In Memoriam

Professor Olga Mioduszewska

With great sadness we say goodbye to Professor Olga Mioduszewska, who was an outstanding pathomorphologist and hematopathologist. She co-created modern Polish pathology and the Pathology Department at the Institute of Oncology; she also made very important contribution to European and global hematopathology. She died tragically on June 14th, 2018 at the age of 91 years, still full of life, despite many health problems with which she fought. One year ago she celebrated her 90th birthday with a group of friends, remembering shared moments.

She was born on February 3, 1927 in Vilnius as the daughter of Olga and Zenon Orłowski. During the period between 1963 and 1971, she was the Head of the Histopathological Laboratory of the Oncology Center in Łódź. From September 1971 she was associated with the Oncology Center - Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute in Warsaw, where she was at first the Head of the Special Techniques Laboratory, and later the Head of the Department of Pathology.

During the 1980s, Prof. Mioduszewska introduced and developed scientific research on lymphomas in the Special Techniques Laboratory. Her Laboratory became a reference center for lymphoma in Poland. She was the first pathologist in the country to introduce the immunopathological basics of lymphoma classification. She was the only representative of Central European Countries and the first woman in the European Lymphoma Club, which was established in Kiel, Germany under the guidance of Prof. Karl Lennert. This group developed the Kiel Classification of Malignant Lymphoma that later became the basis of contemporary lymphoma classifications. In 2004, Prof. Olga Mioduszewska received the Honorary Membership in the Polish Society of Pathology. She was a mentor and co-creator of the Polish Research Group for Lymphoma Studies.

Prof. Mioduszewska was the author or co-author of numerous scientific publications and textbook chapters on the immunopathology of lymphomas. She was the most appreciated expert on pathomorphology of lymphatic system diseases in Poland.

Prof. Mioduszewska was not only an outstanding diagnostic pathomorphologist, but above all a wise physician - she vigilantly observed the principle of "first, do no harm" and always helped clinicians to find the optimal solution for the patient. She eagerly shared her impressive knowledge of the complexities of lymphatic cancer. She was distinguished by humility and criticism - above all in relation to her work, then to colleagues. What is more, she always had her own opinion, the feature which is not easily accepted by other people. She inspired her students to work creatively and was able to raise a passion for scientific research. She trained many resident pathologists and PhD students. Personally, we had the honor and privilege to be her students at the beginning of our medical careers, which made a deep impression on our future work. Prof. Mioduszewska was also much-loved by technical staff; she was always interested not only in their work but also in personal problems trying to help them if there was such a need.

She expressed her love through respect for people and concern for them. She loved the family, all beauty and nature. Although Professor Mioduszewska left this world, she leaves something good for everyone and in everyone who met her.

Prof. Anna Porwit
Lund University
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences
Division of Oncology and Pathology
Lund, Sweden

Prof. Bogna Ziarkiewicz-Wroblewska
Medical University of Warsaw
Department of Pathology
Warsaw, Poland

Prof. Jan Walewski
Oncology Center
Maria-Sklodowska Curie Institute of Oncology
Warsaw, Poland