Zacharoula Sidiropoulou, Senior Consultant Breast Surgical Oncologist at Hospital São Francisco Xavier, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Today I came across news coverage about the 8th ABC Global Alliance Conference. The journalist’s perspective is well-intentioned, but Dr. Fatima Cardoso is much more. The real story, lived by her patients, colleagues, and mentees, is far more powerful. In a 2019 interview, Dr. Cardoso said:
‘I wrote a small editorial saying you were our heroes, and you were the ones showing us the most important life lessons, but for a long time you have been some forgotten heroes. But you’re not forgotten anymore.’
Her philosophy transforms patient care. ‘We are on your side. We are on your team.’ She insists on truth, respects patients’ space, and actively encourages 2nd opinions, ‘an oncologist should not be upset with that.’
Her impact is galactic though her approach is deeply human. As founder and president of the ABC Global Alliance, she united 280+ members across 100+ countries. This November, ABC8 will set global treatment guidelines.
As key author of The Lancet Breast Cancer Commission, Dr. Cardoso tackles healthcare’s most urgent challenge: cancer inequities.
Her message is clear:
‘Patients living with metastatic/advanced breast cancer have long suffered from stigma, misconceptions, and abandonment. There is an urgent need for change… to treat most, alleviate suffering for all, and forget no-one.’
Dr. Cardoso’s influence extends far beyond patient care, she shapes how oncology is practiced globally. The 2022 ESMO Women for Oncology Award recognized her as ‘a leader and inspiration to a whole generation of women in oncology.’
She doesn’t just build guidelines,she builds communities. She doesn’t just lead organizations,she mentors the next generation to lead with scientific excellence and profound humanity. She shows us that behind every statistic is a person, a family, a life worth fighting for.
Having the priviledge of being guided by her as my PhD tutor has taught me that exceptional mentorship means leading by example, that scientific rigor and compassion are partners, and that our greatest legacy is in the lives we touch.
Vasco Fonseca and I, we are both profoundly honored having her as A Lecturer in the Postgraduate Program of Breast Diseases we organize at NOVA Medical School sharing her wisdom with the next generation of specialists.
This is what exceptional leadership really means : world-class science joining profound empathy, institutional power dedicated to the powerless, and lifetime commitment to those who need it most.
Fatima Cardoso embodies what Doctors should be: brilliant yet humble, powerful yet compassionate, globally influential yet deeply human. She proves that the greatest clinicians don’t just treat disease, they transform lives and honor the human. She doesn’t just inspire us , she shouts us to be better.”
More posts featuring Fatima Cardoso.