Vincent DeVita Jr., MD, Amy and Joseph Perella Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases), was named the Giants of Cancer Care® Michael J. Hennessy Visionary Award Winner for 2024. He was nominated and selected by the Giants of Cancer Care ® Advisory Board and OncLive® for his lifelong achievements in cancer care, and the far-reaching effect those achievements have created. Dr. DeVita accepted the award virtually at the 12th Annual Giants of Cancer Care® Awards Ceremony held prior to the ASCO Annual meeting in Chicago on May 30, 2024.
Dr. DeVita has earned international recognition for his accomplishments as a pioneer in the field of oncology. A former Director of Yale Cancer Center (1993-2003), he spent the early part of his career at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and in 1980, he was appointed director of the NCI and the National Cancer Program. While at the NCI, he developed combination chemotherapy programs curative for Hodgkin's disease and diffuse large cell lymphomas. He has widely been considered one of the world’s leading oncologists and one of the field’s most innovative thinkers, is one of three editors of "Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology", in its 11th edition, and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of The Cancer Journal. Dr. DeVita, also wrote a personal memoir entitled "The Death of Cancer: After Fifty Years on the Front Lines of Medicine, a Pioneering Oncologist Reveals Why the War on cancer is Winnable--and How We Can Get There."
The Giants of Cancer Care program recognizes the achievements of researchers and educators who have made significant contributions to the field of oncology and set the foundation for future advancements. The visionary award, established in 2022, was developed to recognize those who make an impact that is seen today, and that will extend long into the future.