An outline of the history of the Oncology Institute in Warsaw, on the 90th anniversary of its opening

Ninety years ago, The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Radium Institute in Warsaw was officially opened. The ceremony was marked by Skłodowska’s honourable presence as the author of the idea, the co-founder and patron of the Institute. The opening of the first modern institution which combined research and clinical activity was a breakthrough moment in the history of Polish oncology. This article presents an outline of the history of the Institute from the moment of the creation of the idea, through the hardships undertaken by the distinguished personalities involved in the organisatio­nal work during the first years of the existence of the centre, the busy period during its medical and academic heyday interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War and then the period of restoration from the destruction that had previously ensued. The paper also presents the period when new oncological specialisations were created, which started at the Institute at Wawelska street and the invaluable role the Institute staff played in the creation of the structures of modern oncological care in Poland. The intellectual resources were created by a generation of the Institute staff on the foundation of the innovative concept laid down by Maria Skłodowska-Curie. She always emphasised the necessity of the continual connection between clinical work and research and the role of interdisciplinary work as the basis for progress in combating oncological diseases. These efforts consist of a unique and special value, which is also a commitment to and challenge for the future.