, hehas supported and promoted scientific research aimed to improve conservative surgical techniques.

Following this path, he improved sentinel lymph node biopsy and made possible to avoid axillary dissectionin breast cancer with clinically negative lymph nodes.

He also contributed to breast cancer prevention, conducting studies on tamoxifen and retinoidsand verifying their capabilities to prevent the formation of carcinoma.

He has always been an activist in many anti-tobacco campaigns.

In 1994 he founded the European Institute of Oncology, which he still directs.

Political career

*1993 member of the national Commission against cancer.

*1998 member of the national Commission for the evaluation of "Di Bella therapy" against cancer.

*2000-2001 Minister of Health under the Amato II Cabinet.

*2008 Main candidate in Milan of the Democrate Party (Veltroni) to the Italian Senate.

Ethical views

Over the years, Veronesi has public expressed his views on several ethical issues, in interviews, televised debates and in his books.

Veronesi identifies himself as an atheist, not believing in any deity and in any formof afterlife; he claims that human beings should not consider death a terrifying momentbut rather accept it as a biological necessity. [cite news|url=http://ok.corriere.it/articoli/9/1.shtml |title=Io voglio morire così |accessdate=2007-02-05 |publisher=OK! La salute prima di tutto |date=February 2006]

He supports active euthanasia, affirming the right of any individual to freely dispose of his life when it becomes unbearable due to suffering, pain or loss of dignity.He advocates the necessity to regulate euthanasia at a national level, citing Dutch legislation as a good starting point; [cite news |url=http://www.repubblica.it/2005/k/sezioni/politica/parlaveronesi/parlaveronesi/parlaveronesi.html |title=Veronesi difende l'eutanasia "Morire è un diritto fondamentale" |publisher=repubblica.it |date=2005-11-18 |accessdate=2007-02-05 | language=Italian] he is currently promoting a campaign for the introduction of living will as a legally binding agreement between the doctor and the incapacitated patient. [cite news |title=Veronesi: fate testamento biologico |url=http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/Cronache/2006/03_Marzo/01/pappagallo.shtml | date=2006-03-01 | accessdate=2007-02-05 | first=Mario | last=Pappagallo | publisher=Corriere della Sera]

Veronesi supports genetically modified organisms as a mean to produce food with higher nutritional capabilities and deprived of potentially carcinogenic substance; he critiziced the current dominating opposition to GMOs as due to scarce knowledge of science. [cite news |url=http://www.galileo2001.it/materiali/documenti/ogm/04_10_28_veronesi.php |title=Intervista all'ex Ministro della Salute Veronesi |publisher=La Stampa |date=2004-10-28 |accessdate=2007-02-05 |language=Italian]

Veronesi is an ethical vegetarian. [cite news|url=http://www.siciliamicidelcane.it/intervista_a_umberto_veronesi.htm |title=Intervista a Umberto Veronesi |publisher=Oggi |date=2002-10-23 |accessdate=2007-02-05 |language=Italian]

ee also

European Institute of Oncology

ources

*

External links

* [http://www.ieo.it/ European Institute of Oncology Website] it icon en icon
* [http://www.ecancermedicalscience.com/ "e"cancermedicalscience (Open Access journal of the European Institute of Oncology)] en icon

References

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