First time radioactive isotope used to treat thyroid cancer
In 1946, fission-derived radioiodine became readily available as a by-product of the Manhattan project in Oak Ridge, TN….
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | NIH | Oncology | Radiology | Therapeutics | Women's Health
NCI scientists published first monograph that showed the mouse breast cancer “agent” was a filterable virus
In 1945, W. Ray Bryan, Michael B. Shimkin, Howard B. Andervont, Herbert Kahler and Thelma B. Dunn published…
UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation was Established
In 1945, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation was founded by a group…
Carl Voegtlin resigned as director of the National Cancer Institute
On Sept. 4, 1943, Dr. Carl Voegtlin resigned as director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Voegtlin…
The Pap smear was introduced into medical practice
In 1943, George Nicholas Papanicolaou and Herbert Traut published their landmark book “Diagnosis of Uterine Cancer by the…
The Detroit Institute for Cancer Research was founded
In 1943, The Detroit Institute for Cancer Research was incorporated with just $483 and 200 shares of General…
Chemotherapy was first used to treat a cancer patient
On Aug. 27, 1942, chemotherapy was first used to treat a cancer patient and the beginning of its…
The Hormel Institute was founded
In 1942, The Hormel Institute was founded by Jay C. Hormel in Austin to research and find a…
Dr. William Hutchinson joined the Swedish Tumor Institute
In 1942, Dr. William Hutchinson began a 47 year career in Seattle, Washington when he joined the Swedish…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | Medicine | Oncology | Radiology | Therapeutics
Texas State Cancer Hospital (MD Anderson) was created by Texas Legislature
In 1941, Texas State Cancer Hospital, now known as the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was…
The first issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute was published
On Aug. 1, 1940, the first issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) was published….
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | NIH | Oncology | Rare Disease | Therapeutics
The U.S. government established a national blood collection program
In 1940, the U.S. government established a national blood collection program. That same year the National Research Council…
The McArdle Laboratory was founded in Madison
In 1940, the McArdle Memorial Laboratory was founded in Madison. McArdle Lab was one of the first basic…
NIH scientists first identified type II cell of pulmonary alveolus as the cell of origin of the common alveologenic tumours of the lungs
In 1939, Hugh G. Grady and Harold L. Stewart first identified the type II cell of the pulmonary…
The British Columbia Cancer Institute opened in Vancouver
On Nov. 5, 1938, the British Columbia Cancer Institute, BC Cancer’s first cancer treatment centre officially opened in…
Carl Voegtlin became the first director of the National Cancer Institute
On Jan. 13, 1938, Dr. Carl Voegtlin became the first director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), established…
The National Advisory Cancer Council recommended approval of first awards for fellowships in cancer research
In 1938, the National Advisory Cancer Council, created by the National Cancer Institute Act of Aug. 5, 1937,…
Murray J. Shear coined the term “cocarcinogen”
In 1938, Murray J. Shear from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) reported that a basic fraction of creosote…
Biology | Diagnostics | Life Science History | Medicine | NIH | Oncology | Therapeutics | U.S. Congress
President Franklin D Roosevelt signed the National Cancer Institute Act
On Aug. 5, 1937, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Act, P.L. 244, 75th Congress, was signed by President…
Senator Homer T. Bone introduced a bill “to control and prevent the spread of the disease of cancer”
On Apr. 2, 1937, Senator Homer T. Bone of Washington introduced S. 2067, “Authorizing the Surgeon General of…
Biology | Diagnostics | Life Science History | Medicine | Non-Profit Research | Oncology | Radiology | Therapeutics
Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine was established
In 1930, the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) was established, funded…
Senate bill 466 authorized the National Academy of Sciences to investigate affording Federal aid in discovering a cure for cancer
On Apr. 23, 1929, Senator W. J. Harris, Georgia, introduced S. 466, “To authorize the Public Health Service…
Clarence Cook Little founded a cancer research center in Bar Harbor (The Jackson Laboratory)
On May 4, 1929, Clarence Cook Little founded The Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine,…
National Academy of Sciences authorized to investigate federal aid in discovering a cure for cancer
On Mar. 7, 1928, Senator Matthew Neely (D) of West Virginia introduced S. 3554, “To authorize the National…
George Papanicolaou finds vaginal cell smears (the Pap smear) can reveal the presence of cervical cancer
In 1928, George Papanicolaou discovered that vaginal cell smears (the Pap smear) revealed the presence of cervical cancer….
Disease | Life Science History | Medicine | NIH | Non-Profit Research | Oncology | Radiology | Therapeutics | U.S. Congress
The ‘sword symbol’ of the American Society for the Control of Cancer was adopted
In 1928, the sword symbol of the Americal Cancer Society (ASCC) came from a 1928 nationwide poster contest…
Senator Matthew Neely proposed legislation offering a $5 million reward for a cancer cure discovery
On Feb. 4, 1927, a decade before the National Cancer Institute (NCI) was established, Senator Matthew Neely (D)…
Leo Rigler was appointed associate professor of radiology at the University of Minnesota
In 1924, Leo Rigler was appointed associate professor of radiology at the University of Minnesota. Rigler obtained full…
Dr. Albert C. Broders, a surgical pathologist at the Mayo Clinic, published a description of a system for grading cancer on a numerical basis
In 1920, Dr. Albert C. Broders, a surgical pathologist at the Mayo Clinic, published a description of a…
The American Society for the Control of Cancer was founded by 10 doctors and 5 laypeople in New York City
On May 22, 1913, The American Society for the Control of Cancer was created at a meeting of…