Education for health professionals outside the Institute begins. The IEO Card project is planned and implemented: this card contains a personal code that allows cardholders to take advantage of various Institute services. Through a personal code, cardholders can access the oncological toll-free number, a free service that is available around the clock through which doctors can consult with Institute specialists by Phone, fax or e-mail.

A specific training programme called MILANONCOLOGIA is started for specialists. This programme relies the leading European experts as well as the Istituto Mario Negri, the Istituto Nazionale Tumori, the University of Milan and other cancer research centres.

The Institute installs the most advanced linear accelerator available on the market and starts its programme to treat early prostate cancer with conformal radiotherapy. The IEO is destined to become the centre with the highest number of cases treated, with results comparable to those achieved with surgery. The Institute’s Radiotherapy Division is one of the most advanced in Europe, and it applies state-of-the-art methods and technologies that permit treatment that has gradually become more targeted and less toxic.

The Breast Division of the European Institute of Oncology, in collaboration with the Division of Nuclear Medicine, perfects ROLL (Radioguided Occult Lesion Localisation), a new radioguided surgical technique to remove microscopic nonpalpable breast lesions. A probe guides the surgeon’s hand in order to remove the lesion with extreme accuracy, without sacrificing any more or less than necessary: this guarantees both therapeutic safety and aesthetic results.

To guarantee the best possible quality of life, the Institute becomes the first cancer centre in Italy in which the Plastic Surgery Division always works jointly with the Oncology Division, using state-of-the-art methods to make breast reconstruction an integral part of treating the patient’s cancer.

The scientific association “Smoke-free health” is established at the Institute, to unite all health professionals in the battle against smoking. The goal of the Association is to lower the percentage of smokers – still quite high – among Italian doctors.

“ Sottovoce” is also established. The goal of this volunteer association of the European Institute of Oncology is to ensure attention and constant moral support for patients. For patients and their visitors, “Sottovoce” regularly organises entertainment involving some of the leading figures from the world of show business and culture.