Past, Present, and Future Leaders of Cancer Research By : Ca s s a n d ra va n Dr unen
PHOTO B Y N ATIONA L CA N C E R IN ST IT UT E ON U NS P L AS H
THE OBSERVER
“It’s got to keep going without me” - Terry Fox The leading cause of death in Canada. An estimated 617 Canadian diagnosed with it everyday in 2020, and 228 dying from it every 24 hours. One in Two Canadians is expected to develop it in their lifetimes. Knowing all of these statistics, it’s no wonder people don’t want to hear the word ‘cancer’ with regards to their families, friends, and loved ones. Globally, political and scientific leaders have put extraordinary efforts into fighting this illness. Leaders of the past have helped pave the way for the current leaders, who are working to help cure cancer in the future. Many science leaders of the past, including Paul Ehrilcih, for his discovery of the immune surveillance hypothesis, and George Papanicolaou, for his creation of the pap smear, should be commended for their incredible work in helping to tackle cancer. However, a man I will focus on is Sidney Farber, the “father of modern chemotherapy”. A world-renowned paediatric pathologist from Boston, Farber is most well known for his 1948 study where he demonstrated that folic acid antagonists, including 4-aminopteroyl-glutamic acid (aminopterin), could provide temporary remission in children with acute undifferentiated leukaemia. This discovery led to the creation and use of other chemotherapeutic agents, singly or in combination. Not only was cancer research reflective of his impeccable leadership, but Farber also started the “Jimmy Fund”, which worked to raise money for Farber and other researchers to treat and cure childhood leukemia. He was also insistent on developing what is now known as ‘total care’. He was a firm believer that all care required for cancer patients should be provided in one place so that everyone involved in the treatment could plan together, highlighting his impeccable leadership qualities. Farber, along with other scientists of his day, should be given the highest gratitude for their contributions to modern-day cancer treatment. Another incredible female scientist who left her mark on cancer research was Jimmie Holland, the founder of “psycho-oncology”. During her career, she was an advocate for supporting the emotional and psychological needs of individuals suffering from cancer. PAGE 24
