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Advent Of General Anesthesia Opens
In October 1846, a Boston dentist named William T.G. Morton provides the first public demonstration of ether as a general anesthetic, allowing surgeons to remove a tumor from a patient's jaw without pain. This advance gains immediate and widespread attention, ultimately eliminating the excruciating pain experienced by surgical patients until that time, and making the modern era of surgery possible. -
cancer getting close to being nailed
Baltimore surgeon William Halsted pioneers a new approach to removing breast tumors, radical mastectomy, in which the entire breast and the surrounding lymph nodes and chest muscles are removed. This helps reduce recurrences of the disease, which was previously nearly always fatal. Halsted's work also leads to similar approaches for other cancers, in which both the tumor and surrounding tissue are removed.For breast cancer, however, surgeries have become far more conservative and effective. -
Radiation To Treat Cancer
Five years after Marie Curie's discovery of radium, doctors report the first successful of use of this radioactive element to treat cancer, in two patients with skin cancer. In the following decades, radiation becomes widely used to treat many different cancers, including cervical, prostate, breast and other tumors. In these first decades, doctors use an approach known as brachytherapy, in which small pieces of radioactive material are implanted inside or next to tumors. -
National Cancer Institute Established
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs legislation establishing the National Cancer Institute to support research on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The new agency's budget is $400,000. -
U.S. Government Establishes National Research Network To Test New Cancer Treatments
The Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program is established by the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Over time, this nationwide cancer research network proves the safety and efficacy of many of the most important advances in cancer treatment, screening and prevention. Cooperative Group trials have brought breakthroughs in adjuvant chemotherapy for breast and colon cancers; breast-conserving lumpectomy to avoid mastectomy; and new standards of care for blood cancers, brain tumors, and many others. -
Researchers Link "Philadelphia Chromosome" To Leukemia
Investigators in Philadelphia identify a chromosomal abnormality linked to many leukemias. A decade later, researchers discover that this abnormality results when parts of two chromosomes – chromosomes 9 and 22 – switch places in a phenomenon called translocation. It later becomes the target of one of the first-ever targeted cancer treatments, imatinib (Gleevec), which transforms treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and other cancers. -
National Cancer Becomes Law
President Richard M. Nixon signs the National Cancer Act in December, less than a year after launching a national "War on Cancer" in his State of the Union address. The act leads to a major expansion of cancer research efforts in the U.S., paving the way for much of the progress achieved over the next 40 years. -
Powerful Anti-Nausea Drugs Alleviate Major Side Effect Of Cancer Treatment
Ondansetron is approved by the FDA to prevent vomiting caused by chemotherapy and/or radiation. The drug works by deactivating the nervous system's natural trigger for vomiting. Other, similar drugs are soon approved, including granisetron , dolasetron and palonosetron . These and other anti-nausea drugs, like aprepitant , make it possible for most cancer patients to receive chemotherapy in an outpatient setting. -
Study Links Household Radon Exposure To Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer Study demonstrates that ongoing exposure to residential radon – a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that can emerge through basements and crawl spaces – is associated with increased risk of lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency now estimates that more than 20,000 lung cancer cases in the U.S. are due to long-term radon exposure in the home. Since the study, radon inspections have become a routine part of homeownership, promising to reduce the future burden of the disease -
Record Number Of Americans Surviving Cancer – Nearly 24 Million
The National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society report that the number of cancer survivors in the U.S. increased to 10 million more. This represents a more than four-fold increase since 1971 (when just 3 million survivors were alive). By 2022, the number of survivors is expected to reach 38 million. The report highlights major progress in treatment that has led to improved survival rates, as well as the need to address the long-term health effects of cancer.
