1970s

The importance of proto-oncogenes in normal cellular growth control is established.

The cytochrome P450 enzyme system is shown to activate many carcinogens.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy are introduced to help find and remove precancerous growths in the colon. Clinical studies conducted over the next 30 years establish that sigmoidoscopy can help reduce both colon cancer incidence and mortality.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is developed.

Limb-sparing surgeries are developed for sarcomas of the extremities (late 1970s). Statistical methods are developed to control simultaneously for several factors in the analysis of studies and to quantify cancer risks (1970s and 1980s).

Studies in human populations link cancer risk to infectious agents, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) for cervical cancer and hepatitis B (HBV) for liver cancer (1970s and 1980s).

Studies clarify the patterns of cancer risk following exposure to ionizing radiation (1970s and 1980s).

Studies link cancer risks to hormonal drugs, such as diethylstilbestrol (DES) taken during pregnancy and hormonal replacement therapy (1970s and 1980s).

Statistical methods for genetics are developed to define modes of inheritance, localize genes, and evaluate gene-environment interactions in cancer risk (1970s through 1990s).

Precursor lesions are linked to several forms of cancer, for example, "dysplastic nevi" to melanoma (late 1970s and early 1980s).

1970   Howard Temin and David Baltimore discover the enzyme reverse transcriptase. Reverse transcriptase and bacterial restriction enzymes are keys to gene cloning and engineering. Recombinant DNA techniques are developed for cloning genes in the mid-1970s.

1971   President Richard M. Nixon converts the Army's former biological warfare facilities at Ft. Detrick, Maryland, to house research activities on the causes, treatment, and prevention of cancer.

The prevalence of U.S. adult smoking is 37 percent.

Cisplatin, a platinum-containing anticancer compound with unique biologic effects, enters clinical trials.

President Nixon signs the National Cancer Act of 1971 on December 23.

1973   The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program is established.

Computed tomography (CT) is introduced in the United States.

Certification in medical oncology and gynecologic oncology is first offered.

1974   The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves doxorubicin (Adriamycin), an antitumor anthracycline antibiotic from Streptomyces bacteria.

CANCERLINE, a national database of published cancer research, is established.

1975   Hybridoma technology is developed for the production of monoclonal antibodies.

Southern blot technique is developed to analyze DNA fragments.

DNA sequencing methods are developed.

The Society for Surgical Oncology and Oncology Nursing Society are established.

1976   The first of some 50 now known human proto-oncogenes is discovered (src).

Interleukin-2 is discovered.

NCI's Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER) begins operation.

1977   The first national cancer patient education program (I Can Cope) is founded.

NCI establishes the first electronic registry of cancer clinical trials (CLINPROT). This registry is the first cancer information product included in what would later become known as the Physician Data Query (PDQ) database.

1978   The first human testing of a biological therapy is conducted (alpha-interferon).

Tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen drug, is approved by the FDA for the treatment of breast cancer.

Metastatic cells are shown to arise from pre-existing subpopulations of cells in primary tumors.

The FDA approves cisplatin (Platinol) for use in combination with other drugs in the treatment of metastatic testicular and metastatic ovarian cancer.

1979   The most frequently mutated gene in human cancer, p53, is discovered. The p53 gene is a tumor suppressor gene. Tumor suppressor genes are genes whose protein products control normal cell growth.

Modified radical mastectomy replaces radical mastectomy for breast cancer.

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