Professor Charles Adeyinka Adisa (5 January 1965 – 28 December 2020)

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is saddened by the passing of Professor Charles Adisa, who died recently in Nigeria. Professor Adisa was a surgical oncologist and Professor of Surgery at Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. He was an instrumental collaborator of IARC as one of the founding investigators of the African Breast Cancer – Disparities in Outcomes (ABC-DO) study.

Charles’s activities to improve the health of his fellow Nigerians were far-reaching. He was a committed clinician. He advocated for global access to surgery, developed social media platforms for residency training in surgery, and served needy communities through regular medical missions. His scientific curiosity and passion led to his engagement in breast cancer research collaborations around the world, and through this work, he was an educator and promoter of early career scientists.

IARC researchers had the privilege of working closely with Charles over the past 10 years. In addition to his scientific insights and expansive contextual knowledge, ABC-DO colleagues enjoyed his immense generosity, diplomacy, and lively nature. His colourful anecdotes from his experiences at home, as a proud Nigerian, were humorously shared, and at the same time they made poignant points on the often-serious issues at hand. His colleagues and friends will miss his stories and unique insights on the diverse interests in his accomplished life, from politics to religion to his impressive garden and its mango and yam yields.

Our thoughts are with Charles’s wife, children, and patients and the ABC-DO Nigerian team.