Vincent T. DeVita Jr
Vincent T. DeVita Jr was born on March 7th, 1935 and is currently 91 years old. Vincent T. DeVita Jr was born in the Bronx, NY, United States. DeVita Jr attended The College of William & Mary where they received a Bachelor of Science and George Washington University. where they received an MD degree.
Vincent DeVita Jr. is a professor at Yale Cancer Center. He holds the Amy and Joseph Perella Professorship of Medicine. He also teaches Epidemiology and Public Health. DeVita led the Yale Cancer Center from 1993 to 2003. He served as the president of the American Cancer Society’s board of directors from 2012 to 2013. He is known worldwide as a leader in cancer treatment, especially for developing combination chemotherapy methods.
The Death of Cancer tells the story of Dr. Vincent DeVita’s lifelong work improving cancer treatment and patient care. Starting in 1963 at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), DeVita helped transform cancer from a nearly always fatal disease to one where many patients now survive and even thrive. Over his career, he rose to lead major cancer centers such as Memorial Sloan Kettering and Yale University Cancer Center and served as president of the American Cancer Society.
DeVita shares his firsthand experiences of the challenges and breakthroughs in oncology. He is candid and unafraid to criticize the medical establishment, naming individuals and institutions that resisted progress or held back innovation. At the same time, he openly claims credit for his own successes and presents himself as a dedicated fighter for patients and better treatments.
Early in his career, DeVita became deeply involved in developing combination chemotherapy, which uses several drugs together to fight cancer. This approach was revolutionary when few cancer drugs existed, and initial successes came from treating childhood leukemia. Building on this, DeVita created a four-drug chemotherapy regimen that could induce remission in many lymphoma patients. His work gained high-profile attention after successfully treating a key supporter of cancer research, Mary Lasker, who helped drive national cancer funding and policy.
Despite these advances, DeVita describes how many doctors and institutions resisted new treatments due to habit, training, economics, and fear of change. Specialists invested in older methods, like radiotherapy or radical surgery, often opposed chemotherapy because it threatened their practice. The peer review and publication systems sometimes protected entrenched ideas by blocking new research, and bureaucratic interests slowed the adoption of innovative therapies.
One notable example is the continued use of radical mastectomies for breast cancer well after evidence showed that less invasive surgery combined with chemotherapy was safer and equally effective. DeVita and others understood by the 1970s that cancer spreads through the bloodstream, making wide tissue removal unnecessary. Yet, hospitals like Sloan Kettering continued aggressive surgeries long after better options existed.
DeVita also criticizes the FDA for delaying access to promising drugs, especially for terminally ill patients who do not have years to wait through long approval processes. Although some exceptions exist, the process is slow and burdensome. The FDA’s strict approval requirements also mean that drugs showing benefits like longer remission or improved quality of life may still be rejected if they do not clearly extend survival. This limits patient access to useful treatments.
DeVita emphasizes the importance of patients taking charge of their own care. He notes that many doctors adhere to standard protocols without adapting them to unusual cases, and finding the right specialist can be crucial. Unfortunately, access to the best care often depends on connections or resources, making the healthcare system difficult to navigate.
Despite these frustrations, DeVita remains hopeful about the future of cancer treatment. He applauds scientific progress but is disappointed by how slowly new discoveries become widely available due to resistance within the medical and regulatory systems. His extensive experience and insights make
The Death of Cancer a revealing look at both the successes and struggles in the ongoing fight against this disease. The book calls for reform and greater openness to innovation to save more lives sooner.
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Vincent T. DeVita Jr: F.A.Q
When was Vincent T. DeVita Jr Born? How old is Vincent T. DeVita Jr?
Vincent T. DeVita Jr was born on March 7th, 1935. Vincent T. DeVita Jr is currently 91 years old.
Where was Vincent T. DeVita Jr Born?
Vincent T. DeVita Jr was born in the Bronx, NY, United States and is American.
What was the first book Vincent T. DeVita Jr wrote?
The first book written by Vincent T. DeVita Jr was Cancer Drug Development, published in 1979.
What was the most recent book Vincent T. DeVita Jr wrote?
Their most recently released work was DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg's Cancer on September 21st, 2022.
Are there upcoming new books by Vincent T. DeVita Jr?
Vincent T. DeVita Jr does not have any upcoming books with a set publication date within the next few months at this time.
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How many books has Vincent T. DeVita Jr written?
Vincent T. DeVita Jr has written 33 books. 10 Non-Fiction Books, 10 books in the Important Advances in Oncology Series, 4 books in the Progress in Oncology Series, 9 books in the Principles & Practice of Oncology Series.