Prof. Deraco has dedicated his career to helping patients with complex cancers, particularly those affecting the peritoneum, a membrane in the abdomen. He began his medical career in 1989 at the Surgery and Experimental Oncology Departments of the Fondazione IRCCS, National Cancer Institute in Milan, Italy. Over the years, he has played a key role in advancing treatments for peritoneal surface malignancies (PSM). For more than a decade, he was the lead physician for the Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Program. Since 2017, he has served as the director of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Unit, where he continues to focus on providing cutting-edge care for his patients.
Prof. Deraco’s expertise is in specialized cancer treatments like Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS), Hyperthermic Intra-Peritoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC), and Pressurized Intra-Peritoneal Aerosolized Chemotherapy (PIPAC). These techniques aim to remove cancer and deliver heated chemotherapy directly to the abdomen, giving patients with PSM new hope. He has successfully treated over 1,200 patients using these advanced methods.
In addition to his clinical work, Prof. Deraco is a professor at Milan University, where he teaches future surgeons about peritoneal surface malignancies. His teaching extends internationally, as he has mentored over 30 postdoctoral fellows from prestigious institutions worldwide.
Prof. Deraco’s educational background is extensive. He earned his medical degree from the University of Messina in 1987 with top honors, followed by a specialization in general surgery five years later. His training continued in Paris, where he specialized in oncology at the prestigious Paris Dauphine University. He further honed his skills through fellowships in world-renowned institutions such as the Gustave Roussy Institute in France, the Royal Marsden Hospital in the UK, and the Washington Cancer Institute in the USA.
Throughout his career, Prof. Deraco has remained actively involved in research and professional organizations. He has published over 250 scientific articles and 25 book chapters, contributing to the advancement of cancer treatment globally. He serves on the board of multiple scientific societies dedicated to cancer research, including the Peritoneal Surface Oncology International Group (PSOGI) and the Italian Society for Loco-Regional Cancer Therapy (SITILO).
