CLINICAL INNOVATORS

Paul F. Engstrom, MD, FACP 

A Pioneer in Cancer Prevention and Control

When he joined American Oncologic Hospital in 1970, Paul F. Engstrom, MD, FACP, became one of the first medical oncologists to practice at Fox Chase when AOH merged with the Institute for Cancer Research to become Fox Chase Cancer Center several years later.

Engstrom became one of the most beloved and respected physicians ever to serve on the Fox Chase faculty, as well as a pioneer in cancer prevention and control who created one of the first programs in the country dedicated to this field — at a time when the notion of prevention was novel.

For nearly 50 years until his retirement, Engstrom dedicated himself to improving the lives of those facing cancer and, in the process, developed the standard of care followed by physicians around the world. In his clinical practice, he focused specifically on gastrointestinal cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, often seeing patients from near and far with difficult cases.

Engstrom’s leadership at Fox Chase and work with other cancer prevention programs in the United States and Canada led to an increase in their number and uniformity. His work also stimulated institutional support for programs in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Russia.

A founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee, Engstrom has served the NCCN as chair and member of several committees through the years. He’s also served on the cancer prevention and screening boards of the National Cancer Institute, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Association of Cancer Institutes, and the American Cancer Society.

While serving as Vice President of Cancer Control at Fox Chase, Engstrom took on the challenge of expanding his program to include multiple facets of cancer care by recruiting highly qualified individuals.

In 1989, he brought on Mary B. Daly, MD, PhD, FACP, who helped establish one of the nation’s first risk assessment programs, which she currently directs. In 1991, Engstrom recruited Margie Clapper, PhD, who helped broaden the role of cancer prevention by creating one of the nation’s first basic research programs in chemoprevention. At the time, the concept of cancer prevention was not widely accepted.

Engstrom is the former Samuel M.V. Hamilton Chair in Cancer Prevention at Fox Chase and the recipient of numerous awards. He retired in 2018, and in 2023 his friends, colleagues, patients, and family established the Paul F. Engstrom Professorship in Oncology.

GERALD 'JERRY' HANKS, MD 

A Radiation Oncology Revolutionary

An influential faculty member at Fox Chase Cancer Center and worldwide pioneer in radiation oncology, Gerald “Jerry” Hanks, MD, revolutionized the field and left a legacy for those who followed.

Hanks received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis before radiation oncology became a separate medical specialty. By the 1960s, he became one of the first three residents in the United States trained specifically as a radiation oncologist at Stanford University. After completing his residency, he held academic faculty appointments not only at Fox Chase but at Stanford, the University of North Carolina, and the University of Pennsylvania.

After working in private practice from 1971 to 1985, Hanks assumed the chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Fox Chase, a position he held for 16 years. While there, his advances included the first routine use in the United States of CT and MRI in planning radiation treatment and the use of ultrasound to improve the accuracy of each daily treatment.

Hanks developed and put into practice a method to safely deliver higher doses of radiation more precisely, thereby curing more cancers with fewer side effects. This technique, 3D conformal radiation therapy, revolutionized the practice of radiation oncology in the 1980s and 1990s. First used for prostate cancer, it has become routine for many cancer sites and is now used globally.

For men at high risk of prostate cancer, Hanks established the Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment Program at Fox Chase in 1996. It offers not only screening but also education about risk factors and how to reduce them, genetic counseling, and the opportunity to take part in prevention-oriented research.

But his accomplishments in the use of innovative technology for treatment and decision-making are not Hanks’ only legacies. He was remembered by colleagues as an effective collaborator with an eye for selecting the best and brightest mentees, many of whom went on to have a key impact in the field themselves.

Hanks retired in 2001 and was honored for his contributions with the creation of the Gerald E. Hanks Chair in Radiation Oncology at Fox Chase. He died in 2017 at the age of 83.

MARY DALY, MD, PHD, FACP 

A Driving Force in Clinical Cancer Genetics 

In 1989, Mary Daly, MD, PhD, FACP, came to Fox Chase Cancer Center with a medical degree and a doctorate in epidemiology. Over the ensuing 35 years, she became a leader in the design of educational programs in cancer genetics and cancer risk for both high-risk individuals and their healthcare providers and is a pioneer in the field of clinical cancer genetics.

Daly was the founder of the Risk Assessment Program at Fox Chase. Founded in 1991, it was the first program of its kind in the region and one of the first in the U.S. The program, which initially focused on assessing ovarian and breast cancer risk, now also includes risk assessment for several types of cancer, including prostate, gastrointestinal, lung, melanoma, and kidney.

The goal of the program is to help those at high risk of developing cancer learn about risk factors and preventive measures. It provides education, individualized counseling, genetic testing, and screening to high-risk patients. Now, 33 years later, this program has facilitated several research collaborations and generated many firsts in the epidemiology and prevention of cancer.

Daly is a Professor in, and the former Chair of, the Department of Clinical Genetics at Fox Chase and the current Timothy R. Talbot Jr. Chair in Cancer Research, which recognizes and supports an outstanding leader in the field of cancer research.

In addition, Daly chairs the Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic Panel for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and is a member of the National Cancer Institute-sponsored PDQ Cancer Genetics Board.

In 2021, Daly was honored with the NCCN’s Rodger Winn Award, which is given annually to one NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology panel member who exemplifies commitment, drive, and leadership in developing evidence-based guidelines. Last year, she was the first recipient of the BRCA Impact Award, which was created to recognize a national leader in the field of cancer genetics, from Penn Medicine’s Basser Center for BRCA.

She also received the Cancer Control Award from the American Cancer Society in 1996 and 2004, was named a Top Doctor by Philadelphia magazine from 2009 through 2019, and was also named one of America’s Top Doctors from 2015 through 2017.