The National Institutes of Health and the National C

partnership and cooperation with the scientific resea

Created by the National Cancer Institu

Grants Administration Branch.
Gratwick Laboratories 

(Roswell Park Memorial Institute). 

First cancer research laboratories 

established in 1898, moved in 1901.

1903 

effectumo1911 discothat chick
1912 

growthe ficultu

1913 Pubknown arwarning Ladies’ H

191canpro

Black and white drawing of N.Y. 

Cancer Hospital, Memorial Sloan 

Kettering 

(Est. 1884)
1904: View of American 

Oncologic Hospital, the first precursor of Fox Chase Cancer Center. 1927: View of Institute for Cancer Research founded in 1927 at Lankenau Research Hospital. The two organizations joined in 1966 to become Fox Chase Cancer Center. 
National Cancer Institute Ac

July 23, 1937
June 6 , 1938

Members of the first National Advisory Cancer Council at the groundbreaking ceremonies at the NCI's building 6.

1930 The National Institute ois established by the Ransdell 1938 NCI Budget: $400,00

1938 NCI Budget: $400,00
Shown: Mrs. Luke Wilson, whose husband, a cancer victi

Dr. Thomas Parton, Surgeon General of the U.S. Public 

Henry Morgenthau, Secretary of the Treasury (Ho

June 24, 1939

Cornerstone laying for NCI’s buildi

6. 
1939 T

Cancer home, “

Welcome to the National 

Cancer Institute
1937 The first NCI staff was comprised of Har

November 27,1937: First NCI grant was awardLouis F. Fieser to investigate chemical structure activity.
1940 First issue of the 

Journal of the National Cancer Institute is published.1943 Pap smear is introduced into medical practice.

NCI’s First Sc

Source: Life Magaz

1944 DNA found by O. Avery, C. MacLeod, and M. McCarty to be the basic cell material.

1940-1949 NCI appropriations $4
National Institutes of Health Campus 

October 31, 1940 Pres. Franklin Roosevelt dedicates the fi
1947 S. Farber finds that a folic acid 

derivative inhibits acute leukemia.

1949 FDA appmustard (methdrug that interchemically to k

1948 G. Hitchings syn

mercaptopurine (6-Mchildhood leukemia. 

S. Farber also founds Children's Hospital Cancer Research Foundation in the next decade.
1955 National Chemotherapy Program 

begins. 

1950 E. Wynder, E. Graham, and Sir R. Doll confirm cigarette smoking-cancer link.

1953 FDA approves methotrexateas anti-cancer drug.1953 J. Watson and F. Crick discover the structure of DNA.

1952 DNA found to be genetic material in some viruses. 

1955 R. Hertz a

total cure of a 

chori

1950-1959 NCI appropriations $3
1960 Chromosome abnormality 

associated with leukemias.1961 M. Nirenberg and others prove triplet code governs DNA action.

1964 

•U.S. Surgeon General issues Report on Smoking and Health•A virus (Epstein-Barr virus) is linked to human cancer for the first time.•American Society of Clinical Oncology established.

1962 Royal College of Physicians issues report on smoking and health.

Dr. Emil Freirei

blood cell separato

Anderso

1960-1969 NC

$1.8 b
1969 R. Heubner & G. Todaro

propose the oncogene hypothesis.1966 NCI standardizes testing of cancer-causing chemicals.

FDA Approvals:• 1961 Vinblastine: a drug that binds to tu

from the ornamental shrub, vinca rosea. 

• 1962 5-FU • 1963 Vincristine: a sister drug to Vinbla• 1964 Melphalan (L-PAM) approved for m
1970 H. Temin & D. Baltimore 

discover reverse transcriptase enzyme: a key to gene engineering.

1971 President Richard M. Nixon converted Army’s former biological warfare facilities at Ft. Detrick, MD, to house research activities on the causes, treatment, and prevention of cancer.

1973 •Computed tointroduced in •Recombinant developed for •Surveillance, End Results (established.

1970-1979 NCI appropriations $
December 23, 1971

President Nixon signs the National Cancer 
1974 

•CANCERLINE, a national database of published cancer research established. •FDA approves doxorubicin, an anti-tumor antibiotic from Streptomyces bacteria.

1976•Cancer Inform800-4-CANCER•Interleukin-2 d•First human prdiscovered.

