Abstract: Oncologist, surgeon, and director of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, USA. He was born on Feb 22, 1920, in Minneapolis, MN, USA, and died of bladder cancer on May 19, 2008, in Conifer, CO, USA aged 88 years. George Moore was just 32 years old when he was appointed director of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, USA. He may have been young, but his track record by that early point in his career seems to have warranted the appointment—at the University of Minnesota Medical School he had already served as associate professor of surgery, director of the tumour clinic, and cancer coordinator. Moore had shown his mettle as a researcher, too, with a publication in Science that described how radioactive di-iodofluorescein could be used to diagnose and localise brain tumours (1948; 107: 569–71); this work later won him the Bronfman Award. “He was a bright, young energetic man who saw an opportunity and made the most of it”, said Donald L Trump, current President and Chief Executive Officer of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. During his time at the institute, Moore developed a strong research programme, established collaborative studies of medical and surgical treatments, and developed facilities for culturing human white blood cells in the laboratory. Moore's notable research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute included a groundbreaking study, in 1954, that showed a strong causative link between chewing tobacco and cancers of the mouth. In 1966, Moore and his colleagues also studied the filter tips of nine brands of cigarettes, and found that the tips varied significantly in the amount of tar and nicotine they allowed into a smoker's airways. “Some smokers are getting some protection”, they concluded, “but others are not getting any, and the consumer has no way of knowing which filter is better”. Moore was also one of the pioneers of using chemotherapy to treat breast cancer. Moore directed Roswell Park Cancer Institute from 1952 to 1973, combining his research programme with clinical work and administrative responsibilities, at which he also excelled. The early part of his tenure is regarded as the “Camelot Years”, for the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, according to Edwin Mirand, the author of a book on the institute. “Under the stewardship of Dr Moore…a tremendous expansion program involving staff as well as physical facilities evolved”, he wrote. A key part of that success was Moore's ability to garner support from New York politicians who helped Moore take Roswell Park Cancer Institute to what Trump calls a state of “clinical and investigative excellence”. In person, Moore was not afraid to speak his mind, and was often right, his colleagues remember. “He was a man who had high expectations of himself and those around him”, said Trump. “He was also very much inclined to the investment in and facilitation of the careers of young people”, he added. “In addition to doing some important research himself he was also instrumental in recruiting to Roswell Park some folks who made substantial contributions. He brought together people with energy and foresight”, said Trump. Two major initiatives along these lines were Moore's founding of the Roswell Park Graduate Division at the University of Buffalo and his support for a programme that allowed students from high school and university to take part in research at the institute. After he left Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Moore became Director of Public Health Research in New York, and later moved to Denver, CO, USA, as professor of surgery and microbiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and chief of the oncology section at Denver General Hospital. “He was an incredible individual”, said Ernest Moore, who worked with Moore from the mid-1970s at Denver General Hospital. “He was a very gifted surgeon and scientist”. After hours, Moore was an accomplished geologist and anthropologist. He was also deeply committed to his family, and is survived by his wife of 63 years, Lorraine, two sons, Allan and Donald, and three daughters, Cathy, Laurie, and Linda.
Publication Year: 2008
Publication Date: 2008-08-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 2
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