"James Holland Aimed To Cure Cancer, Not Hold Patients’ Hands" - James R. Hagerty
James Holland, MD, professor of medicine, hematology and medical oncology and distinguished professor of neoplastic diseases at the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, died of respiratory failure March 22 at his home in Scarsdale, NY. He was 92 years old. Dr. Holland had early success devising treatments for children with leukemia. He also organized doctors around the country to share data and create common protocols. Dr. Holland said searching for cancer cures was “the most important thing I can grasp and do something about.” At the time, he was overseeing 50 clinical trials of cancer treatments. “I’ve been in the field at the critical time,” he said. “Once you’re in it, the only thing is to seek prevention and cure. Not to hold people’s hands and help them die gracefully.” In 1972, he was awarded an Albert Lasker medical research award. He served as president of both the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
- James F. Holland, MD, Professor, Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Oncological Sciences, Distinguished Professor, Neoplastic Diseases, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai