PROFESSOR NADEZHDA VOLCHENKO: “WITHOUT MORPHOLOGY, THERE IS NO ONCOLOGY”

On January 19, the world celebrates Pathologist Day. In 1507, Florentine physician Antonio di Paolo Benevieni published the first pathological anatomy treatise, describing about 200 different pathologies of human internal organs. This milestone marked the beginning of pathology as a science. In Russia, the field gained traction in 1826 with the publication of a guide on the structure of human internal organs by English physician M. Baillie, translated by renowned physiologist I.A. Kostomarov, who enriched it with his own contributions exploring the discipline’s connections with other scientific fields.

Contrary to popular belief, pathologists do not exclusively deal with autopsies. They are foremost physicians specializing in the diagnosis of diseases in living patients. Without histological analysis—examining tissues taken from patients—it is impossible to determine the presence of malignant processes or prognostic factors, which are critical in deciding the scope and type of treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy).

At the National Medical Research Radiological Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, one of the oldest pathological laboratories in the country continues its groundbreaking work. Its history forms the foundation of cancer cell morphology analysis. These studies began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “Without morphology, there is no oncology,” frequently says Professor Nadezhda Volchenko, a renowned expert and head of the Department of Oncomorphology at the P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute – branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of the “National Medical Research Radiological Centre” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

“The pathological anatomy laboratory at our institute was established under its first director, Professor L.L. Levshin, in the early 20th century,” Professor Volchenko explains. “Even then, our predecessors were studying carcinogenesis processes, analyzing tissue changes at the cellular level. This direction saw significant advancement under Professor P. Hertsen, who became director in 1922.”

Professor Hertsen’s dedication is fondly remembered by his contemporaries and students, who note that he personally examined tumor tissues under a microscope. This defining aspect of his work is immortalized in his monument, unveiled last year on 2nd Botkinsky proezd to mark the 125th anniversary of the institute’s founding.

During the institute’s anniversary preparations, researchers discovered that one of its directors in the late 1960s, academician A.S. Pavlov, was not only a deputy leader of the World Health Organization under the UN but also an expert at Lenin’s Mausoleum laboratory. In the 1970s, the institute employed Dr. A.V. Talalaeva, the daughter of Moscow’s chief pathologist V.T. Talalaev and granddaughter of V.M. Zykov, the second director of the Morozov Oncology Institute who introduced the first radium needles to Russia.

The NMRRC has been home to many prominent scientists, including Professor N.N. Schiller-Volkova, founder of the first cytology laboratory in oncology, Professors Z.V. Golbert and G.A. Lavnikova, and academician G.A. Frank of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who began his career here. Today, Dr. Frank remains a leading expert in oncology and pathology, serving as an advisor to the institute’s director. The oncomorphology team upholds the traditions of their mentors, forming a worthy successor to the brilliant legacy of pathologists who have worked at the institute over the past century.

Currently, the NMRRC offers all modern types of morphological diagnostics for tumors and non-tumor diseases. It serves as a reference center for pathological, molecular-genetic, and immunohistochemical studies, conducting large-scale reviews of slides sent from medical institutions across Russia and abroad.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all pathologists on their professional holiday!