The corner of Warren
Avenue and John R, circa 1943.
The Detroit Institute
for Cancer Research, forerunner to the Michigan Cancer Foundation and
Meyer L. Prentis Comprehensive Cancer Center of Metropolitan Detroit,
circa 1966.
Founders of Detroit's
cancer effort (standing, from left): Dr. William Simpson, Dr. Brock Brush,
Ed Tuescher (sitting) Leonard N. Simons and Dr. Michael Brennan, circa
1966.
Construction progresses
on the Meyer L. Prentis Cancer Center, circa 1972.
First Lady Patricia
Nixon and Dr. Michael J. Brennan (right) at the ribbon cutting, May 16,
1973.
Patricia Nixon, Anna
Prentis and Dr. Michael J. Brennan greet guests at the dedication ceremony.
Patricia Nixon tours
the new facility and meets with its researchers including Dr. Sam Brooks
(far right).
The Meyer L. Prentis
Cancer Center as it stands today.
Dedication of the
Leonard N. Simons Research Library at the Meyer L. Prentis Cancer
Center (from left): community leaders Murray McDonald, then-treasurer
of the Foundation, Dean Arthur Neef, Leonard N. Simons, Leon Sweet.
Herbert Soule, Ph.D., established the first immortal human hormone-dependent breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, now in use throughout the world in breast cancer research.
Scores of minority
high school students gifted in science, computers and math have spent
summers as interns. Many have gone on to careers in medicine.
When opened and for
many years, the Meyer L. Prentis Cancer Center housed breast
screening, including onsite mammography, and education.
The center has hosted
thousands of United Way tours including community and business leaders
and continues to impress and engage its guests.
The cancer registry
houses a database of more than 400,000 cancer cases in metropolitan Detroit.
With this information, epidemiologists track the incidence and mortality
of the disease -- hoping to find patterns and, ultimately, ways to prevent
it.
Jerome P. Horwitz,
Ph.D., who synthesized AZT and two other FDA-approved AIDS drugs in the
1960s as anticancer agents. AZT remains the cornerstone of AIDS treatment.
The scanning electron
microscope -- one of the earliest in use -- allows a close-up view of
human breast carcinoma cells growing in culture.