The scientific community mourns the loss of Christopher D.M. Fletcher, MD, FRCPath, professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School; emeritus vice chair of anatomic pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston; and emeritus chief of onco-pathology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The role of pathologists in contributing to great discoveries in cancer research is often neglected. To this end, Fletcher was internationally known for breakthrough discoveries that led to the molecular characterization of soft tissue tumors. His work transformed the field of cancer pathology by providing expert insights into tumor diagnosis and clinical prognosis.
Fletcher revolutionized the field of soft tissue tumors. He provided new understanding of these malignancies and their progress toward molecular characterization, and insights on their cell of origin, diagnosis, and prognosis. Many breakthrough discoveries in soft tissue tumors would not have been possible without the extensive, detailed, and precise knowledge that Fletcher provided over the years. His work is accurately recognized as the cornerstone of studies that describe and even define many soft tissue tumors as we now know them.
He believed that the unpredictable nature of tumors requires careful and experienced morphologic evaluation, at times supported by additional, more sophisticated techniques, before the pathologist can arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the entities interrogated in the research setting.
He was the first to integrate the morphologic aspects of soft tissues with the characterization of genetic insults, leading to the definition of over 40 distinct molecular and morphologic characteristics capable of classifying mesenchymal neoplasms. These categorized molecular signatures have since contributed to the establishment of innovative therapies for patients with cancer worldwide.
Fletcher obtained his medical degree (MBBS) from United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas’ hospitals in 1981, followed by a doctoral degree in medicine at the University of London and a residency in pathology at St. Thomas. By 1995, he rose to the rank of professor of surgical pathology at the University of London.
In 1995, he moved to Boston as professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. He also served successively as director of surgical pathology and vice-chair for anatomic pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and during most of that time served concurrently as chief of onco-pathology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
He chaired the World Health Organization Working Group for the Classification of Tumors of Soft Tissue and Bone and served terms as president of the Association of Directors of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology, the International Academy of Pathology, the Arthur Purdy Stout Society, the International Society of Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology, and the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP).
Fletcher was a member of the Royal College of Pathologists. He received the President’s Medal, British Division of the International Academy of Pathology, in 2018; USCAP’s President’s Award in 2019; and the F.K. Mostolfi Distinguished Service Award from USCAP in 2020. Just this year, the American Association for Cancer Research honored him with the James S. Ewing-Thelma B. Dunn Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pathology at the AACR Annual Meeting 2024.
He authored more than 700 scientific papers (h-index of 140) and authored the widely used textbook Diagnostic Histopathology of Tumors, first published in 1995 and now in its fifth edition.
Fletcher was also an extraordinary educator and mentor who trained, inspired, and guided generations of pathologists. He was much in demand as a speaker and lecturer and was known for his frank and engaging style. He will be missed by the profession, his colleagues, and his patients.
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