Georgios N. Papanikolaou (or George Papanicolaou; Greek: Γεώργιος Παπανικολάου) (May 13, 1883–February 19, 1962) was born at Kimi on the island of Evia, in Greece. He was a pioneer in cytology and early cancer detection. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (134th in leap years). ... 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Cuma. ... Euboea or Negropont (Modern Greek: Εύβοια Evia, Ancient Greek Εúβοια Eúboia; see also List of traditional Greek place names), is the largest island of the Greek archipelago. ... Cytology (also known as Cell biology) is the scientific study of cells. ...

He studied at the University of Athens where he received his medical degree in 1904. Six years later he received his Ph.D. from the University of Munich, Germany. In 1913 he emigrated to the U.S. in order to work in the department of Pathology of New York Hospital and the Department of Anatomy at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. He first reported that uterine cancer could be diagnosed by means of a vaginal smear in 1928, but the importance of his work was not recognized until the publication, together with Herbert Traut, of 'Diagnosis of Uterine Cancer by the Vaginal Smear' in 1943. The book discusses the preparation of the vaginal and cervical smear, physiologic cytologic changes during the menstrual cycle, effect of various pathological conditions, and the changes seen in the presence of cancer of the cervix and the endometrium of the uterus. He thus became known for his invention of Papanicolaou's test, now known as the Pap smear, which is used worldwide for the detection and prevention of cervical cancer and other cytologic diseases of the female reproductive system. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greek: Εθνικόν και Καποδιστριακόν Πανεπιστήμιον Αθηνών), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in the region of the eastern Mediterranean and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. ... Munich (German: , pronounced  ; Austro-Bavarian: Minga [1]) is the capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria. ... Pathology (from Greek pathos, feeling, pain, suffering; and logos, study of; see also -ology) is the study of the processes underlying disease and other forms of illness, harmful abnormality, or dysfunction. ... New York-Presbyterian Hospital is a prominent university hospital in New York City, composed of two medical centers, Columbia University Medical Center and New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, each affiliated with an Ivy League University. ... Human heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... The Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College is the medical school and biomedical research unit of Cornell University. ... Cornell University is a private university located in Ithaca, New York, USA. Its two medical campuses are in New York City and Education City, Qatar. ... Menstrual cycle The menstrual cycle is a recurring cycle of physiological changes in the females of some animal species that is associated with reproductive fertility. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... Schematic frontal view of female anatomy The cervix (from Latin neck) is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. ... The endometrium is the inner membrane of the mammalian uterus. ... The uterus or womb is the major female reproductive organ of most mammals, including humans. ... The pap smear as we know it is an invention of Dr. Georgios Papanikolaou (1883-1962), an American of Greek birth, the father of cytopathology. ... Cervical cancer is a malignancy of the cervix. ... Cytology (also known as Cell biology) is the scientific study of cells. ... The reproductive system is the ensembles and interactions of organs and/or substances within an organism that strictly pertain to reproduction. ...

In 1961 he moved to Miami to develop the Papanicolaou Cancer Research Institute at the University of Miami, but died in 1962 prior to its opening. The University of Miami (also known as UM or just The U) is a private university founded in 1925 with its main campus in the city of Coral Gables in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States. ...

Dr. Papanicolaou was a recipient of the Lasker Award. The Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards have been awarded annually since 1946 to living persons who have made major contributions to medical science. ...

References

• Papanicolaou G.N, Traut H.F. Diagnosis of Uterine Cancer by the Vaginal Smear. New York, The Commonwealth Fund, 1943.
• Speert H. Obstetric and Gynecologic Milestones. New York, 1958. The MacMillan Company. Page 285-291.