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Mario Tortora (Casamarciano, December  23 1909- Casamarciano, April 27 1994) was an Italian doctor. He is known not only for having introduced for the first time in Italy the PAP test (also known as Papanikolau’s test) but also for his studies  on the RH factor and the foundation of  the “Banca del sangue” (Blood’s Bank) in south of Italy.

Biography
Born in Naples district, he grown up in such a stimulant rural environment which contributed to his formation.

Studies and Career
Completed his classical studies at high school, he graduated with 9/10 in 1928 and applied to Naples Medical School “Federico II” in the same year. He got university degree on July 13 1934 with 108/110 and specialized with laude in obstetrics and gynaecology in 1939. Soon after his specialization he become an avid researcher and worked in a several number of experiments not only in Italy, but also abroad. His researcher carrer took place also at the Frauenklinik University of Berlin in 1938 where he conducted a study on female endocrine patologies with Prof. C.Kauffmann, and at University of Bologna in the next year where attended Prof. Oliva histology classes and learned the in vitro culture technique. In february 2 1941 he was forced to interrupt his studies because of the war, and fought from june 7 1941 to jennuary 2 1942 in Africa, but soon after thanks to his curriculum and fame he became director of the «Pathological Laboratory» of the Camp 309 in El-Quasassin, Egypt. He kept on his research at Naples University (1946–55), New York University (1950), Sassari (1955–60) e Ferrara (1960–80), staying in touch with his colleagues across the globe.

Rh factor study
To start his career as researcher Dr. Tortora translated the work written by Alexander S. Wiener, who was part of the medical team who found out the Rh factor, in Italian.

« nell'estate del 1946 ebbi la ventura di entrare in contatto con il dottor A.S. Wiener, uno degli scopritori, insieme a Karl Landsteiner, del fattore Rh, e, grazie ad una piccola quantità di siero anti-Rh da lui gentilmente inviatami,potei dare l'avvio a un centro di ricerca sul fattore Rh,che nel volgere di pochi anni sarebbe diventato un punto di riferimento per gli studiosi di problemi Rh, in particolare ginecologi e medici legali, a questi ultimi per l'esclusione della paternità. I contatti con Wiener divennero in seguito sempre più frequenti e cordiali. » (Mario Tortora)

« In summer 1946 I had the pleasure to get in touch with A.S. Wiener,who found out Rh factor with K. Landsteiner, and, thanks to a bit of anti-Rh serum kindly sent by him, I could take off a Rh factor study center, which suddenly became a landmark for Rh factor researchers, gynecologist and legal medicians in particular The last ones, in order to their "paternity" causes.» (Mario Tortora)

Uterus and mammals cancer fight
In 1953 he took off a center for cancer early diagnosis in Naples Medical University where he first used the Pap Test. But first results only came up in 1962, when he realized the first European uterus cancer mass screening in Ferrara, which reduced the number of victims by 53 times. Such results got him nominated as president of the Italian Clinic Cytology Society, which required the spread of the experiment in the whole country. When it comes about recognition Dr. Tortora also shot a movie called “Prevenzione del cancro dell'utero e della mammella” ("Uterus and mammals cancer prevention"), rewarded in Italy (1970), France (1970), Spain (1971), Australia (1971) and Brazil (1972). «The first cytologicmass screening in Europe for the early diagnosis of cervical cancer was carried on in the 50ies by Professor Mario Tortora, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ferrara. He had studied with G.Papanicolau at the Cornell University in New York and published the results of his work as “Results of mass screening for uterine cancer by vaginal smear in the Province Ferrara, Italy” Arch OstetGinecol70, 1-9,1965.» (Congresso Nazionale Il futuro dello screening lo screening del futuro, Ferrara, 10-11-12 giugno 2009)