Nuclear medicine

Nuclear medicine does,
perhaps, need more highprofile
leaders,butPaganelli is
content to keep developing
his base in Milan and doing some teaching, albeit
with ongoing skirmisheswith the Italian authorities.
Heading a society, or following inthe footsteps of that
most famous Italian nuclear scientist,EnricoFermi,
to theUS as somany other Italians have done, is not
for him. “I’mhappy to servemy country – but all the
time trying to killbureaucracywithevidence,”he says,
adding that hewill be content if in 10 years’time targeted
radionuclide therapy ismainstreamin cancer
centres. “Whenever you propose something new,
people say it isnot true.Thenthey say itdoesn’twork.
And when you show it works, they say it’s not new.
Nobodywill give youanything–youhave to fightwith
great enthusiasm and work equally with your heart
and brain.”
And that is just what he is doing, forging new
paths insearchof innovativeways toputnuclearmedicine
to the service of cancer patients. Fourteen
years after being diagnosed with a terminal brain
tumour,his firstpatient at the Institute,nowalive and
well, and the thousands of women who have safely
retained their healthy lymph nodes, are among the
manywhohave reasontobe gladof this spirit of innovation
and enthusiasm.