Adnkronos Rome, November 8 (Adnkronos Salute) – "Continuity with the past," "collaboration with institutions," a "focus on artificial intelligence and prevention," and "a commitment to equitable access to care," because "modern oncology must be accessible to all." Thus, to Adnkronos Salute, Massimo Di Maio announced his priorities as the new national president of AIOM – the Italian Association of Medical Oncology, currently holding its conference in Rome.
Di Maio takes office tomorrow, replacing Francesco Perrone, who has led the scientific society of Italian medical oncologists since 2023.
"Ensuring continuity, strengthening dialogue with institutions, and promoting equitable access to oncology innovation will characterize my mandate," Di Maio stated. "The early election formula allows me to work alongside the outgoing board, ensuring a smooth transition and the continuation of projects already underway." Priorities include "strengthening collaboration with healthcare institutions—from the Ministry of Health to the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA)—to make AIOM's scientific expertise available and improve the timeliness of decision-making processes, from guidelines to updating the essential levels of care (LEA)."
Di Maio announced that next year's AIOM congress will focus on the topic of equitable innovation. "Innovation in oncology is an extraordinary achievement," he noted, "but it cannot be such if it is not accessible to all patients, regardless of where they are treated or available resources." The program for his new mandate also includes the "development of artificial intelligence and digital technologies," the "enhancement of the professional figures who make up the oncology team—from doctors to nurses to data managers—and increasingly close collaboration with other scientific societies." He also made a clear commitment to prevention: "We cannot limit ourselves to treatment. We must insist on prevention as a fundamental tool for the health of citizens and the sustainability of the National Health Service." Finally, a message of responsibility and vision: "The oncology of the future, for AIOM, will be innovative, multidisciplinary, and above all equitable," Di Maio reiterated.