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Amil Družić Reflects on Transformative Observership at IRCCS National Cancer Institute in Milan

Amil Družić/LinkedIn

Aug 24, 2025, 14:42

Amil Družić Reflects on Transformative Observership at IRCCS National Cancer Institute in Milan

Amil Družić, Oncology and Radiotherapy Resident at the Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, shared a post on LinkedIn:

““L’oncologia italiana è nata qui e qui se ne garantisce il futuro!”
(Italian oncology was born here, and here its future is guaranteed!)

Another enriching step in my ESO-supported observership journey took me to the IRCCS National Cancer Institute Foundation (INT) in Milan, the birthplace of Italian oncology and a centre that continues to shape its future.

During my observership at the Department of Radiotherapy, I had the privilege of working closely with Dr. Nicola Alessandro Iacovelli on head and neck cancer radiotherapy, with a particular focus on the management of side effects, and with Dr. Barbara Avuzzi on prostate cancer radiotherapy, especially advanced SBRT approaches.

INT is also internationally recognised as the “house of active surveillance” in prostate cancer, and it was inspiring to see how this philosophy of patient-centred care is embedded in daily practice.

From tumour boards to CT simulations, radiotherapy planning, and treatment delivery, the experience was both comprehensive and transformative.

I am deeply grateful to Alessandro and Barbara for their mentorship, and to the European School of Oncology (ESO) for supporting this observership.

And of course, one cannot speak of INT without recalling its remarkable legacy:

• Prof. Umberto Veronesi – pioneer of breast-conserving surgery, proving quadrantectomy + radiotherapy matched mastectomy in survival
• Prof. Gianni Bonadonna – father of modern medical oncology, developer of CMF chemotherapy
• Prof. Luca Gianni – leader in HER2-positive breast cancer, driving the development of trastuzumab (Herceptin)
• Dr. Alberto Costa – breast surgeon, later founder of the European School of Oncology (ESO)”

Amil Družić