The 1971 War on Cancer Revisited

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. President Roosevelt first established the National Cancer Institute and, later, President Nixon signed into law the National Cancer Act of 1971 to make the “Conquest of Cancer […] a national crusade”, declaring the “War on Cancer.” The worldwide research efforts focusing on the molecular and cellular biology and clinical spectrum of cancer have led to a better understanding of cancer as an acquired genetic disease, as well as to the importance of evolutionary processes in carcinogenesis and the clinical course of cancer. Based on these insights, novel therapeutic concepts have been developed and are already significantly improving the outlook for patients with cancer. PICTURE: Ludwig Köhler, Sculptures.