Isabel T. Rubio

President-Elect, European Cancer Organisation

Dr Isabel Rubio is an internationally renowned leader in the field of breast cancer.

Her many titles include Head of Breast Surgical Oncology at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra in Madrid; founding member and past President of the Spanish Association of Breast Surgeons (AECIMA); past President of the European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists (EUSOMA); immediate past President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO); member of the Executive Committee of the European Cancer Organisation (ECO); and member of the Board of the Breast Surgical Division of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS).

Dr Rubio has been the principal investigator in several clinical trials and has published more than 199 peer-reviewed manuscripts and numerous book chapters. She is currently the Breast Associate Editor of the Journal of Surgical Oncology.

Born in northwestern Spain, her father was a head and neck surgeon, and her mother was a pediatrician. ‘I was living in a medical environment for as long as I can remember,’ says Dr Rubio. ‘I think largely because of that early introduction to medicine, my own path seemed destined.’

Her focus on breast cancer, however, was a calculated decision.

‘When I was doing my residency,’ she says, ‘women with breast cancer were generally treated with mastectomy alone because there were very few options. I thought this was unfair because there was no patient preference, and no discussion.  I realised that this was a clinical area that desperately needed to improve; it was also very challenging with an exciting future, and I wanted to be part of it.’

More recently, Dr Rubio has focused much of her efforts on improving access to quality cancer care for all Europeans.

‘We started breast cancer screening programmes in Spain and other Western European countries in the early 90´s,’ she says. ‘The screening compliance rate in Sweden today is around 95%, but in Romania it’s only 9%. That's a huge disparity between a Western and an Eastern European country. And we see a similar trend in colorectal and cervical cancers. When cancers are detected at a later stage, survival is decreased. This is a huge public health problem.’

Addressing inequalities will be among her priorities when Dr Rubio becomes President of the European Cancer Organisation in January of 2026.

Updated: January 2025