|
Lorenzo (Renzo) Tomatis (Sassoferrato, Italy, 2 January 1929 - Lyon, France, 21 September 2007) was an Italian physician and experimental oncologist. He is best remembered as the Director from 1982 until 1993 of the prestigious International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon - (IARC), which evaluates and provides guidelines on the effects of chemical or physical carcinogens. During his tenure at IARC, Tomatis led the effort to create the IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk to Humans (the so-called “orange books”), a critical tool for the primary prevention of cancer, and IARC's most famous product. With over 350 publications and 10 books, since the 1950s Tomatis was ahead of his time—developing carcinogenesis bioassays which recognized trans-placental and trans-generational carcinogenesis, thus highlighting the vulnerabilities of early-life exposure. Tomatis was a leader in the difficult task of translating animal experimental findings to human risk (reflected in the IARC monographs, which assess animal, molecular biology and human evidence on an agent). He used these many qualifications get enacted strategies for the ''primary'' prevention of cancer—that is, reduced exposure to carcinogens. In addition Tomatis was committed to the sociology of science, especially the causes of the 'brain drain' from ' Italy. In summary, 'Renzo' Tomatis was one of the world's most distinguished experts on carcinogenesis and its primary prevention. ==Biography== (The primary source for this section is Reference #1) Tomatis was born in Sassoferrato, Italy, and began his professional career upon graduating from the University of Turin with a degree in medicine in 1953 and in hygiene and preventive medicine in 1955. After a brief stint as a medical officer with a regiment of Alpine troops, he obtained a degree in occupational health in 1957—his interest in the role of chemicals as potential causes of cancer having become evident. In 1959, Tomatis joined Phillipe Shubik's team at the Division of Oncology in the Chicago Medical School, with a reputation in the field of chemical carcinogenesis. "According to Shubik: "''He was a careful and thoughtful investigator who was able to think of probable advances before many others. He organized a tissue culture laboratory in my department before this field had achieved its present importance.''"〔H Vainio and K G Thigpen. A distinguished career in the service of cancer prevention. Environ Health Perspect. 1994 February; 102(2): 164–166.〕 By 1965 Tomatis was studying neonatal responses to carcinogen exposure, an important question that aided his 1967 recruitment to the World Health Organization's (WHO) newly established cancer agency, IARC in Lyon. There he formed the Unit of Chemical Carcinogenesis, concentrated on planning and implementing primary prevention of cancer through the identification of carcinogens. To date some 100 Monographs covering well over 1,000 agents have provided objective expert evaluation of the totality of evidence on the carcinogenicity of agents, mixtures, and their exposure circumstances. Their first volume of the IARC Monographs in 1972 had instantaneous and enduring impact throughout the world. In fact, IARC quickly became known predominantly for the IARC Monographs. They came to be seen as one of two 'gold standard' carcinogenicity programmes (the other being the US NTP's animal testing program, so IARC's is the only one that evaluates the totality of evidence). Peers have said of them: "To () the series for 20 years at such a high level is an unprecedented achievement" and: "...A box of jewels of the knowledge of mankind on chemical carcinogenesis."〔H Vainio and K G Thigpen. A distinguished career in the service of cancer prevention. Environ Health Perspect. 1994 February; 102(2): 164–166.〕 The success of the IARC Monographs rested in part in the impartiality process initiated by Tomatis and his staff, who for each Monograph created working groups of independent scientists with deep knowledge of chemical carcinogenesis, to evaluate all available information on an agent; emphasizing their impartiality and transparency. Their conclusions were thus reliable enough to base government decisions on the primary prevention of cancer. Indeed, an agent's IARC classification as a carcinogen has been the basis of innumerable actions and proposals (not all successful) to stop and reduce exposure to chemicals. In January 1982, in recognition of his outstanding career and contributions inunderstanding cancer causation and prevention, Tomatis was elected by the WHO member nations as the second director of IARC. He was reelected, serving as director for a full 12 years until retirement in December 1993. Throughout his tenure at IARC, Tomatis and the international IARC staff developed a mutual respect and appreciation for each other, unified in promoting the agency’s mission of improving public health through primary disease prevention. Upon retirement from IARC/WHO, he served as scientific director of the Institute of Child Health “Burlo Garofolo” in Trieste, Italy, from 1996 to 1999. Shortly thereafter, Tomatis joined the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in North Carolina to focus on issues that he had little time to pursue while serving as the director of IARC. Under the International Scholar Program, Tomatis worked at the NIEHS for six summers, sharing his professional experience and writing important papers on environmental public health and prevention. Tomatis spent his last years in public health advocacy: on 21 September 2007 he was Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the ISDE - International Society of Doctors for the Environment (Arezzo, Italy). His vast experience and expertise in this field prompted him to take politically courageous positions on certain topics, as on waste incineration: "It is dubious that new generations may forgive us for this environmental suicide."〔Tomatis L. To incinerate waste remains a folly. Corriere di Forlì, 23 April 2007.〕 Able to communicate effectively in Italian, French, English, and German, Tomatis traveled the world to spread his undiluted message of primary prevention of disease, especially cancer. He was as prolific as he was dedicated to protecting the environment, and he was an early champion of environmental and social justice. As a renaissance man, Tomatis wrote books for the general public based on his medical, scientific, and humanitarian experiences. His contributions are well recognized in lives saved from disease and in the cadre of scientists he influenced. He will likely be remembered for his spirit and love of people—his generosity, compassion, honesty, and moral character. As of 2013, he is survived by his wife, Delia, in Trieste; and their son, Paolo, who lives and works between Switzerland and Italy. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lorenzo Tomatis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|