In Memoriam
Tabaré Vázquez, Former President of Uruguay, Oncologist, and Human Rights Activist, Dies at 80
Ronald Piana
In 2006, President of Uruguay Dr. Tabaré Vázquez, a radiation oncologist by profession, enacted comprehensive antismoking legislation, eventually leading Uruguay to become the first country in Latin America to prohibit smoking in enclosed public spaces. His bold action drew the ire of international ...
Isabelle Tabah-Fisch, MD, Drug Researcher, Industry Executive, Dies at 64
The ASCO Post Staff
Isabelle Tabah-Fisch, MD, a medical oncologist in Paris who contributed greatly to drug development, died August 28, 2020, at age 64. An announcement about Dr. Tabah-Fisch’s death was made by GamaMabs, where she served as Chief Medical Officer until her retirement in March 2020. Under her leadershi...
Joan H. Marks, Pioneer in Genetic Counseling, Dies at 91
The ASCO Post Staff
Joan H. (Rosen) Marks, a pioneer in genetic counseling, died on September 14, 2020. She was 91. Ms. Marks received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, in 2019, in recognition of her contributions and leadership to the College and to society, the ...
Remembering Patrick H. Beauregard: ‘Selfless in His Efforts to Raise Awareness’ of Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults
The editors of The ASCO Post are sad to report the death of Patrick H. Beauregard on September 6, 2020. The cause was colorectal cancer. Diagnosed with stage IV disease in 2017 at the age of 29, Mr. Beauregard dedicated the last 3 years of his life to raising awareness of colorectal cancer in young...
Roger H. Herzig, MD, Pioneer in the Treatment of Leukemia, Dies at Age 74
Ronald Piana
More than 5 decades ago, the concept of bone marrow transplantation to treat humans with leukemia was met with varying degrees of skepticism and countless clinical failures. Yet, over those same decades, bone marrow transplantation was transformed from an insurmountable therapeutic option used in a ...
Cornelius O. ‘Skip’ Granai, MD, Champion of Cancer Care for Women, Dies at 71
The ASCO Post Staff
Cornelius O. “Skip” Granai, MD, Founder of the Program in Women’s Oncology at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, died on June 28, 2020, after a long bout with cancer. Dr. Granai strongly believed that cancer care for women should encompass both breast and gynecologic cancers, according t...
Gynecologic Cancer Advocate, Wendy Noelle Ericsson, Dies at Age 60
The ASCO Post Staff
The Society of Gynecologic Oncology announced with sadness the death of Wendy Noelle Ericsson, an advocate and champion of the Foundation for Women’s Cancer, an advocacy group supporting research, education, and public awareness of gynecologic cancers. Ms. Ericsson’s death was due to complications f...
Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD, Pioneer in Molecular Imaging, Dies at 57
The ASCO Post Staff
Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of Radiology at the Stanford School of Medicine and an internationally recognized pioneer in molecular imaging, died on July 18, 2020, of cancer. He was 57. The Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research, Dr. Gambhir dedicated his career t...
Flossie Wong-Staal, PhD, Molecular Biologist Who Uncovered the Secrets of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Dies at 73
Ronald Piana
The origin of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been traced back to Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, around 1920, when the virus crossed species from chimpanzees to humans. It wasn’t until the 1980s that epidemiologic data began to sum up the number of people who were infecte...
Oscar Colegio,MD, PhD, Expert on Skin Cancers Linked to Immunodeficiencies, Dies at 47
The ASCO Post Staff
Oscar Colegio, MD, PhD, the Lawrence P. & Joan Castellani Family Endowed Chair in Dermatology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, died unexpectedly on June 13, 2020, at a family residence in Connecticut. He was 47. Dr. Colegio had relocated to Buffalo when he was rec...
Beth Levine, MD, Renowned Doctor and Researcher in the Field of Autophagy, Dies at 60
The ASCO Post Staff
Beth Levine, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine and Microbiology, Director of the Center for Autophagy Research, and Charles Cameron Sprague Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Sciences at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern), and an investigator at the Howard Hughes ...
Neil Spector, MD, Physician-Scientist, Mentor, Author, Dies at 63
The ASCO Post Staff
Neil Spector, MD, a physician-scientist, translational research leader, and oncology mentor died on June 14, 2020. He was 63. Dr. Spector was the Sandra Coates Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, and a member of the Duke Cancer ...
Tribute to Bernard Fisher, MD
Ronald Piana
Bernard Fisher, MD, who died on October 16, 2019, at the age of 101, is recognized today for his groundbreaking research in breast cancer, which ultimately ended the standard practice of performing the Halsted radical mastectomy, a treatment that had been in place for more than 75 years. His labora...
