Home The Change Makers Laureates Samuel Epstein

Samuel Epstein

USA

Place of Birth: UK

Date of Birth: April 13, 1926

Deceased: March 18, 2018

Education: M.D.

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Awarded

Samuel Epstein

“For his exemplary life of scholarship wedded to activism on behalf of humanity.”

Samuel Epstein (1926-2018) was a British medical doctor working in the US, who emerged as a leading international authority on the causes and prevention of cancer. He pioneered identifying and preventing avoidable exposures to carcinogens in consumer products, air, water and the workplace, on which he conducted extensive basic and applied scientific research.

In February 1992, he released a statement on US health policy titled “Losing the Winnable War Against Cancer” marking the 20th anniversary of President Nixon’s launch of “the war against cancer.” This statement, endorsed by 60 leading cancer scientists, emphasised the overall increase in the incidence of cancers over previous decades and their avoidable causes.

Out of this initiative, the Cancer Prevention Coalition (CPC) was born. It had a comprehensive strategy of outreach, education and advocacy to establish prevention as the top cancer policy in the US and internationally. The long-term objective of CPC was to win the war against cancer by reducing modern epidemic cancer rates to their pre-1940 levels.

The prohibition of new carcinogenic products, reduction of toxins in use, and right-to-know laws – these are among the legislative proposals which could reverse the cancer epidemic.

Samuel Epstein, 1998 Laureate

Emerging as a leader in cancer research

Born in Britain, Samuel Epstein graduated with a medical degree and rose to work as a consultant pathologist at major institutions and hospitals at London University before emigrating to the US in 1960. He worked at the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health in Boston from 1960 to 1970, and then as a “Distinguished Professor” at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. In 1976, he took a position as Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Epstein emerged as a leading international authority on the causes and prevention of cancer by identifying and preventing avoidable exposures to carcinogens in consumer products, air, water, and the workplace, on which he has conducted extensive basic and applied scientific research.

He authored or co-authored 15 books and over 250 scientific articles.

His best-known book, The Politics of Cancer (1978), won the Notable Book and other Awards. An updated edition was published in October 1998.

Epstein received numerous awards from academic, environmental and public policy organisations and frequently appeared on radio and TV broadcasts nationally and internationally. Epstein played a leading role in professional societies. He also acted as a consultant and advisor on legislation to a number of leading Congressional committees.

The Cancer Prevention Coalition

In February 1992, he released a national policy statement “Losing the Winnable War Against Cancer” on the 20th anniversary of President Nixon’s launch of “the war against cancer.” This statement, endorsed by 60 leading cancer scientists, emphasised the overall increase in incidence over previous decades, and also their avoidable causes.

Out of this initiative, the Cancer Prevention Coalition (CPC) was born. It had a comprehensive strategy of outreach, education and advocacy to establish prevention as the top cancer policy in the USA and internationally. In this respect, CPC developed a variety of educational and advocacy programmes on national and international levels.

By informing consumers, through such publications as The Safe Shopper’s Bible, co-authored by Epstein, which evaluated some 3,500 consumer products, and putting pressure on legislators, CPC sought to remove the environmental causes of cancer and thereby prevent it.

The long-term objective of CPC was to win the war against cancer by reducing modern epidemic cancer rates to their pre-1940 levels.

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