Oncology & Cancer Breakthroughs: DNA Damage, Targeted Therapy & Immune Checkpoint Blockade
Encyclopedia/1. The Cosmos & The Natural World/6. Medicine & Human Biology/06. Oncology & Cancer Research • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
This timeline chronicles landmark discoveries and breakthroughs in oncology from 1943 to 2022, focusing on DNA damage, targeted therapy, and immune checkpoint blockade. It highlights the evolution from chemotherapy and radiation to precision medicine and immunotherapy, showcasing key milestones such as the discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome, the development of Gleevec, and the Nobel-winning work on CTLA-4 and PD-1.
Chronological Storyline (43 Milestones)
1943 CE
First Use of Nitrogen Mustard for Lymphoma
Goodman and Gilman demonstrate that nitrogen mustard can shrink lymphomas, marking the first use of chemotherapy. #oncology #chemotherapy
First Use of Nitrogen Mustard for Lymphoma By Jenny Mealing - Cold mits and wine coolers!, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5788986
1948 CE
Folic Acid Antagonists for Childhood Leukemia
Sidney Farber uses aminopterin, a folic acid antagonist, to induce remission in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). #pediatriconcology #chemotherapy
Folic Acid Antagonists for Childhood Leukemia By Unknown photographer/artist - National Cancer Institute, AV Number: AV-6000-3214, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5582107
1953 CE
First Cure of Choriocarcinoma with Methotrexate
Li, Hertz, and Spencer achieve the first complete cure of a solid tumor (choriocarcinoma) using methotrexate. #oncology #chemotherapy
First Cure of Choriocarcinoma with Methotrexate By Nephron - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17680086
1957 CE
Development of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)
Heidelberger and colleagues synthesize 5-FU, an antimetabolite that becomes a mainstay in colorectal and other cancers. #oncology #chemotherapy
1958 CE
First Combination Chemotherapy Regimen
Freireich and Frei introduce VAMP (vincristine, amethopterin, mercaptopurine, prednisone) for ALL, improving remission rates. #oncology #chemotherapy
First Combination Chemotherapy Regimen By Unknown photographer/artist, National Cancer Institute - This image was released by the National Cancer Institute, an agency part of the National Institutes of Health, with the ID 2591 (image) (next)., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11023236
1960 CE
Discovery of the Philadelphia Chromosome
Nowell and Hungerford identify the Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the first cytogenetic abnormality linked to cancer. #genetics #leukemia
Discovery of the Philadelphia Chromosome By No machine-readable author provided. Pmx assumed (based on copyright claims). - No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=254833
1964 CE
Concept of Adjuvant Chemotherapy
Bernard Fisher proposes using chemotherapy after surgery to eliminate micrometastases, revolutionizing breast cancer treatment. #oncology #surgery
Concept of Adjuvant Chemotherapy By Rhoda Baer (Photographer) - This image was released by the National Cancer Institute, an agency part of the National Institutes of Health, with the ID 4453 (image) (next)., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24052513
1965 CE
Discovery of Cisplatin's Anticancer Activity
Rosenberg discovers that cisplatin inhibits cell division in bacteria, leading to its development as a potent anticancer drug. #oncology #chemotherapy
Discovery of Cisplatin's Anticancer Activity By Smokefoot - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=152935843
1968 CE
First Successful Bone Marrow Transplant
Donnall Thomas performs the first successful allogeneic bone marrow transplant for leukemia, pioneering hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. #transplant #leukemia
First Successful Bone Marrow Transplant By No machine-readable author provided. John Bergenholtz~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). - No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1338272
1971 CE
National Cancer Act Signed in the US
President Nixon signs the National Cancer Act, launching the 'War on Cancer' and significantly increasing funding for research. #cancerresearch #policy
1975 CE
Monoclonal Antibody Technology Developed
Köhler and Milstein develop the hybridoma technique for producing monoclonal antibodies, enabling targeted cancer therapies. #immunotherapy #biotech
Monoclonal Antibody Technology Developed By Adenosine - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9659630
1976 CE
First Oncogene Discovered (src)
Varmus and Bishop identify the src oncogene in chicken retroviruses, showing that normal cellular genes can cause cancer when mutated. #genetics #cancer )
First Oncogene Discovered (src) By National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine - NCBI's Genome Decoration Page., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61376275