Mourned and Missed
Ronald Piana
The respected members of the oncology community who are listed below passed away in 2019–2020. The ASCO Post remembers them, their lives, and their contributions to cancer research and treatment. Clara D. Bloomfield, MD, FASCO The acute myeloid leukemia (AML) community lost one of its shining lights...
Champion in Geriatric Oncology, Rosemary Yancik, PhD, Dies at 86
Jerome W. Yates, MD, MPH
Rosemary Yancik, PhD, a medical sociologist, was best known for her talent of bringing a group of experts together who shared her interests in improving the prevention and management of cancer in elderly patients. She served many years at the National Institutes of Health in both the National Instit...
Researcher and Leader in Cancer Center Administration, John W. Yarbro, MD, PhD, Dies at 88
Most who leave a mark in life are noted for a single contribution; few are remembered for the breadth of their contributions. Such a man was John W. Yarbro, MD, PhD, who, near the end of his rich life, stepped foot on Antarctica, completing his desire to have visited all of the world’s seven contine...
Paul G. Marks, MD, Visionary Leader of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dies at 93
In 1980, Paul G. Marks, MD, became the President and Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), the oldest and largest private cancer center in the world. Over his 19-year reign, he is credited with setting MSK on a more scientific course by encouraging innovative resea...
Breast Cancer Specialist Lawrence J. Solin, MD, FACR, FASTRO, Dies at Age 66
Lawrence J. Solin, MD, FACR, FASTRO, a champion of breast-conserving therapy for women with breast cancer, died unexpectedly on March 3 at the age of 66. At the time of his death, Dr. Solin was Professor Emeritus, Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylv...
AML Pioneer and Giant, Clara D. Bloomfield, MD, FASCO, Dies at 77
Robert Peter Gale, MD, PhD, DSc(hc), FACP, FRCP, FRCPI(hon), FRSM; Rüdiger Hehlmann, MD, PhD; and Andreas Hochhaus, MD
Physicians and scientists interested in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have lost one of the community’s shining lights with the death of Clara D. Bloomfield, MD, FASCO, on March 1, 2020, at age 77 years. Dr. Bloomfield is well known for her more than 50 years of groundbreaking research in blood cance...
Nobel Laureate Stanley Cohen, PhD, Dies at 97
The ASCO Post
Stanley Cohen, PhD, co-recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, died on February 5, 2020. The Nobel Laureate was recognized for his discovery of epidermal growth factor and its receptor. He shared the prize with Rita Levi-Montalcini, MD, a former colleague, who was recognized fo...
Innovator and Leader in Radiation Oncology, Eli J. Glatstein, MD, FASCO, Dies
Ronald Piana
Eli J. Glatstein, MD, FASCO, Morton M. Kligerman Professor, Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, made a significant impact on how different cancers are diagnosed and treated. His research improved how physicians stage and treat cancer, esp...
Hematologist/Oncologist Augustine L. Perrotta, DO, Dies at 80
Michael Perrotta
On November 24, hematologist/oncologist Augustine L. Perrotta, DO, died, days before his 81st birthday. Ironically, Dr. Perrotta died of renal cell carcinoma, presenting with metastasis to the spine, a topic about which he had written and lectured extensively. Clinical Professor of Medicine at Mich...
Past President of ASH, Stanford Professor, Stanley L. Schrier, MD, Dies at 90
The ASCO Post Staff
Stanley L. Schrier, MD, Past President of the American Society of Hematology (ASH, 2004–2005) and Professor Emeritus of Hematology at Stanford Medicine in Palo Alto, died on August 16. He was 90 years old. Instrumental to Growth at Stanford Dr. Schrier was a 1954 graduate of Johns Hopkins Universit...
Pioneering Breast Surgeon and NSABP Chair, Bernard Fisher, MD, Dies at 101
Ronald Piana
American physicist and philosopher Thomas Kuhn coined the term “paradigm shift” to connote a fundamental change in the basic concepts and practices of a standard scientific discipline. They are few and far between. To convince the entrenched oncologic surgery community in the 1960s and 1970s that th...
National Clinical Trials Consultant, Linda L. Hogan, Dies at Age 72
The ASCO Post Staff
Linda L. Hogan died on August 30, 2019, following a 25-year history of living with breast cancer and a more recent diagnosis of advanced lung cancer. She was born on November 29, 1946, in Farmington, Maine, and was the only child of Eleanor Sidell (Hogan) Stevens of Madison/Waterville, Maine, and J...
