William Coley and Cancer Immunotherapy Spotlighted on NPR

The Cancer Research Institute received a very special holiday treat this morning, with a prominent mention at the end of a short NPR radio podcast about the origins of cancer immunotherapy. The six-and-one-half-minute story focuses on the work of late 19th-century surgeon Dr. William B. Coley, who was the first to develop an immunotherapy-based treatment, called Coley’s Toxins, for non-operable tumors.

His daughter, Helen Coley Nauts, followed up on her father’s work and founded the Cancer Research Institute in 1953 to continue exploring the link between the immune system and cancer, "a dedication that has been key in making immunotherapy the promising treatment it is today."

I recommend that you listen to the story below. You can also read a slightly different version on the NPR website.