A Brief History of Major Events in Oncology

1987

ONCOLOGY Launches

The first issue of ONCOLOGY was published on March 2.

1990s

SBRT Treatment Options

SBRT began in the early 1990s at the Karolinska Institute and was taken from techniques and procedures from stereotactic radiosurgery.¹

1991

Supportive Care

Ondansetron was approved, revolutionizing the patient experience by managing chemotherapy-induced nausea.²

1994

Genetics

Researchers discovered and cloned the BRCA1 gene, identifying hereditary risks for breast and ovarian cancer.³

NSABP Trial

This trial proved that lumpectomy plus radiation was just as effective as a radical mastectomy for early-stage breast cancer.⁴

1998

Precision Medicine

Trastuzumab was approved for HER2+ breast cancer, setting the stage for biomarker-driven care.⁵

2000

Pediatric Survival Rates

By this point, pediatric survival rate for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia increased to more than 90%.⁶

da Vinci Surgical System

The FDA approved the surgical system in July 2000, bringing 3D high-definition vision and “wristed” instruments that can move with more precision than a human hand.⁷

2001

IRIS Trial

Results from the IRIS trial led to the approval of imatinib, demonstrating a 68% complete response rate.⁸

2003

Science

The Human Genome Project was completed, providing the map for all future precision oncology.⁹

2006

Prevention

Gardasil was approved as the first vaccine to prevent HPV that causes cervical cancer.¹⁰

2014

Blockbuster Era

Pembrolizumab received it’s first approval. Today it’s approved across 17 types of cancer.^11,12

2016

CheckMate 067 Trial

This trial showed that a combination of 2 immunotherapies (nivolumab + ipilimumab) was more effective than either alone.¹³

2017

5-ALA Approval

The imaging agent was approved to help time detection and visualization of malignant tissue during glioma surgery.¹⁴

2020

Liquid Biopsy

The FDA approved the first blood-based genetic tests (liquid biopsies) to guide treatment without invasive surgery.¹⁵

2022

DESTINY-Breast04 Trial

Results for trastuzumab deruxtecan represented a “practice-changing” moment, showing that even patients with low levels of the HER2 protein (previously considered negative) benefit significantly.¹⁶

2024

AI Integration

Widespread clinical adoption of AI-driven pathology to predict treatment response from tumor slides.

2025-2026

The Future

Clinicians are seeking to determine if personalized mRNA cancer vaccines designed specifically for an individual’s tumor are an avenue to explore.¹⁷

References

1. Stereotactic body radiation therapy [Internet]. National Library of Medicine. Comparative Effectiveness Technical Briefs, No. 6. Tipton KN, Sullivan N, Bruening W, et al. May 2011. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/yc8zrvwa
2. FDA approves the first generic versions of Ondansetron. News release. CancerNetwork. December 1, 2006. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/ukzwrteb
3. Hurst JH. Pioneering geneticist Mary-Claire King receives the 2014 Lasker~Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science. J Clin Invest. 2014;124(10):4148-4151. doi:10.1172/JCI78507
4. Fisher B, Anderson S. Conservative surgery for the management of invasive and noninvasive carcinoma of the breast: NSABP trials. National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project. World J Surg. 1994;18(1):63-69. doi:10.1007/BF00348193
5. Department of Health & Human Services. September 25, 19998. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/3fvwmbdr
6. Hunger SP, Lu X, Devidas M, et al. Improved survival for children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia between 1990 and 2005: a report from the children's oncology group. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(14):1663-1669. doi:10.1200/JCO.2011.37.8018
7. Morrell ALG, Morrell-Junior AC, Morrell AG, et al. The history of robotic surgery and its evolution: when illusion becomes reality. Rev Col Bras Cir. 2021;48:e20202798. Published 2021 Jan 13. doi:10.1590/0100-6991e-20202798
8. Gleevec effective as first-line therapy of CML: IRIS Trial. News release. CancerNetwork. June 1, 2002. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/yv632rux
9. The Human Genome Project. National Human Genome Research Institute. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/5t5dvurs
10. Gardasil. Prescribing information. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/nf8am3xa
11. Merck receives accelerated approval of KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), the first FDA-approved anti-PD-1 therapy. News release. Merck. September 4, 2014. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/32xhj76s
12. Selected indications for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) and KEYTRUDA QLEX™ (pembrolizumab and berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph). News release. Merck. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/4yujx3kh
13. Helwrick C. CheckMate 067: dual checkpoint blockade proves effective in advanced melanoma. News release. The ASCO Post. June 10, 2015. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/3kketpdh
14. Center for drug evaluation and research. Clinical review. Gleolan (5-aminolevulinic acid). November 15, 2015. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/2rksbt3b
15. FDA approves liquid biopsy NGS companion diagnostic test for multiple cancers and biomarkers. News release. FDA. November 6, 2020. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/3t9he5dw
16. Modi S, Jacot W, Yamashita T, et al. Trastuzumab deruxtecan in previously treated HER2-low advanced breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(1):9-20. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2203690
17. mRNA vaccines. American Cancer Society. Updated August 29, 2025. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/bdf9wdtn