Professor Lorenzo Gafà, IACR Honorary Member, passed away on March 22, 2019.

A renowned pathologist then in his forties, in 1982 Professor Gafà established the Ragusa Cancer Registry, in Sicily, Italy. This Registry has been the first in operation in a central Mediterranean area. He has been a true pioneer, in a time when the Cancer Registries in the country were less than the fingers of a hand.

Beside producing impact data of excellent quality (published in Cancer Incidence in Five Continents since their first year), Professor Gafà promoted an intense use of those data to contribute to analytical studies at both, national and international level (Helios I and II, EPIC, SETIL research consortia among others).

After his retirement from the Ragusa Registry position, he went on helping the establishment of other Registries in Southern Italy. Besides, he carried on for decades important responsibilities in the Italian League Against Cancer at local and national level.

Roberto Zanetti