This article was produced for Memorial Sloan Kettering by Scientific American Custom Media, a division separate from the magazine's board of editors.

Introduction

Cancer is an ancient disease but modern cancer care is relatively new. In the past century and a half, doctors and researchers have made enormous strides in the understanding and treatment of this affliction, which was once nearly always fatal. With new, more precise molecular and cellular therapies set to emerge, it’s important to look back at the landmark advances that brought us here.