Sophie Spitz (4 February 1910 – 11 August 1956) was an American

pathologist Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...

who published the first case series of "juvenile melanoma," (a special form of

benign Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse; the term is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous benign tumor, ''benign'' tumor in that a malig ...

melanocytic nevi), skin lesions that have come to be known as Spitz nevi.Crotty, K. Spitz Naevus: Histological Features and Distinction from Malignant Melanoma. ''Australasian Journal of Dermatology''. 38 (suppl): S49-S53. 1997. For her contributions to pathology, and especially for her foresight in advocating the use of the

pap smear The Papanicolaou test (abbreviated as Pap test, also known as Pap smear (AE), cervical smear (BE), cervical screening (BE), or smear test (BE)) is a method of cervical screening used to detect potentially precancerous and cancerous processes in ...

when it was newly devised, she is recognized as a prominent pathologist of her time.

Life and career

Spitz was born in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

.Shapiro, PE. Who Was Sophie Spitz? ''Am J Dermatopath''. 1992;14(5):442-446. Spitz had a passion for music in her youth and especially loved the violin. Her uncle, Herman Spitz, was a pathologist and inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre Dermatology Unit
website accessed 18 February 2009. She earned her MD from

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

in 1932 and commenced her residency at the New York Infirmary for Women and Children. Spitz met and married her husband, Arthur Allen, also a pathologist, in 1942. At around this time, she joined the Army Institute of Pathology, where she remained until 1945. It was here she developed an interest in tropical diseases and co-authored ''Pathology of Tropical Diseases: An Atlas'' with James Earle Ash.Ash, JE, Spitz, S (1945) ''Pathology of Tropical Diseases: An Atlas''. Philadelphia: Saunders. Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, she returned to work at the New York Infirmary and also at

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in Manhattan in New York City. MSKCC is one of 72 National Cancer Institute– designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Its main campus is ...

, where she described the twelve cases of what was then known as juvenile melanoma and recognized that these lesions have benign behavior despite their microscopic resemblance to

melanoma Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer; it develops from the melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. It typically occurs in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye (uveal melanoma). In very rare case ...

. This clinically important information came to be published in the ''American Journal of Pathology'' in 1948, and the lesion now bears her name.Spitz S. Melanomas of Childhood. ''Am. J. Pathol.'' 1948;24:591-609.

Death

At 46 years of age, Spitz died from

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

, before the term

Spitz nevus A Spitz nevus is a benign Skin condition#Lesions, skin lesion. A type of melanocytic nevus, it affects the Epidermis (skin), epidermis and dermis.LeBoit, PE, Burg G, Weedon D, Sarasin A. (Eds) World Health Organization Classification of Tumours: ...

was popularised. She was living in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and was the director of the pathology department of the New York Infirmary before her death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spitz, Sophie Place of death missing Deaths from colorectal cancer in New York (state) Physicians from Nashville, Tennessee American pathologists American people of German-Jewish descent 1910 births 1956 deaths 20th-century American physicians 20th-century American women scientists 20th-century American women physicians