William C. “Bill” Wood, MD, FASCO
William C. “Bill” Wood, MD, FASCO, a leader and mentor in the field of breast cancer, died on August 18, 2024. He was 84.
Dr. Wood was the J.B. Whitehead Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine from 1991 to 2009. He chaired the 1990 U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Conference on Management of Early Breast Cancer; co-chaired the NIH Breast Cancer Committee of the CALGB (Cancer and Leukemia Group B); led the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Breast Cancer Committee; chaired the Breast Cancer Intergroup Committee; and co-chaired the NCI’s Breast Cancer Steering Committee.
From Harvard to Emory to the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons
Dr. Wood graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1966. He then completed a surgical residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and a surgical oncology fellowship at the NIH. After finishing his training, he joined the staff at MGH, eventually becoming Chief of Surgical Oncology and Medical Director of the cancer center. He was recruited to Emory University in 1991, where he remained until his retirement in 2009.
Following his retirement from Emory University School of Medicine in 2009, Dr. Wood served as the Academic Dean of the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons, where his work to advance surgical care and education transformed countless lives across Africa. In an early interview with The ASCO Post, Dr. Wood shared these comments: “Africa has 25% of the world’s burden of disease. It has 3% of the world’s doctors and nurses, and 1% of the dollars spent on health care, so it’s a very needy place.… Not only is there a lack of doctors and nurses, there is little clean water or affordable oncology medicine.”
Dr. Wood’s work with the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons included significant contributions to the development of the Academy’s curriculum. His efforts have left a lasting impact on the training of future surgeons in Africa.
From the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group
In an obituary published by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, the colleagues of Dr. Wood noted that he was “influential in the design and meta-analysis of conceptually driven clinical trials. His work has paved the way for the modern management of breast cancer today, from the identification and proper management of HER2-positive breast cancer (CALGB 8541) to the utilization of genomic assays to guide systemic therapy (TAILORx).” They added: “He will be missed by his colleagues and friends at ECOG-ACRIN, but his legacy will continue to have an impact on the work of the Breast Cancer Committee and the field at large.”
In addition to countless contributions to the literature, Dr. Wood was a founding editorial advisor for The ASCO Post. He helped shape the editorial direction of the publication over the past 15 years.
Dr. Wood is survived by his wife, Judy, three children, and seven grandchildren.
