Umberto Veronesi M.D. Knight Grand Cross OMRI (29 November 1925 - 8 November 2016) was an Italian oncologist and politician, internationally known for his contributions on prevention and treatment of breast cancer throughout a career spanning over fifty years.

Early life and education

Veronesi was born in Milan. He obtained his degree in medicine from the University of Milan in 1952, and soon decided to dedicate his professional activity to the study and treatment of cancer.

Scientific career

After spending 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 treatment with the invention of the technique of quadrantectomy which challenged the idea, then dominating among surgeons, that cancer could only be treated with aggressive surgery. Since then, he has supported and promoted scientific research aimed at improving conservative surgical techniques, including sentinel lymph node biopsy, which has meant that axillary dissection in breast cancer with clinically negative lymph nodes is no longer performed. He also contributed to breast cancer prevention conducting studies on tamoxifen and retinoids and verifying their capabilities to prevent the formation of carcinoma. He has always been an activist in anti-tobacco campaigns. In 1994 he founded the European Institute of Oncology, which he directed until his death. He was appointed President of the Scientific Committee of the Italy-USA Foundation in 2010. On 2009, through his foundation (Fondazione Veronesi), he started the project "Science for Peace", in order to promote peaceful relations through scientific development.

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.

On 25 April 2000 he was appointed to the Amato II Cabinet as the minister of health and was in office until 11 June 2001. He was instrumental in the promotion of the anti-smoking in public places act.

• 2008 Main candidate in Milan of the Democrate Party (Veltroni) to the Italian Senate.
• 2010-2011 Chairman of Italy's Nuclear Safety Agency.

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 form of afterlife; he claims that human beings should not consider death a terrifying moment but rather accept it as a biological necessity.

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; he is currently promoting a campaign for the introduction of living will as a legally binding agreement between the doctor and the incapacitated patient.

Veronesi supports genetically modified organisms as a mean to produce food with higher nutritional capabilities and deprived of potentially carcinogenic substance; he criticized the current dominating opposition to GMOs as due to scarce knowledge of science.

Veronesi is an ethical vegetarian.