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Dr. Francesco de Lorenzo

Associazone Italiana Malati di Cancro partenti ed amici, Rome, Italy

Prof. de Lorenzo is a full Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Naples “Federico II”, President of the Italian Association of Cancer Patients, their families and friends (AIMaC) and President of the Italian Federation of Volunteer-based Cancer Organizations (F.A.V.O.).

Fighting against cancer has always played a major role throughout his life first as a researcher and then as a politician, as demonstrated by his numerous scientific publications and by the laws he approved when he was a member of the Italian Parliament and Minister of Public Health.
Prof. De Lorenzo has been involved with various volunteer-based organizations since 1985 when he chaired the Italian Association for the Fight Against AIDS (ANLAIDS). He is currently the Chief of the Medical Staff for drug user rehabilitation programs at Comunità Incontro.

In 1995 he was diagnosed with cancer and since then he concentrated his efforts into helping cancer patients. He has gained a huge experience in the field of information tools for cancer patients. In this respect the collaboration between AIMaC and the American National Cancer Institute has been a key factor. Within this collaboration, AIMaC received a prestigious award becoming a Cancer Information Service (CIS) partner (see encls. 1-2). Another important achievement was the publication of his article on “Improving information to Italian cancer Patients: results of a randomized study” (see encl. 3) on Annals of Oncology (2004).

Today AIMaC is considered as the most important and efficient organization in Italy providing information to cancer patients and lobbying to protect their rights. Actually, AIMaC’s website (www.aimac.it), the only one which gives cancer information to Italian-speaking people all over the world, records daily 5,000 visitors. Worth mentioning is the great success that AIMaC had with local media authorities and Parliament members when the Italian version of the “European Guidelines for cancer patients’ rights” was presented in the presence also of Mr. Meili.

In 2003 Prof. De Lorenzo directed a census of volunteer-based cancer organizations in Italy. When he proposed that the time had come for a national federation to be established, 80% out of a total of 650 organizations agreed and F.AV.O. was founded (www.favo.it). Under his leadership, the Federation is now a formal partner of the Ministry of Health within the National Communication Campaign “Beside patients against cancer” (www.controiltumore.it).

Last Updated: 8 January 2008