When Dr. Donald Pinkel graduated from medical school at the University of Buffalo in 1951, the world was a pretty dark place for kids with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). They didn’t live long after diagnosis, and experts in the field of blood cancer were convinced the disease was incurable.

In 1951, Edwin A. Mirand, PhD, DSc became a permanent employee of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. What would have been impossible to know at the time was just how permanent a fixture he would truly become.

People with Down syndrome have an increased risk of developing very specific types of childhood leukemia, but Eugene Yu, PhD, has an additional reason to focus on the genetic mysteries of Down syndrome.

The Pan-American Exposition opened in Buffalo in May of 1901 amid high spirits and a festive atmosphere. But events took a dark turn four months later when an assassin shot the fair’s most famous visitor — President William McKinley. People have wondered ever since whether the outcome might have been different if Dr. Roswell Park, a renowned and highly skilled surgeon, had performed the emergency surgery on McKinley. Here’s why he didn’t.

Late in 2015, Roswell Park and the Western New York nursing community lost a true pioneer. Eva Noles, the first African American woman to train and graduate as a registered nurse in Buffalo, died on December 2, 2015 at the age of 96.

Prone breast radiation refers to an alternate way of positioning the patient, lying face down on a special board, instead of face up, to receive radiation to the breast.

As we conclude Black History Month, we look at some of the major achievements in medicine by highlighting five African Americans who made their mark in cancer research. These individuals were among the first of their ethnic group to make significant contributions to the medical field and helped pave the way for others. Read about these hardworking visionaries that changed the face of cancer for countless patients throughout the world.

This month, recognized as Oral Cancer Awareness Month, take a few minutes to understand how your sex life may affect your risk of oral cancer.