American physician active in pediatric cancer research
Teresa J. Vietti (November 5, 1927 – January 25, 2010) was an American physician. She is best known for her pioneering work and research in pediatric cancer. Her research discovered the genetics of leukemia, new chemotherapy agents and tracked the effects of chemotherapy on childhood cancer survivors. Vietti also wrote about her research and was an editor of the Journal of Pediatric Hematology and a co-editor of Clinical Pediatric Oncology. According to Washington University in St. Louis, she was known as "the mother of pediatric cancer therapy."[1]
In 1962, she received word that her sister, Ardel Vietti was kidnapped and was being held a prisoner of the Viet Cong.[10] Vietti would never see her sister again, but she did talk about her for the 1998 radio program, The Only Woman Left Behind.[11][12]
In 1962 and 1963, she was a principal investigator in a Washington University study on the effects of lead intoxication in children.[13][14] In 1970, Vietti received a grant from the St. Louis Leukemia Guild to study treatments for leukemia.[15] In 1972, Vietti became a full professor at Washington University.[6] In 1975, she received a large grant from the National Cancer Institute to study cancer in children.[16] Her research uncovered the genetic basis of leukemia, new chemotherapy agents and also studied the long-term effects of chemotherapy on childhood cancer survivors.[6] Vietti retired in 1998.[9]
She published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and was known to remove her name from some studies so that younger researchers would get greater exposure for their work.[9] Vietti co-authored Clinical Pediatric Oncology (1973) which has four editions and according to Washington University is "one of the premier texts in its field."[6][17] She was an editor of the Journal of Pediatric Hematology and a co-editor of Clinical Pediatric Oncology.[9]
In 1976, Vietti earned the UNICO Award.[9] She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society for Pediatric Hematology-Oncology in 1994.[6][18] The Leukemia Society of America presented her with their Return of the Child Award in 1999.[9] Washington University awarded her the Second Century Award in 2007.[6]
Vietti died on January 25, 2010, at the Missouri Baptist Medical CenterinTown and Country of natural causes; her health had been deteriorating for the previous few months.[5] In 2013, Washington University created 3 pediatric scholar positions, one of which was named after Vietti.[1]
