Anita Borges

Anita Maria Borges (19 November 1947 – 18 September 2025) was an Indian oncopathologist and histopathologist. She was recognised for her diagnostic precision in cancer pathology, her leadership roles in medical institutions, and her contribution to pathology education in India. She was the eldest daughter of Ernest Borges, an oncologist and cancer surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. She was widely referred to as the "Queen of Histopathology" in recognition of her role in shaping cancer pathology in India. She is the sister of evolutionary biologist Renee Borges.

Borges completed her MBBS and from BYL Nair Hospital and then pursued an MD in pathology from Topiwala Medical College. She later trained at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, thus learning advanced methods in oncopathology. During the COVID pandemic, she along with Dr Sumeet Gujral started the Online Teaching Programme for Postgraduate students in Pathology with the support of Tata Trusts. It is a free teaching programme which runs twice a week online and covers the entire gamut of the Pathology curriculum. Expert pathologists from India and abroad conduct teaching sessions and slide seminars online which are attended from pathology students and practitioners from several countries.

Death and legacy Borges died in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, on 18 September 2025, after suffering a heart attack while attending a medical conference. She was 78.

Borges was remembered not only for her diagnostic expertise but also for extending training and mentorship beyond major centres to smaller cities across India. Her commitment to education and her role in developing oncopathology services made her one of the most respected figures in her field.

Recognition Borges’s professional style was often described as honest, ethical, and precise. She was widely referred to as the "Queen of Histopathology" in recognition of her role in shaping cancer pathology in India.

She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Society of Head and Neck Oncologists.