Most of these medical pioneers, nicknamed the “Cancer Cowboys” are gone now. Their ranks once included James Holland, Tom Frei and Emil “Jay” Freireich. Arguably, the best known of this group, Donald Pinkel, died March 9 at his home in San Luis Obispo, CA, at the age of 95.
Dr. Donald Pinkel, my father, was a pioneering pediatric oncologist who developed the first curative drug treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children. This work has led to a vastly improved survival rate for ALL patients throughout the world.
John Mark Cleland died peacefully on Feb. 7, 2022, in Indianapolis. Some people reading this headline will have little or no idea who John Cleland was. However, if you are a medical or urological oncologist, you should. John Cleland was the first man whose metastatic testicular cancer was cured with combination chemotherapy containing cisplatin.
Last week, the world lost a true visionary and a wonderful human being. Paul Farmer was committed to equity in health and beyond. His life’s work served to help make this world a fairer, better place. He was a humanitarian, champion of human rights.
On Jan. 24, 2022, the world lost a pioneer in bone marrow transplantation—now more-commonly referred to as hematopoietic cell transplantation. William Vaughan, MD, MBA, will always be known for his kindness, his approachability, and his unwavering commitment to improving patient safety and outcomes.
On Jan. 3, 2022, a few weeks shy of her 101st birthday, my friend, colleague, and mentor Beatrice Mintz passed away after a long illness. Following a brief period at the University of Chicago, at age 40 she joined the Institute for Cancer Research at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. She went on […]
Hal E. Broxmeyer, PhD, lost the final round of his battle with thyroid cancer on Dec. 8. Hal was our father, he was our brother, he was our mentor, and he was our friend. His was a life of impact.
Few people can say they have contributed more to our field than Dr. Walter Lawrence, Jr., and we are so deeply saddened by his passing Nov. 9 at age 96.
Prof. Elihu (Eli) H. Estey, MD, a pioneering AML researcher, physician and scholar collapsed and died unexpectedly on Oct. 8 at his home in Seattle. He was 75.
Our good friend and colleague Ed Gehan passed away on Sept. 28 at the age of 92. Ed and his contributions to cancer research and to cancer patients are legend.