Ariel Hollinshead Hyun, PhD, a Pioneer in Cancer Vaccines, Dies at Age 90
Ronald Piana
Inspiration comes in many forms. For cancer researcher Ariel Hollinshead Hyun, PhD, known professionally as Dr. Hollinshead, it came at the age of 15, when she was captivated by Paul de Kruif’s book Microbe Hunters. She was fascinated by the lives of early bacteriologists detailed in the book and ea...
John Hansen, MD, Transplant Expert Who Founded Volunteer Donor Registries, Dies at 76
Ronald Piana
Over the past few decades, our understanding of transplant immunology has moved from basic allograft rejection to the current molecular level that offers life-saving treatments for patients with cancer. The scientific elegance of this remarkable therapy’s arc from experimental to standard of care is...
Donald A.B. Lindberg, MD, Pathologist, Former Director of the National Library of Medicine, Dies at 85
Ronald Piana
The National Library of Medicine, located in Bethesda, Maryland, was started in 1836 as a small collection of medical books and journals in the office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General. In the ensuing years, the library grew to become the world’s largest and most prestigious biomedical library, with ...
Henry T. Lynch, MD, Trailblazer in Hereditary Cancers, Dies at 91
Henry T. Lynch, MD, widely known as “the father of cancer genetics,” had an early life that could have been lifted from the pages of a Louis L’Amour novel. He dropped out of high school and using a falsified birth certificate joined the U.S. Navy at 16 years old, serving as a gunner on a marine ship...
A Pioneering Surgeon Who Opened Doors for Others, LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr, MD, Dies at 89
Lifting himself from the barriers of the segregated South, LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr, MD, would become a nationally regarded oncologic surgeon who opened doors for other in the medical profession. His career was distinguished by “firsts,” such as the first African America President of both the American...
The ASCO Post Remembers
The ASCO Post
The ASCO Post remembers the following members of the oncology community who passed away in 2018–2019. Please write to editor@ASCOPost.com to recognize others and pay tribute in a future issue. Sydney Brenner, MSc, MBBCh, DPhil Sydney Brenner, MSc, MBBCh, DPhil, died on April 6, 2019, at age 92, ac...
Nobel Laureate and Pioneer in Molecular Biology, Sydney Brenner, MSc, MBBCh, DPhil, Dies at 92
Sydney Brenner, MSc, MBBCh, DPhil, died on April 6, 2019, at age 92, according to The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore, where Dr. Brenner had served as a Senior Fellow. Dr. Brenner was conferred the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2002 for his pioneering w...
Robert O. Hickman, MD, Inventor of the Hickman Catheter, Dies at 92
Robert O. Hickman, MD, a pediatric nephrologist and inventor of a catheter that revolutionized care for patients with cancer, died on April 4, 2019. He was 92. Dr. Hickman was born on September 27, 1926, in Monticello, Utah. He served in the U.S. Air Force in the mid-1940s and married Lucy Jean Whi...
Hematologist Francesco Lo Coco, MD, Dies in Rome at 63
Hematologist Francesco Lo Coco, MD, known for his research accomplishments in both acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), died in Rome on March 3, 2019. He was 63. After graduating from the Medical School in Pisa, he moved to La Sapienza University of Rome in 1981. F...
J. Evan Sadler, MD, PhD, Expert in Blood-Clotting Disorders, Dies at 67
The ASCO Post
Pioneering hematologist J. Evan Sadler, MD, PhD, an expert in the study and treatment of blood-clotting disorders, died December 13, 2018, at his home in Clayton, Missouri, following a brief illness. He was 67. Dr. Sadler was the Director of Hematology, the Ira M. Lang Professor of Medicine, and a...
Adi Gazdar, MD, Cell Line Pioneer and Groundbreaking Pathologist, Dies
The ASCO Post
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASCL) announced the death of Adi Gazdar, MD, of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, on December 29, 2018. Dr. Gazdar, a leader in lung cancer pathology, was a cell line pioneer and a groundbreaking pathologist. H...
J. Evan Sadler, MD, PhD, Expert in Blood-Clotting Disorders, Dies at 67
The ASCO Post
Pioneering hematologist J. Evan Sadler, MD, PhD, an expert in the study and treatment of blood-clotting disorders, died December 13, 2018, at his home in Clayton, Missouri, following a brief illness. He was 67. His death was announced in a news item from the Washington University School of Medicin...
A Visionary in Lymphoma, Bertrand Coiffier, MD, PhD, Dies at 71
Ronald Piana
Internationally renowned lymphoma expert Bertrand Coiffier, MD, PhD, died on January 2, 2019. He was 71. Dr. Coiffier published more than 500 papers and book chapters that garnered more than 50,000 literature citations, placing him among the top 1% of the most influential researchers globally. His...
