Paraguayan doctor receives international award for penile cancer research

Dr. Antonio Cubilla, an 82-year-old Paraguayan pathologist, has been honored with the prestigious Fred W. Stewart Award for his significant contributions to the study of penile cancer. The international recognition, presented by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, celebrates pathologists who have made exceptional advancements in cancer knowledge, diagnosis, and patient care.

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this award is given specifically to those who the jury considers to have made contributions that advanced knowledge for the benefit of cancer patients and cancer in general.

Cubilla's research, primarily conducted in Paraguay, delved into the diagnosis and causes of penile cancer, a disease with a notably high incidence in the country. His work also explored the connection between penile cancer and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

In an interview, Dr. Cubilla explained that the award specifically honors those whose contributions have demonstrably benefited cancer patients and the broader understanding of cancer. He noted the prestige of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the oldest hospital dedicated solely to cancer treatment, where he and other Paraguayans received their training.

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that hospital called Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, more commonly called Memorial Hospital, is a very prestigious hospital, the oldest that was dedicated exclusively to the treatment of cancer. Several Paraguayans trained there.

Cubilla emphasized that 80% of his work was completed in Paraguay, despite an earlier eight-year tenure at Memorial Hospital focused on cancer diagnosis training. While he has researched various cancers, including pancreatic, breast, and thyroid, his specialization in penile cancer in Paraguay remains a key focus of his ongoing studies.

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Dr. Stewart was the first head of pathology, he was a very, very brilliant person whom I met in his final years. He discovered many tumors and was crucial in organizing a pathology department that was a leader in cancer diagnosis in the United States and the world.