Dr Anita Borges Dies At 78 In Gorakhpur: Know About India’s Queen Of Histopathology

The medical fraternity is mourning the passing of Dr Anita Borges, one of India's most respected cancer pathologists, who died of a heart attack in Gorakhpur on Friday at the age of 78. Known as the "Queen of Histopathology," she leaves behind an unmatched legacy in cancer diagnosis and teaching.

Tata Memorial Hospital, where she spent decades of her career, expressed grief in a post on X (formerly Twitter): "We deeply mourn the loss of Dr. Anita Borges, India's most illustrious oncopathologist. Her service to countless patients at TMH and beyond leave an indelible legacy. It was indeed fitting that she left for her heavenly abode doing what she was most passionate about, teaching 🙏"

Meet the 'Queen of Histopathology'

Born into a family deeply rooted in medicine, Dr Borges was the daughter of Dr Ernest Borges, the pioneering cancer surgeon and former director of TMH. After completing her MBBS and MD in pathology from Topiwala National Medical College and Nair Hospital, she pursued advanced training at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Despite attractive offers to remain abroad, she chose to return to India, determined to contribute to the country’s cancer care system.

Over a career spanning five decades, Dr Borges headed the surgical pathology department at TMH and later led histopathology at SL Raheja Hospital and Tata’s Centre for Oncopathology. She also held prestigious positions such as Vice President (Asia) of the International Academy of Pathology, Dean of the Indian College of Pathologists, and board member of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibrating Laboratories (NABL).

Beyond hospitals and laboratories, she frequently travelled to smaller cities and towns, training young doctors and emphasizing accuracy in pathology. For thousands of oncopathologists and surgeons, she was both a mentor and an inspiration.

About Anita Borges' demise

Dr Borges was in Gorakhpur to conduct a Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme at Baba Raghav Das Medical College on September 19–20. According to colleagues, she suffered a cardiac arrest while preparing to return and passed away in an ambulance on the way to the airport.

“We were in Gorakhpur as part of a training programme for pathology students from small cities and towns. She passed away right in front of me, in the ambulance on the way to the airport. We were going to take an air ambulance,” reported Dr Sumeet Gujral, professor of pathology at Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), who was with her at the time.