Anthony John Webb

John Webb was a masterly technical surgeon and pioneer cytologist. In an era when a lump in the breast presaged uncertain frozen section biopsy and mastectomy, Webb mastered fine needle aspiration and accurate diagnosis, saving countless patients from avoidable surgery. His work forms the basis of the routine investigation of suspected breast cancer in modern practice.

He graduated from the University of Bristol Medical School in 1953. He was a house officer at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) between 1953 and 1955, and then …