Congratulations to The Oncologist on the occasion of its Silver Jubilee. As one of the senior editors of The Oncologist, I am happy to witness this important event. At the birth of our journal, Bruce and Marty invited me to join the senior editorial board, joining Greg Curt, Eli Glatstein, and John Niederhuber. Soon thereafter Frank Balis and Gabe Hortobagyi joined the senior board as well. Section heads for each tumor type were soon nominated, which proved to be an efficacious formula.
Initially, there were only American section heads, but after a quick start under the guidance of our most experienced editor‐in‐chief Bruce Chabner and our solid base consisting of Marty and Ann Murphy, I proposed to add a European head to each section in addition to the American head. From the very beginning this proved to work well, while the collaboration between the two section heads steadily grew. This was the very beginning of a dialogue between the European and the U.S. editors. The journal flourished, and it soon became clear that The Oncologist filled the gap between the high‐rating scientific journals and the information need of practicing oncologists and hematologists. The readership grew under the inspiring leadership of our editor‐in‐chief Bruce Chabner, my unbeatable tutor with his unique bird's eye view. All this, with the indispensable Murphy team, the beating heart of The Oncologist.
Our yearly Editorial Board meetings at the Annual ASCO Meeting are true highlights where all section heads discuss their experiences from the past year and express their view for the coming year. Following the ASCO meeting, the senior editors, Marty, and Ann have a strategic retreat to digest the editorial board meeting and materialize the plans for the next year. The knowledge, creativity, and discussions make both meetings dynamic happenings. But it's more! It is also the passion with which the individuals are performing that makes these happenings exceptional.
I would like to remember here Paddy Johnston. His joining our senior board was pivotal to the journal. Not only did it strengthen the European presence in the board, his youth, vision, and drive was an inspiration to all of us in the world of oncology. Both of us trained at the NCI, conducting drug research and development, with a special affinity for translational research. We met each other after he returned to Europe, and during the nineties, he visited our lab in Amsterdam. At this time, a strong axis developed between Belfast and Amsterdam. Not surprisingly, our friendship developed further under the umbrella of The Oncologist, not the least owing to our mutual friend, Marty Murphy. The synergism of energy and passion of these meetings of the minds truly established The European edition of The Oncologist.
And there is another offspring of The Oncologist. Not surprisingly, with our unique editor‐in‐chief and the interest of the other senior board members, the Society for Translational Oncology (STO) was born. Since 2012, Paddy played a key role in the continuous dialogue with the European Oncology Community. The “European Perspectives” of our journal was launched, invigorating the discussion of important issues in cancer care and cancer research, including topics related to the access of cancer drugs for every European citizen. Many excellent papers have been published under this heading. And so, we welcomed collaborations with European Organizations, including the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), European Cancer Organization (ECCO), the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, and the European School of Oncology (ESO).
A very important offspring of The Oncologist is the European Cancer Concord, which was established under the auspices of the Society for Translational Oncology. Once again, Paddy and Marty played a major role in preparing the European Cancer Patient's Bill of Rights [1]. This impressive document, which inspired the EMA staff at the EU was supported by a large group of European oncologists.
The shocking suddenness of Paddy's death in 2017 was deeply felt by the board members of The Oncologist. We remember Paddy…and miss him dearly as a colleague and friend.
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Reference
- 1. Lawler M, Le Chevalier T, Murphy M et al. A catalyst for change: The European Cancer Patient's Bill of Rights. The Oncologist 2014;19:217–224. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]