1977 CE
Tamoxifen Approved for Breast Cancer
The FDA approves tamoxifen as a hormonal therapy for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, a landmark in targeted therapy. #breastcancer #hormonetherapy
Tamoxifen Approved for Breast Cancer By Fuse809 - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30708487
1979 CE
p53 Tumor Suppressor Gene Discovered
David Lane and Arnold Levine independently discover the p53 protein, a key tumor suppressor mutated in many cancers. #genetics #tumorsuppressor
p53 Tumor Suppressor Gene Discovered By Thomas Splettstoesser - Based on atomic coordinates of PDB 1TUP, rendered with open source molecular visualization tool PyMol (www.pymol.org), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1248114
1983 CE
HPV Link to Cervical Cancer Established
Harald zur Hausen demonstrates that human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer, leading to vaccine development. #virology #cervicalcancer
HPV Link to Cervical Cancer Established By Jan Christian @ www.ambrotosphotography.com Gardasil_vaccine_and_box.jpg: Jan Christian @ www.ambrotosphotography.com - Derivative work of Gardasil vaccine and box Gardasil_vaccine_and_box.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6508237
1984 CE
HER2/neu Oncogene Discovered
The HER2 gene is identified as an oncogene in breast cancer, later enabling targeted therapy with trastuzumab. #breastcancer #targetedtherapy
HER2/neu Oncogene Discovered By Fvasconcellos 02:36, 28 May 2007 (UTC) - From PDB entry 1N8Z.More information: Cho HS, Mason K, Ramyar KX, et al. (2003). "Structure of the extracellular region of HER2 alone and in complex with the Herceptin Fab". Nature 421 (6924): 756–60. PMID 12610629. doi:10.1038/nature01392., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2167106
1986 CE
First Cancer Vaccine: HBV Vaccine Prevents Liver Cancer
The hepatitis B vaccine is introduced, reducing liver cancer incidence by preventing chronic HBV infection. #cancerprevention #vaccine
First Cancer Vaccine: HBV Vaccine Prevents Liver Cancer By Whispyhistory - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=93651772
1987 CE
BRCA1 Gene Linked to Breast Cancer
Mary-Claire King maps the BRCA1 gene, establishing a hereditary link to breast and ovarian cancers. #genetics #breastcancer
BRCA1 Gene Linked to Breast Cancer By The Cheesedealer - Own work, based on PDB structure 1JM7, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=169507098
1988 CE
High-Dose IL-2 for Metastatic Melanoma
Steven Rosenberg shows that high-dose interleukin-2 can shrink metastatic melanoma, an early immunotherapy success. #immunotherapy #melanoma
High-Dose IL-2 for Metastatic Melanoma By Ramin Herati - Created from PDB 1M47 and rendered by me using Pymol, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1450010
1989 CE
All-Trans Retinoic Acid for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia
Chinese researchers first treat acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with ATRA, inducing differentiation and remission. #leukemia #differentiationtherapy
All-Trans Retinoic Acid for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia By Vaccinationist - PubChem, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58156053
1990 CE
First Human Gene Therapy Trial for Cancer
Rosenberg and colleagues perform the first gene therapy trial, using modified tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to treat melanoma. #genetherapy #immunotherapy
First Human Gene Therapy Trial for Cancer By Ciencias Españolas KoS - File:ADN_2.png File:Pince_a_épiler.png, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75624775
1991 CE
BRCA2 Gene Discovered
Wooster and Stratton identify BRCA2 as another hereditary breast cancer susceptibility gene. #genetics #breastcancer
BRCA2 Gene Discovered By ProteinBoxBot at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Anassagora using CommonsHelper., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7574310
1992 CE
Discovery of PD-1 by Tasuku Honjo
Honjo discovers the PD-1 receptor on T cells, later found to be a key immune checkpoint target in cancer immunotherapy. #immunotherapy #checkpoint
Discovery of PD-1 by Tasuku Honjo By Fvasconcellos (talk · contribs) - From PDB entry 3RRQ., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61346859
1995 CE
Imatinib (Gleevec) Developed
Scientists at Novartis develop imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting the BCR-ABL fusion protein in CML. #targetedtherapy #cml
Imatinib (Gleevec) Developed By Fuse809 - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30346575
1996 CE
Arsenic Trioxide for APL in China
Chinese researchers report that arsenic trioxide (ATO) induces remission in relapsed APL patients with minimal toxicity. #leukemia #targetedtherapy
Arsenic Trioxide for APL in China By Ben Mills - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5695399
1997 CE
