The Mona Lisa still has her enigmatic smile, but this time she shamelessly shows something unexpected: the scars of a double mastectomy. The most famous woman in the history of art thus becomes the face of all those women who have faced breast cancer and who, after the illness, have had to learn to recognize themselves in a changed body.
This is the message of the new mural by street artist aleXsandro Palombo, which appeared in front of the National Cancer Institute of Milan in via Giacomo Venezian, on the occasion of World Breast Cancer Day on 19 October, in the midst of Pink October, the month dedicated to raising awareness on the prevention of breast cancer. The work portrays Mona Lisa as she pulls aside a pink dress, revealing the signs of surgery on her chest. No attempt to hide them, no idealized representation of the female body. On the contrary, the scars become an integral part of the image.
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An artistic choice that wants to break a still deeply rooted taboo: that of the physical changes left by cancer and the treatments necessary to cure it.
“Each scar tells a story of survival, strength and identity” writes the artist.
A Mona Lisa who survived breast cancer
With this street art intervention, Palombo brings into public space a reality that often remains confined to the private dimension. Mastectomy, i.e. the surgical removal of a breast, can represent a necessary step in the therapeutic path of some patients. In certain cases the operation affects both breasts. But in addition to the physical consequences, psychological ones can be added, linked to body image, identity, sexuality and the relationship with oneself.
In a society that continues to propose often unrealistic female aesthetic models, seeing the Mona Lisa with the signs of oncological surgery also means questioning the way in which we represent women’s bodies. Scars are not erased or hidden: they simply exist and tell a story. And this is precisely one of the most important messages of the work.
A body that has gone through illness is not a body to be ashamed of. At the same time, no woman should feel obligated to show her scars or turn her experience into a symbol of strength. The mural, created in front of one of the main Italian centers for cancer research and treatment, also invites us to reflect on the importance of early diagnosis, screening and access to treatment.
Breast cancer: around 60 thousand diagnoses per year in Italy
The artist’s message comes at a time when breast cancer continues to represent a major challenge to women’s health. According to the LILT Pink Ribbon 2026 campaign, in Italy approximately 60 thousand new diagnoses of breast cancer are recorded every year, the most frequently diagnosed neoplasm in the female population and the leading cause of death from cancer among women, both in Italy and globally.
It is estimated that approximately one in seven women may develop this disease in their lifetime and the survival rate after a diagnosis he is gradually improving. According to the most recent data released by the Italian Association of Tumor Registers (AIRTum) and the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM), breast cancer mortality in Italy reduced by approximately 6% in the period 2007-2019 compared to the previous 4 years. Furthermore, the net survival 5 years after diagnosis has increased to 89.5%. And it is also for them that it becomes essential to talk about the quality of life after cancer, the consequences of surgical interventions and the right to receive psychological and rehabilitation support. Survival, after all, does not necessarily mean that everything goes back to how it was before. And this shouldn’t even be the only objective: what matters is guaranteeing people the possibility of living well, with their bodies and with the changes that the disease can bring.
Pink October: why prevention and early diagnosis can save lives
October is International Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Through the LILT for Women – Pink Ribbon 2026 initiative, the Italian League for the Fight against Cancer promotes breast visits, information meetings and awareness-raising activities throughout Italy. The message chosen for this year is “The first step”, an invitation to get to know your body and not to neglect checks. The 105 LILT associations and 20 regional coordinations participate in the campaign with initiatives dedicated to prevention and early diagnosis.
According to the report The numbers of cancer in Italy 2025, the coverage of mammographic screening increased from 30% in 2020 to 50% in 2024. In the South it went from 12% to 34%, a significant improvement which however shows how much work still remains to be done. Differences in access to treatments also persist: in 2023, approximately 15% of operations for breast cancer in patients living in the South were carried out outside their own Region, compared to 5% in the North. Numbers that remind us that raising awareness about prevention is not enough if people then encounter obstacles in accessing tests or have to travel to receive treatment.
To find out about the initiatives available during Pink October, you can consult the LILT website, or contact your local health authority for information on free screening programmes.
