Gary R. Morrow, PhD, MS
ASCO joins the oncology community in mourning the death of Gary R. Morrow, PhD, MS, who passed away on July 7, 2026; Dr. Morrow was 82.
Dr. Morrow was a pioneer in the field of supportive care, and his research on the potentially debilitating side effects of cancer treatment, including nausea, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, led to symptom management strategies that improved the quality of life for millions of patients with cancer.
Dr. Morrow’s groundbreaking research leading to the development of effective antiemetic drugs was voted as one of the top five cancer advances in the history of the field by ASCO members as part of ASCO’s 50th anniversary in 2014. “These drugs not only brought relief from intense, treatment-induced nausea and vomiting, but also made it possible for patients to avoid once-routine hospital stays, complete their full course of treatment, and live longer and better lives overall,” ASCO noted in its list of the Top 5 Advances.
“[Antiemetics] permit millions of patients to receive full cancer regimens, delivered in a timely fashion… many even continue to work and lead high-functioning lives during treatment,” one voter in the survey explained.
Dr. Morrow served on ASCO’s Anti-Emetics Expert Panel, which developed some of the first evidence-based clinical guidance on antiemetic use, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology
in 1999.
Read more about Dr. Morrow’s life and legacy in a tribute from the University of Rochester Medicine (see here).