Waun Ki Hong, MD, FACP, FASCO, Innovator in the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer, Dies at 76
Ronald Piana
Waun Ki Hong, MD, FACP, FASCO, led numerous clinical trials showing that cisplatin-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy could effectively treat patients with cancer of the larynx while sparing their voice box. This seminal work also served as a model for organ-preservation strategies in many other ...
A Tribute to Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO, a Leader in Geriatric Oncology
Ronald Piana
The oncology community is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO, a nationally regarded expert and advocate for elderly patients with cancer. Dr. Hurria died on November 7, 2018, in a traffic accident. At the time of her tragic death, Dr. Hurria was Director of the City o...
MD Anderson President Emeritus, John Mendelsohn, MD, Dies at Age 82
The ASCO Post
John Mendelsohn, MD, President Emeritus of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, died of glioblastoma on January 7, 2019, at his home in Houston at age 82. He was an internationally acclaimed leader in the field of medicine and scientist whose research helped pioneer a new type of can...
ASCO Remembers Charles A. Coltman, Jr, MD, FASCO, Cooperative Trial Pioneer and ASCO Past President
The ASCO Post
ASCO AND THE ONCOLOGY COMMUNITY mourn the loss of ASCO Past President and former SWOG leader Charles A. Coltman, Jr, MD, FASCO, President Emeritus, Cancer Therapy & Research Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Coltman died on November 28 at the age of 88. ...
Leader in Geriatric Oncology, Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO, Dies at Age 48
Ronald Piana
ARTI HURRIA, MD, FASCO, died tragically on November 7, 2018, from injuries sustained in a traffic accident. Dr. Hurria was a national leader in geriatric oncology, embracing the age-associated nuances of the elderly, and leading initiatives and research that advanced this specialty field. “The time-...
Thomas J. Dougherty, PhD, Father of Photodynamic Therapy, Dies at Age 85
The ASCO Post
Thomas J. Dougherty, PhD, the developer of modern photodynamic therapy and Chief Emeritus of Roswell Park’s Photodynamic Therapy Center, died October 2, 2018, in Buffalo, New York. “He was undoubtedly the major influence in bringing [photodynamic therapy] into the realm of cancer therapy,” said Da...
Philip J. DiSaia, MD, Former President, Society of Gynecologic Oncology, American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dies at 81
Krishnansu Tewari
The grandson of Italian immigrants, Philip J. DiSaia was born on August 14, 1937, in Providence, Rhode Island. He earned his Bachelor’s in Science at Brown University and his MD at Tufts University. Upon the advice of his mentor in medical school, Dr. DiSaia obtained 2 years of general surgery tra...
Johns Hopkins Radiation Oncology Pioneer, Moody Wharam, Jr, MD, Dies at 77
The ASCO Post
MOODY WHARAM, JR, MD, Professor Emeritus of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences and former Willard and Lillian Hackerman Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, died on August 10 at the age of 77. Dr. Wharam specialized in the treatment of childr...
Proton Therapy Leader, James D. Cox, MD, Dies at 80
Ronald Piana
THE ACCLAIMED radiation oncologist James D. Cox, MD, led MD Anderson’s Proton Therapy Center, an international center of excellence for proton therapy, research, and education, distinguished as the world’s first proton therapy facility located within a comprehensive cancer center. At the 2017 Nation...
Oncology Organizations Remember Senator John McCain
The ASCO Post
U.S. Senator from Arizona John McCain passed away on August 25, 2018. The cause of death was glioblastoma multiforme. A number of medical societies issued statements remembering Senator McCain, a few of which are reprinted below. The ASCO Post shares in remembering Senator McCain for his service to ...
David J. Sugarbaker, MD, Pioneer in Thoracic Surgery, Mesothelioma, Dies at 65
Ronald Piana
DAVID J. SUGARBAKER, MD, was an internationally recognized thoracic surgeon who specialized in the treatment of mesothelioma and complex thoracic cancers. To be recognized as first in a medical finding or procedure is a rare honor; Dr. Sugarbaker received that honor twice, being the first to devel...
Alan S. Rabson, MD, Long-Time NCI Deputy Director and Cancer Research Stalwart, Dies at Age 92
MANY IN the cancer research and National Institutes of Health (NIH) community are mourning the loss of long-time National Cancer Institute (NCI) senior leader Alan S. Rabson, MD, who died on July 4 at the age of 92. With a distinguished scientific career that spanned 6 decades and included resea...
