News
Emeritus Editor-in-Chief
Mastology celebrates 35 years of activity. In 2026, we began a new editorial cycle, restructuring the journal’s main editorial board with the inclusion of the Editor-in-Chief Emeritus.
Professor Alfredo was unanimously selected in recognition of his scientific achievements and his outstanding contributions to the editorial development of both the journal and the field of mastology.
Colleagues who have worked closely with him summarize this contribution.
René Aloisio da Costa Vieira
Editor-in-Chief
Professor Alfredo Barros: An Architect of Brazilian Mastology
Professor Alfredo Carlos Simões Dornellas de Barros is one of the most influential figures in Brazilian Mastology. A physician, educator, researcher, and institutional leader, his career is closely intertwined with the history of the speciality in Brazil, marked by decisive contributions over several decades.
From his undergraduate years at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine (FMUSP), he stood out for his academic excellence and his appreciation for human relationships, cultivating lasting friendships with classmates who would become national leaders in their fields, including José Roberto Filassi, Flávio Takaoka, and Nilson Roberto de Melo. This deep regard for people has always been a defining trait of his personal and professional life.
After his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Hospital das Clínicas of USP, he earned his doctoral degree, became an Associate Professor at FMUSP, and later a Full Professor at the University of Santo Amaro School of Medicine (UNISA). He supervised graduate students, conducted research that expanded knowledge of breast diseases, and established an Experimental Pathophysiology Laboratory.
His pioneering contributions include the introduction in Brazil of sentinel lymph node biopsy and the ROLL technique (Radioguided Occult Lesion Localization), as well as studies that established the importance of adequate surgical margins in breast-conserving treatment for breast cancer.
Institutionally, he served as President of the Brazilian Society of Mastology, leading the acquisition of the Society’s permanent headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. He worked alongside the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB) and the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) to achieve official recognition of Mastology as a medical speciality, and served as President of the Latin American Federation of Mastology.
As the founder of the Medical Residency Program in Mastology in Brazil, his influence extended far beyond technical knowledge. I (GN) had the privilege of being one of his trainees and witnessing that, beyond teaching surgery and clinical management, he imparted values. He emphasized professional conduct, ethical behavior, empathy, and compassionate patient care. For him, treating a patient meant seeing her as a whole person, respecting her fears, expectations, and life story.
His legacy lives in the institutions he helped build, the scientific advances he promoted, and above all, in the physicians he shaped. Professor Alfredo Barros represents a generation of mentors who understood that true medical excellence arises from the union of knowledge, character, and unconditional respect for patients.
He published 217 scientific articles, associated with H-factor H10 at Web-of-Science. In addition, he was twice Editor-in-Chief of the Revista Brasileira de Mastologia (1995-1998 and 2005-2007), now Mastology. These facts qualified him to become Emeritus Editor-in-Chief and we are celebrating it.
José Roberto Filassi
Head of the Mastology Division – Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology FMUSP/ICESP
Guilherme Novita
President of the Brazilian Society of Mastology (2026-2028)
