1940s

1940   The first issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute is published.

1941   Charles Huggins discovers that blocking male hormones (by removal of the testicles or administration of estrogens) could cause the regression of prostate tumors. The "hormonal therapy" of prostate cancer is still used today.

1943   The Pap smear is introduced into medical practice.

1944   DNA is found by Oswald T. Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty to be the basic genetic material.

1947   Sidney Farber finds that a folic acid derivative inhibits acute leukemia. This first antimetabolite leads to a category of drugs that interfere with cell processes because they share structural similarities with compounds required in normal cell activities.

1948   George Hitchings synthesizes 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), an antimetabolite, to combat childhood leukemia.

1949   The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves nitrogen mustard (mechlorethamine), a drug that interacts with DNA chemically (an alkylating agent) to kill cancer cells.

1950s

1950   Ernst Wynder, Evarts Graham, and Sir Richard Doll confirm the cigarette smoking-cancer link.

1952   DNA is found to be the genetic material of some viruses.

1953   James Watson and Francis Crick discover the structure of DNA.

The FDA approves methotrexate, an antimetabolite derived from folic acid, and 6-mercaptopurine as anticancer drugs.

1955   NCI's Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program is established.

The National Chemotherapy Program begins.

Roy Hertz and Min Chiu Li achieve total cure of a human solid tumor, choriocarcinoma.

1957   Alick Isaacs and Jean Lindenmann discover interferon, a virus fighter made by cells.

Charles Heidelberger introduces 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a new type of anticancer drug that resulted from rational design.

1959   Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), an alkylating agent designed to improve the selectivity of cancer drugs, is approved by the FDA.

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