FDA Approves Rituximab for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Rituximab, the first monoclonal antibody for cancer, is approved, targeting CD20 on B cells. #immunotherapy #lymphoma
FDA Approves Rituximab for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma By Oguenther at de.wikipedia - Own work mit Jmol auf Basis RCSB PDB: 2OSL., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15482243
1998 CE
Trastuzumab (Herceptin) Approved for Breast Cancer
Herceptin, targeting HER2, is approved for metastatic breast cancer, a landmark in targeted therapy. #breastcancer #targetedtherapy
1999 CE
First Cancer Genome Sequenced
The first complete cancer genome (a lung cancer cell line) is sequenced, paving the way for precision oncology. #genomics #cancerresearch
2001 CE
Imatinib (Gleevec) Approved for CML
FDA fast-tracks approval of imatinib for chronic myeloid leukemia, ushering in the era of targeted kinase inhibitors. #targetedtherapy #cml
2004 CE
Bevacizumab (Avastin) Approved for Colorectal Cancer
Avastin, an anti-VEGF antibody, is approved for metastatic colorectal cancer, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. #angiogenesis #targetedtherapy
2006 CE
HPV Vaccine Approved for Cervical Cancer Prevention
The FDA approves Gardasil, the first vaccine against HPV, preventing cervical cancer. #cancerprevention #vaccine
2008 CE
PARP Inhibitors: Synthetic Lethality Concept
Researchers show that PARP inhibitors selectively kill BRCA-deficient cancer cells, introducing synthetic lethality. #targetedtherapy #brca
PARP Inhibitors: Synthetic Lethality Concept By Fvasconcellos (talk · contribs) - From PDB entry 5DS3. More information: Dawicki-McKenna JM, Langelier MF, Denizio JE, et al. PARP-1 activation requires local unfolding of an autoinhibitory domain. Mol Cell. 2015;60(5):755-68. doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2015.10.013, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61607160
2011 CE
FDA Approves Ipilimumab (Yervoy) for Melanoma
Ipilimumab, a CTLA-4 checkpoint inhibitor, becomes the first approved immune checkpoint blockade for cancer. #immunotherapy #checkpoint
FDA Approves Ipilimumab (Yervoy) for Melanoma By Fvasconcellos (talk · contribs) - From PDB entry 5TRU. More information: Ramagopal UA, Liu W, Garrett-thomson SC, et al. Structural basis for cancer immunotherapy by the first-in-class checkpoint inhibitor ipilimumab. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2017;114(21):E4223-E4232. doi:10.1073/pnas.1617941114, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61347389
2012 CE
CAR-T Cell Therapy Breakthrough
Carl June and colleagues report durable remissions in ALL patients treated with CD19-targeted CAR-T cells. #immunotherapy #cartcell
PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) are approved for melanoma, revolutionizing immunotherapy. #immunotherapy #checkpoint
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab By Fvasconcellos (talk · contribs) - From PDB entry 5DK3. More information: Scapin G, Yang X, Prosise WW, et al. Structure of full-length human anti-PD1 therapeutic IgG4 antibody pembrolizumab. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2015;22(12):953-8. doi:10.1038/nsmb.3129, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61341750
2015 CE
First Liquid Biopsy Test Approved
The FDA approves the first liquid biopsy (ctDNA test) for monitoring EGFR mutations in lung cancer. #liquidbiopsy #precisiononcology
2017 CE
FDA Approves First CAR-T Therapy: Kymriah
Tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) is approved for pediatric ALL, marking the first gene therapy in the US. #immunotherapy #cartcell
2018 CE
Nobel Prize to Allison and Honjo for Checkpoint Blockade
James Allison and Tasuku Honjo win the Nobel Prize for their discovery of CTLA-4 and PD-1 as immune checkpoints, enabling cancer immunotherapy. #immunotherapy #nobel
2019 CE
First Tumor-Agnostic FDA Approval: Larotrectinib
Larotrectinib is approved for any solid tumor with an NTRK fusion, marking the first site-agnostic targeted therapy. #targetedtherapy #precisiononcology
First Tumor-Agnostic FDA Approval: Larotrectinib By Ed (Edgar181) - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55668348
2020 CE
COVID-19 Impact on Cancer Care
The pandemic disrupts cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment globally, leading to delays and worse outcomes. #cancercare #pandemic
COVID-19 Impact on Cancer Care By Gustavo Basso - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gustavocb/49913440386, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=112916636
2021 CE
First mRNA Cancer Vaccine Trial Shows Promise
Moderna and BioNTech launch mRNA-based personalized cancer vaccine trials, building on COVID-19 vaccine technology. #immunotherapy #vaccine
2022 CE
FDA Approval of First Bispecific Antibody for Cancer
Teclistamab, targeting BCMA and CD3, is approved for multiple myeloma, representing a new class of immunotherapy. #immunotherapy #bispecific
