ASCO is deeply saddened by the loss of past president Harvey M. Golomb, MD, FASCO, a pioneer in the study of interferon as cancer treatment. Dr. Golomb passed away on August 20, 2025; he was 82.
From the beginning of his medical career, Dr. Golomb was a committed member of ASCO. He joined the Society in 1977 and served as Chair of the Scientific Program Committee from 1981–1982. He was elected and served as ASCO President in 1990–1991. He was a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and the Joint Special Awards Selection Committee. In 2007, he was honored as a Fellow of ASCO (FASCO) for his many years of service to the organization.
Harvey M. Golomb, MD, FASCO
Dr. Golomb was the Lowell T. Coggeshall Professor and former Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago, the institution where he built his career over 50 years—from his fellowship in 1973 until his retirement in 2023. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Dr. Golomb completed his residency at Johns Hopkins Medical School and his fellowship at the University of Chicago and began to focus on medical genetics and hematology/oncology. He joined the faculty at the University of Chicago and served in numerous leadership roles at the institution over 5 decades, including Section Chief of Hematology/Oncology, Dean of Clinical Affairs, and Chief Medical Officer.
In the early 1980s, Dr. Golomb conducted studies on interferon as a treatment for patients with hairy cell leukemia; these early studies showed marked improvements in patient survival. In the following decades, Dr. Golomb became an authority on genetic abnormalities associated with various cancers and on the use of chemotherapy for leukemias, lymphomas, and lung cancer. He authored more than 350 peer-reviewed articles and 300 abstracts on these subjects and co-edited the popular textbook Oncologic Therapies.
ASCO joins the entire oncology community in mourning Dr. Golomb’s passing and shares its sincerest condolences with his family, friends, and colleagues.
