We were born to support what comes after surviving.
Recovery does not end with treatment
The FEMPO Foundation was born from a conviction built through direct experience with women affected by breast cancer: recovery does not necessarily end with surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. For many patients, physical and emotional changes persist and call for respectful, specialized support.
From Chile, the work led by Paola Gateño Caraccioli has spent more than fifteen years bringing free nipple-areola complex reconstruction through oncological breast dermopigmentation closer to women. Over time, this commitment expanded into psycho-oncology, education, research, collaboration networks and professional training.
Today FEMPO offers a comprehensive approach that brings together clinical safety, emotional listening and institutional work. Our purpose is not to promise an identical emotional outcome for everyone, but to ensure that every woman receives care that respects her story, her decisions and her right to regain well-being.
A career that transformed a discipline
Clinical, scientific and social work alongside thousands of breast cancer survivors.
Mujer Impacta
Recognition of Paola Gateño for a social transformation initiative.
Publications with Karger
Chapters on psychosocial aspects and professional ethics in Current Problems in Dermatology.
Rebuilding Lives
Chapter by Paola Gateño and Josefina Lattus published by IntechOpen.
Good practices and Mujer Sustentable
FEMPO's experience in Chile's First Book of Good Practices in Cancer, and the National Mujer Sustentable Award for its President and Founder.
To contribute to the physical, emotional and social recovery of women who have faced breast cancer, through free oncological breast reconstruction, psycho-oncological support, education, research and inter-institutional collaboration, with standards of safety, ethics and respect for the dignity of every patient.
To move towards a society in which rehabilitation after breast cancer includes, in an accessible and sustained way, nipple-areola complex reconstruction and emotional support, and in which training and public policy recognize these needs as part of comprehensive care.
What guides every treatment
Dignity
Every woman deserves to be recognized as a person, not reduced to an illness.
Rigor
We work with assessment, protocols and continuous improvement.
Free access and equity
We seek to reduce barriers to access.
Humanization
We listen to each patient's story and decisions.
Collaboration
We join forces to broaden our impact.
Integrity
We communicate results and commitments in a verifiable way.
Paola Gateño Caraccioli
Medical and oncological dermopigmentologist
Paola Gateño Caraccioli is President and Founder of the FEMPO Foundation and a medical and oncological dermopigmentologist. Her career brings together experience in nipple-areola complex reconstruction after mastectomy, professional education, applied research and social leadership, with work developed from Chile and projected internationally.
Her work has helped make visible a need that is often overlooked in rehabilitation: the value that areola reconstruction can have for a woman's relationship with her body image, her confidence and her experience of recovery. From this perspective she launched free programs that, according to institutional records, have benefited more than 8,000 women in several countries, mainly in Chile.
She is the author of chapters on psychological aspects and professional ethics in Current Problems in Dermatology, published by Karger in 2023; co-author, with Josefina Lattus, of Rebuilding Lives: Areola and Nipple Complex Reconstruction, published by IntechOpen in 2025; and author of a 2026 clinical publication on nipple-areola complex reconstruction in skin exposed to oncological treatments. Her participation in scientific forums includes activities of the European Society of Tattoo and Pigment Research (ESTP), whose official website lists her as an advisor to the board, as well as presentations at international congresses.
Her training and experience are also linked to professional medical dermopigmentation organizations in Switzerland and to international teaching. Her public recognitions include Mujer Impacta 2019 and the 2026 National Mujer Sustentable Award, in the Quality of Life and Human Development category. Through FEMPO she continues to pursue a social purpose: that oncological breast reconstruction, emotional support and the specialized training of professionals become part of a more accessible, safe and comprehensive recovery.
Leadership and international reach
Paola Gateño's international career connects FEMPO's clinical experience with professional communities, training spaces and debates on the safety, ethics and quality of medical dermopigmentation. She serves as an advisor to the board of the European Society of Tattoo and Pigment Research (ESTP), an association that links research, professional practice and safety in tattooing and pigmentation. Her professional registration is also listed with the Swiss association Schweizer Fachverband für Permanent Make Up, with accreditation in medical dermopigmentology.
Josefina Lattus
Psychologist · psycho-oncology, palliative care and support through grief, illness and adaptation
Josefina Lattus is a psychologist and Director of the Psycho-oncology Area of the FEMPO Foundation. Her work focuses on the emotional support of people and families going through illness, grief and life changes, with a special interest in the psychological impact of breast cancer and the rebuilding of body image after mastectomy.
From FEMPO's psycho-oncology area she promotes a clinical approach that recognizes that every woman experiences diagnosis, treatment and recovery in her own way. Her work addresses self-esteem, identity, relationships, the sense of continuity of life and the need for safe spaces to be heard. She also takes part in teaching and professional training on mental health, support and clinical communication.
She is co-author, with Paola Gateño, of the chapter Rebuilding Lives: Areola and Nipple Complex Reconstruction (IntechOpen, 2025) and of the institutional experience included in Chile's First Book of Good Practices in Cancer, published in 2026. Her public academic profile lists a degree in Psychology from Universidad de los Andes and postgraduate training in psycho-oncology and palliative care. Her career combines professional practice and academic reflection with one central conviction: no comprehensive recovery can ignore the emotional dimension.
The people behind every treatment
FEMPO's care relies on professionals and collaborators who combine clinical skills, emotional support, patient coordination, communications, technical advice and institutional management. Each role helps build a safe, respectful and organized experience for women and their families.
Mónica Guilisasti
Supports the technical processes of oncological breast dermopigmentation and the delivery of treatments in line with FEMPO's guidelines and protocols.
María José Soza
Leads strategic communications, coordination with organizations and the public profile of FEMPO's mission.
Javier Villalón
Provides a reconstructive medical perspective on the analysis, coordination and assessment processes linked to comprehensive care.
Paulina Caro
Helps organize contact channels, guidance, scheduling of treatments and communication with beneficiaries.
Sebastián Escudero
Advises on legal and institutional matters that support the foundation's work and sustainability.
Benjamín Vallejo
Supports the management and dissemination of content, activities and outreach to broaden awareness of FEMPO's work.
Work recognized in Chile and around the world
The work of the FEMPO Foundation and its President and Founder has been recognized nationally and internationally for its contribution to humanizing care, broadening access to reconstruction and dignifying women who have gone through breast cancer. These recognitions represent an ongoing commitment to excellence, safety and service.
National Mujer Sustentable Award
In 2026 Paola Gateño Caraccioli received the National Mujer Sustentable Award in the Quality of Life and Human Development category. The award highlights the impact of a career that has linked innovation, social commitment and the well-being of women who have faced breast cancer.
Read the press article (Spanish)Mujer Impacta
Paola Gateño's work was also recognized by Mujer Impacta in 2019, an award that highlights social transformation initiatives. FEMPO's work is a reminder that reconstruction after breast cancer can be a meaningful part of a more dignified and humane recovery.
Read the Mujer Impacta article (Spanish)Being part of it also transforms lives.
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Your support sustains oncological breast reconstruction, psycho-oncological support, education and institutional development. Every contribution helps more women access specialized care free of charge.
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