Virgilio Sacchini, MD
Breast Surgeon
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Meet Breast Cancer Surgeon Virgilio Sacchini
Video DetailsAbout Me
- Attending Surgeon
I am an experienced surgeon dedicated to caring for people with breast cancer. I perform about 330 operations each year, including surgeries to treat breast cancer and benign breast diseases. My goal is to achieve the best possible cancer outcomes and cosmetic results for my patients, including reducing the risk of complications and relapse after surgery.
I perform all types of breast surgery, such as breast conservation (lumpectomy), mastectomy, and prophylactic surgery to reduce the risk of breast cancer, as well as procedures to manage cancer that has spread to axillary lymph nodes. I am especially skilled in nipple-sparing mastectomy for people with breast cancer and prophylactic surgery for people at high risk for the disease, such as those who carry certain genetic mutations.
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People newly diagnosed with breast cancer are often devastated by this news and are afraid of what lies ahead. They may be scared by the thought of surgery and treatment, or of dying from their disease. My goal is to help them feel confident that they are in good hands and that we will take care of them, because they are more than just a medical record number.
I reassure my patients that this disease is treatable and they can continue to have a good quality of life. Each person at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) receives a customized care plan that includes state-of-the-art therapies tailored to meet their physical and psychological needs, not just the cancer itself.
Breast cancers are not all the same, and each one may respond to a different therapeutic approach. With better operations like nipple-sparing mastectomy, plastic surgery techniques, and conservative surgery, we have been able to improve cosmetic results and quality of life for people with breast cancer.
Early in my career, I became very committed to working to decrease the incidence of cancer and improve its curability. Breast cancer is a fascinating model disease to study, especially as new methods and techniques have been developed to treat it.
Today, cancer care often uses multiple approaches, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies. These can often be combined to determine the best care plan for each person, without risking undertreatment or overtreatment, and reducing complications and side effects as much as possible.
At MSK, I am an active researcher involved in several clinical trials, including studies to investigate chemoprevention of breast cancer, prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomy for women at high risk of breast cancer, and intraoperative radiation therapy for people with early-stage disease. Additionally, I have published more than 160 research papers and book chapters about breast cancer.
Prior to joining MSK, I served as Deputy Director of the Breast Department at the European Institute of Oncology, a leading institution for the study and treatment of breast cancer. I was a co-investigator of clinical trials in Milan to evaluate lumpectomy and sentinel-node mapping in people with breast cancer. I was also a clinical coordinator of the Italian Breast Cancer Prevention Study with Tamoxifen and a clinical investigator in breast cancer trials for the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
As a pioneer of nipple sparing mastectomy, I have had one of the largest experiences with this technique in the United States. My scientific activity in the last 15 years has focused on showing its safety in certain people with breast cancer, including those at high-risk for the disease. I have written several papers focusing on refinements of nipple-sparing mastectomy and its impact on oncologic and cosmetic outcomes. Additionally, I have authored more than 160 research papers and book chapters about breast cancer and its diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
A breast surgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on breasts.
My Specialties
- Breast Cancer
Education
- MD, Universita degli Studi di Milano (Italy)
Residencies
- Universita degli Studi di Milano (Italy)
Awards and Honors
- Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2024)
- Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
- Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)
Fellowships
- Instituto Nazionale Tumori (Milan, Italy)
Board Certifications
- General Surgery (Europe)
Insurance Information
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In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.
If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.
If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.
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Contact and Location
Dr. Sacchini sees patients at two locations.
Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.
Colleagues
Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.
Clinical Trials
Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.
You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.
Search clinical trialsResearch and Publications
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Sacchini’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
See all on PubMedPatient Reviews
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Disclosures
Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.
MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.
Virgilio Sacchini discloses the following relationships and financial interests:
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Best Doctors
Professional Services and Activities -
Brust-Zentrum Zu?rich
Professional Services and Activities
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Spital Oberengadin
Professional Services and Activities -
Universita' degli Studi di Milano
Professional Services and Activities
If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.
The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.
This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.
Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].