American Society of Clinical Oncology recognizes MD Anderson's extraordinary contributions to cancer care
Cancer research and treatment have evolved significantly in the past five decades.
As the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) celebrates its 50th anniversary, the organization has named former MD Anderson President John Mendelsohn, M.D., Waun Ki Hong, M.D., and Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D. to its list of luminaries.
Mendelsohn served as president of MD Anderson from 1996 to 2011. He now co-directs the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy. Mendelsohn is widely regarded for his transformative role in understanding how growth factors bind to the surface of cells and regulate their functions.
Hong leads MD Anderson’s Cancer Medicine division and is internationally recognized as the foremost authority on treating and preventing head and neck and lung cancers. In his nearly four-decade career, his innovative research led to seminal contributions in chemoprevention, larynx preservation and personalized therapy in lung cancer.
Hortobagyi, professor and former chair of Breast Medical Oncology, has made major advances in treating breast cancer, including combination chemotherapies for inoperable tumors and multidisciplinary care for patients at all disease stages. He initiated a 1974 study that found presurgical chemotherapy could reduce the size of many tumors up to 50%.
Hong and Hortobagyi both plan to retire on Aug. 31.