Renowned Pathologist Emmanuel Farber, MD, PhD, Dies
Cancer research lost a pioneer on August 3, 2014, with the passing of Emmanuel Farber, MD, PhD, a renowned pathologist who made fundamental contributions to our understanding of chemical carcinogenesis. Dr. Farber’s studies in experimental pathology demonstrated that chemical carcinogens are capable of binding to nucleic acids, in turn generating specific DNA adducts. These early studies led to the observation that chemical carcinogenesis is a sequential process. He later proved this theory by showing that cancer could be induced through a series of step-by-step chemical treatments in the liver.
From 1961 to 1964, Dr. Farber served on the Surgeon General’s first Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health, which was responsible for issuing the groundbreaking 1964 Surgeon General’s Report. Dr. Farber was an early proponent of limiting tobacco use and educating the public about smoking risks, at a time when such a position was subject to attacks from industry and even from other scientists.
Throughout his long and prestigious career, Dr. Farber promoted the concept that to understand carcinogenesis, one must also understand the cellular, genetic, metabolic, and molecular changes that are occurring during the process. This mindset, along with Dr. Farber’s energy and enthusiasm in exploring the nature of cancer, has served as a source of inspiration and guidance for cancer researchers worldwide.
Distinguished Academic Career
Dr. Farber was born in Toronto, Ontario, on October 19, 1918. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1942 and completed his residency training in pathology at the Hamilton General Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. After serving in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, he obtained a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Farber’s distinguished academic career began at Tulane University in New Orleans, and continued with his appointment as Professor and Chairman of Pathology and Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and at the Fels Research Institute, Temple University School of Medicine, in Philadelphia, where he was Professor of Pathology and Biochemistry and Director of the Institute. In 1975 Dr. Farber moved back to his native city to take the post of Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pathology and Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto. At his death, he held the title of Chairman Emeritus and Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Toronto.
Leader in the Scientific Community
In addition to his academic and research contributions, Dr. Farber was a leader in the scientific community. He was a very active member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), where he was a member of the AACR Board of Directors and served as Vice President from 1971 to 1972 and President from 1972 to 1973. Dr. Farber was also a member of the Pennsylvania (East) State Legislative Committee and the Molecular Epidemiology Working Group and served with distinction on panels and committees including the National Advisory Cancer Council of the U.S. Public Health Service, Lung Cancer Task Force, and Committee on Food Safety and Food Safety Policy of the National Academy of Sciences, among others.
Dr. Farber was the recipient of the Parke-Davis Award in Experimental Pathology, the Samuel R. Noble Foundation Award, the Rous-Whipple Award of the American Association of Pathologists, and the G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award of the American Association for Cancer Research. In 1984, Dr. Farber was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
In 1985, Dr. Farber was elected as the Honorary Member of the Society of Toxicologic Pathologists, the highest honor that this professional organization can bestow.
Dr. Farber’s seminal laboratory research laid the groundwork for our understanding of human cancer, and he will be truly missed by everyone whom he touched as a scientist, teacher, and humanitarian during his long life.
The content in this post has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.
