Abstract
Stefano Ciatto 1949-2012
On Friday May 4 2012, we suddenly and tragically lost an esteemed colleague, Dr Stefano Ciatto, in a fatal car accident in Italy. Stefano was a medical doctor, initially a radiation oncologist and young professor, transforming his dedication to cancer to radiology, and subsequently becoming one of the founders of the Center for Cancer Prevention (CSPO, now ISPO) in Florence, where, for over 30 years, he promoted the culture of cancer screening through research and applied screening practice. Among these, he particularly focused on breast cancer and breast imaging, making enormous contribution to Italian and also European breast screening quality assurance.
Stefano was not only an expert in imaging and screening, he was a man of science, able to combine scientific research with clinical activity; he made huge contributions to research that included over 350 publications, and established many research collaborations in Italy, Europe and indeed internationally.
Stefano was also a great teacher: generous and creative with his enthusiasm and skills to transmit the desire to explore and discover new knowledge. In the more recent phase of his career, he had reduced his clinical activity, fully dedicating his time to research and practice in breast screening. In the past year, together with other collaborators, we initiated several studies to investigate and validate the use of breast Tomosynthesis in mammography screening. The work Stefano established in these final months of his busy life will, in many aspects, continue to benefit women and clinicians in the future, as had much of his life-long dedication to breast cancer practice and research.
Stefano is hugely missed by many of us who worked with him and collaborated with him: we will always miss his intellectual strength and scientific honesty, his free spirit and ability to critique, and his enthusiasm for evidence seeking.
We will especially miss Stefano for his many generous human qualities and his friendship.
Written by Daniela Bernardi (Trento, Italy) & Nehmat Houssami (Sydney, Australia)