Charles Brenton Huggins. Francis Peyton Rous

The article is dedicated to two Nobel laureates Charles Brenton Huggins and Francis Peyton Rous.

Charles Huggins research on prostate cancer has changed the attitude of scientists to understanding the development of all malignant cells and for the first time gave hope for the prospect of treating advanced forms of cancer. Dr. Huggins' was a pioneer in the understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the male urinary tract and was able to extend his discoveries from this area to many other areas. In 1966, Dr. Huggins received the Nobel Prize for his research on the relationship between hormones and prostate cancer.

Francis Peyton Rous discovered that sarcomas in chickens can be transmitted by birds of the same inbred population not only by inoculating tumor cells, but also by injecting a submicroscopic agent extracted from them. This discovery gave rise to the viral theory of cancer causality. He was able to prove that some “spontaneous” chicken tumors, apparently classic neoplasms, are actually triggered and controlled by viruses that also determine their shape.

In 1966, Dr. Huggins received the Nobel Prize (with virologist Peyton Rous) for his research on the relationship between hormones and prostate cancer. The Nobel Committee cited his fundamental discoveries concerning the hormonal dependence of normal and neoplastic cells in experimental animals and their immediate practical application for the treatment of human prostate and breast cancer. In 1966, Peyton Rose was awarded the Nobel Prize.