Joe Burchenal and the birth of combination chemotherapy

Abstract

When Joe Burchenal started studying medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1934, antibiotics had not been discovered and the survival of patients diagnosed with acute leukaemia was < 4 months. By the time he retired in 1983, 58% of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia survived 5 years with the majority being cured of their disease. His early work in infectious diseases and antimicrobials equipped him well, both clinically and scientifically. The approach to developing antibiotics to conquer previously incurable infection was an inspiration and model for his pioneering work when searching for drugs with activity against cancer. Trials of sequential and then combination chemotherapy followed. Success in treating lymphoid malignancies in children led him to develop treatment regimens for other more resistant cancers, and as an advocate of collaborative working he introduced multimodal therapy to tackle bulky or metastatic cancers, replacing inevitable relapse with a chance of true cure.