Establishment of Russian Oncology before the Great Patriotic War

The establishment of oncology as a discipline in Russia should be considered taking into account the specifics of national history, as well as key historical events. In 2020, Russia celebrates the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War (World Was II). Russian oncology also celebrates its 75th anniversary. April 30, 1945 is considered the birthday of the Russian oncological service connected with the publication of a historical resolution of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR No. 935 “On measures to improve oncological care to population.”

In pre-revolutionary Russia, oncological care had the character of a private initiative, rather than a well-organised process. The tsarist government did not bear responsibility for organising the fight against cancer. The Great October Socialist Revolution contributed to the organisation of the fight against malignant neoplasms at the state level, based on the decisions of party congresses and healthcare laws. This created favourable conditions for improving and expanding anticancer care to the population. Soviet scientists-enthusiasts made a significant contribution to the development of oncology in the USSR. The organisation of medical professional societies facilitated the determination of main directions in the development of oncology as a discipline in the country. By the beginning of World War II, oncology in the USSR had acquired the character of an oncological care system, implementing measures aimed at developing and transferring into clinical practice early detection methods and those of treating malignant tumours, as well as their prevention. By the beginning of World War II, this system had comprised a large number of oncological dispensaries, located in almost all the republics of the Soviet Union. However, at that moment, there was still no unity in the creation of practical oncological institutions. Neither was practiced the registration of cancer cases, their account and observation, which measures are necessary for the prevention and early diagnosis of malignant tumours and precancerous diseases.

1. Kisteneva O., Nesterenko A., Byldina A. Oncology in the history of medicine. International Scientific Review. 2017;1:92-3 (In Russ.).

2. Vershinina S.F. Past and present of radiation diagnostics and treatment of malignant tumors: (on the 100 anniversary of FSBI A. M. Granov RRCRST of the Ministry of Healthcare Russian Federation). Medical radiology and radiation safety. 2019;64(3):85-8 (In Russ.). DOI: 10.12737/article_5cf3e96f80d074.65473780

3. Kaprin A.D., Chissov V.I., Droshneva I.V Chapter of history of P.A. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Center [Internet]. In: PA. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Center: the official site [cited 2020 Fev 25]. Available from: https://www.mnioi.nmicr.ru/about/his-tory.php (In Russ.).

4. Rachinsky N.I., Snegirev V.F., Shingareev A.I., Levin A.I. The All-Russian Cancer Control Society. Speeches at the opening ceremony of the Cancer Control Society in Saint Petersburg, May, 1. Saint Petersburg, 1908 (In Russ.).

5. Davydov M.I., Gantsev Sh.H. Oncology. Moscow: GEOTAR-Media; 2019. 920 p. (In Russ.).

6. Geynats V.N., Skrobanskiy K.K. (ed.) Proceedings on the First AllRussian Cancer Control Congress. Petrograd. March, 31 — April, 3, 1914. Petrograd: Orbita; 1915. 415 p. (In Russ.).

7. Maistrenko D.N., Granov D.A. To the 100th anniversary of the A.M. Granov Russian scientific Center for Radiology and surgical technologies: history, present and development prospects. Problems in Oncology. 2018;64(4):459-69 (In Russ.).

8. Batinov I.N., Kovalev B.N., Chissov VI. P.A. Hertzen — surgeon, oncologist, teacher: (the 125th anniversary). Russian Journal of Oncology. 1997;1:4-6 (In Russ.).

9. Revenko A.G. 125 years since the discovery of X-rays. Analitika i Control. 2020;24(1):66-79 (In Russ.). DOI: 10.15826/analiti-ka.2020.24.1.008

10. Lotova E.I. The preventive trend of the Soviet health system and the establishment of a dispensary method. Zdravookhranenie. 1979;2:119 (In Russ.).

11. Belyaev A.M., Pliss G.B. Nikolai Nikolaevich Petrov: in connection with the 140th anniversary of the birth. Problems in oncology. 2016;62(5):701-3 (In Russ.).

12. Petrov N.N. General study of tumors (pathology and clinical features). Saint Petersburg; 1910. 375 p. (In Russ.).

13. Blokhina N.N. The Society for Cancer Control in Saint Petersburg. Bulletin of Semashko national research institute of public health. 2011;4:151-5 (In Russ.).

14. Proceedings on the First All-Soviet Union Oncology Congress July 8-12, 1931 in Kharkov. Kharkov: Gosmedizdat USSR; 1936. 332 p. (In Russ.).

15. Chissov VI., Starinskij V.V., Kovalev B.N., Harlamova N.N. Notes to history of oncology in Russia. Russian Journal of Oncology. 1998;3:71-5 (In Russ.).

16. The history of the Department. In: N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology: the official site. [cited 2020 Fev 25]. Available from: https://www.ronc.ru/specialists/education/kafedra-onkologii-gbou-dpo-rmapo-minzdrava-rossii/istoriya-kafedry-/ (In Russ.).

17. Introduction of a unified nomenclature for healthcare institutions: Order of the People’s Commissariat for Health of the USSR dated May 28, 1940 No. 273 (In Russ.).