Prof. Vincenzo Valentini

Prof. Vincenzo Valentini is Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and Chairman of the Radiation Oncology Department at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS — commonly known as Gemelli University Hospital — in Rome, Italy. This is one of Italy's largest and most prestigious academic hospitals, affiliated with the Vatican and consistently ranked among Europe's leading oncology centres. With over 30 years of clinical and research experience, Prof. Valentini is recognised globally as a leader in gastrointestinal radiotherapy — particularly rectal cancer, where his multimodal treatment protocols integrating radiation, surgery, and systemic therapy have been adopted across Europe. He is also a pioneer in adaptive radiotherapy and precision imaging-guided radiation delivery. His patient philosophy is firmly grounded in multidisciplinary oncology: no patient with cancer should receive radiotherapy without comprehensive tumour board discussion and personalised treatment planning.

Prof. Valentini completed his medical degree (MD) at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome and his radiation oncology specialist training at Gemelli University Hospital. He pursued advanced research fellowships in radiation oncology at European and US institutions, with a particular focus on gastrointestinal radiotherapy techniques. He was appointed Full Professor at the Catholic University and has led the Gemelli radiation oncology department for many years. He holds international Fellowship of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (FASTRO) — awarded to non-American radiation oncologists of exceptional international standing — and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (FESTRO).

Prof. Valentini's defining clinical expertise is in gastrointestinal radiotherapy — the integration of radiation therapy into multimodal treatment of rectal, gastric, oesophageal, pancreatic, and liver cancers. For rectal cancer, his protocols incorporating long-course preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) — or short-course radiotherapy for selected patients — have contributed to landmark European trial outcomes. He is a pioneer of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT), where a single high radiation dose is delivered directly to the tumour bed at the time of surgery, eliminating microscopic residual disease. He has developed adaptive radiotherapy protocols that modify the radiation plan during treatment based on tumour response — improving accuracy and sparing healthy tissue. His brachytherapy expertise covers gynaecological malignancies.

Gemelli University Hospital accepts international patients and Prof. Valentini's department has treated patients from across Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America seeking specialist gastrointestinal radiotherapy and second-opinion consultations. His international reputation means he regularly reviews complex GI oncology cases referred from other countries. Rome is one of Europe's most accessible cities, with Roma Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) Airport connecting to all major global hubs. Video consultations are available for international patients to present their imaging and pathology for Prof. Valentini's review before planning travel to Rome. The hospital's international patient office provides coordination services.

Prof. Valentini has received numerous international honours. He is a past President of the Italian Association of Radiation Oncology (AIRO) and was President of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO). He received the ESTRO Honorary Member Award and the ASTRO (American Society for Radiation Oncology) Annual Meeting Distinguished Presentation Award. He has published over 600 peer-reviewed publications in journals including the Lancet Oncology, the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, and Radiotherapy and Oncology. He has been a principal investigator in multiple EORTC and Italian cooperative group trials in GI radiotherapy. He is a member of the Italian National Institute of Health's oncology advisory committee and has contributed to European clinical guidelines for rectal and gastric cancer treatment.