In Memoriam: Dr. Nazli Gad-El-Mawla, 1928-2001

Dr Nazli Gad-El-Mawla, a pioneer Egyptian medical oncologist, died recently in Cairo after a brief illness. She leaves a husband, two daughters, a grandchild, and a host of friends and admirers the world over.

Nazli graduated from Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, in 1955, gaining her MD degree in 1961. She was one of a small group of oncology specialists who worked closely together in the 1960s and '70s at the National Cancer Institute of Egypt, building it into one of the premier cancer centers in the Middle East. In 1970 she founded the Department of Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Institute, becoming Professor of Medical Oncology and serving as Head of Department from 1977 until 1989. During her tenure, she added a strong pediatric oncology unit to the department, a necessary component in an institute that sees up to 1,000 pediatric oncology patients a year.

Nazli, as the doyen of Middle Eastern Medical Oncology, held many important offices during her life. She served as the Vice President of the European School of Oncology for the Balkans and Middle East, and as European School of Medicine representative for Egypt and Africa. She was a member of the Editorial Boards of a number of Egyptian and international cancer journals, and contributed significantly to the oncology literature, including original articles, reviews and book chapters. Her particular areas of expertise were in chemotherapy of cancer of the bilharzial bladder, the most frequent cancer in Egyptian men, and the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma (some of this work being carried out in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, USA). Her last publication demonstrated a long-term survival rate of approximately 75% in over 200 children and young adults with B cell lymphomas. Nazli organized meetings, courses and international and regional conferences in Egypt and the Middle East, many of them in the context of her role in the European School of Oncology. Through such conferences, as well as her participation in numerous other international meetings, she became well-known to the global oncology community.

Among Nazli's most lasting contributions to the practice of oncology was her teaching. She supervised over 100 MSc. and MD theses, and continued to provide advice and counsel to many of her students even after they themselves had become professors. This valuable legacy of well-trained Egyptian cancer specialists will, without doubt, ensure that Egypt remains at the forefront of medical oncology in the Middle East for years to come. Nazli provided an exemplary role model, and the high standard she set in her practice, in the sometimes difficult setting of a developing country, provided a significant part of the inspiration that led eventually to the founding of the INCTR. As with all great leaders, her influence will be felt for a long time to come. And as with all great human beings, the warmth and charm that she radiated and her pragmatic approach to life will be sorely missed by family, patients, colleagues, and friends.