Dear all,

Our friend, Pediatric Cancer Specialist and professor of Pediatrics, Giuseppe Basso, “Beppe” for the friends, died Tuesday, February 16 from complications of Covid-19 infection.

I have had the privilege to work with “Beppe” for more than 35 years in joint Padova-Monza initiatives, continuously aimed to promote research and progress in the treatment of children and adolescents with leukemia and lymphoma.

He did important work in dissecting the immunological heterogeneity of childhood leukemia and in monitoring early treatment response by flow cytometry. Seminal is his work on the measurement of FCM MRD in day 15 bone marrow as the most powerful early predictor of relapse in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Of note he played an essential role to establish controlled laboratory procedures applicable to virtually all patients, even in countries with limited resources.

He carried on his work and research activities in childhood malignancies with enthusiasm and strong collaboration with friends of the major international networks in this field, as recognized in messages we have received from all around the world.

He was a remarkable person who cared deeply for his patients, colleagues, students and house staff. The patients that he treated and the students that he taught will carry his  legacy forward.

Outside of medicine, Beppe was known for his enthusiasm for all sports, in particularly skiing. Falcade (in the Dolomites) was not only the place of his infancy, but his niche where he like to preserve his family legacy and where to go any time he could and to welcome always friends with a glass of good wine! The Winter InterLab Padova and Monza took place in Falcade for more than 20 years, in the spirit of cooperation and friendship.

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” (E. Kubler-Ross)

We like to remember Beppe for this light.

Andrea Biondi, and all colleagues from Monza and Padova (Italy)