1975 Methods developed to identify and sequence DNA fragments.

1977 First natieducation prog(I Can Cope).
1978

• First human testing of a biological therapy (alpha-• Tamoxifen approved by FDA for marketing as a t• FDA approves cisplatin, a powerful anti-cancer dr• Metastic cells shown to arise from pre-existing sub

primary tumors.

1979•P53 discovered, most frequently mcancer.•Modified radical mastectomy replmastectomy for breast cancer.
1970’s

•Statistical methods developed to control simultaneously for several factors in the analysis studies and to quantify cancer risks.

•Studies clarify the patterns following exposure to ioniz

•Studies in human populations lininfectious agents, such as human (cervical cancer) and hepatitis B 

•Studies link cancer risks to hormonal drugs, sucdiethylstilbestrol (DES) taken during pregnancy hormonal replacement therapy.
•Magnetic resonance imaging 

(MRI) introduced.

•Flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy help find and remove precancerous growth

1980-1989 NCI appropriat
•Continuous pain medication 

infusion pumps developed.

•Biochemical and genetic assays inepidemiologic studies (molecular e

•First highly effective anti-nausea drugs deveto alleviate side effects of chemotherapy.
1981 Introduction of first human viral 

vaccine that can prevent cancer (hepatitis B virus vaccine for liver cancer).1985 Lumpectomy plus radiation found equivalent to mastectomy for breast cancer.1986 First tumor suppressor gene cloned (Rb).Adjuvant chemotherapy:•1988 Proven to increase disease-free survival in early breast cancer•1989 Proven to increase survival in colon cancer
•Transition from film-based 

radiology to digital computerassisted medical imaging.•Multi-step nature of carcinogenesis proven.

•Fluorescence 

technique d

Breast can

began 

•Several common genetic variants linked to the risk of lung and other cancers.

1990-1999 NCI appropriations $2
1990 First chemoprevention trial to 

show efficacy – vitamin A analogue against mouth and throat tumors.

1991 Adjuvchemotherasurvival in 

Cloning Advances:•1993 First of the hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer •1994 BRCA1, the first inherited breast cancer gene•1995 BRCA2
FDA Approvals:

•1995 Tretinoin, the first successful differentiati•1995 Porfimer sodium, a drug that sensitizes tupermitting photodynamic therapy in the U.S.•1996 Topecan, first of a class of drugs that interenzyme topoisomerase•1997 Rituximab, first biotechnology product aptreat patients with cancer•1998 Trastuzumab (Herceptin), targets cancer cprotein found in high number of women with me
1990’s Studies and Trials

1992 Breast Cancer Prevention Trial begins, testing 

preventive agent in women at increased risk of the dResults found that tamoxifen reduced the chances odeveloping breast cancer by half.)1993 •NCI-sponsored studies in China show importance opreventing cancer.•Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial begins, testing finused to reduce symptoms of prostate enlargement.•The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian CancTrial begins recruiting 148,000 volunteers (the largedetection study).1997 Cancer Genome Anatomy Project is launchedproject to assemble the first index of genes involved 
10/14/2003 -- National Institutes of Health announ

four new Breast Cancer and the Environment Resestudy the prenatal-to-adult environmental exposurpredispose a woman to breast cancer. 

NIH-Funded Centers to Seek Early Environmethat May Lead to Breast Cancer10/10/2003 – Seventy-seven percent of all cancerand older. With cancer death rates highest among 

older, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Aging (NIA) are launching a new initiative to acc

relationship between aging and cancer.

NIH Funds Eight New Grants Focused on Agin
Decline Shown in Death Rates from Four Lead

09/02/2003 - Death rates from the four most commlung, breast, prostate, and colorectal - continued tlate 1990s according to new data from the "AnnuNation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2000."New Treatment Significantly Improves Long-TBreast Cancer Survivors10/9/2003 International clinical trial concludes wconsider taking letrozole after five years of tamoxcontinue to reduce risk of recurrence. 

1938 – 2003 NCI appropriations total 
We...are Changing the Wor

Researchers Adm

Volunteers Patients

Clinicians

American Public

Timeline information and Pictures extracted from the following web

Making a Difference...

In 2001, there were 9,600,000 cancer surv
Our Challenge Goal to the Natio

Eliminate the sufferi

death due to cancer b2015.

Andrew C. von EschenDirector National Cancer October 2003