Humphrey Kay obituary

Humphrey Kay, who has died aged 86, was an early pioneer in the scientific approach to the diagnosis and treatment of leukaemia. When Humphrey joined the Royal Marsden hospital in London as a consultant in haematology in 1956, leukaemia, or cancer of the blood, was usually fatal within weeks. With characteristic insight, he set about instituting a collaborative approach to treatment, combining practical strategies with scientific method. From these beginnings, the treatment of leukaemia went on to become one of science's great success stories of the 20th century. The collaborative approach initiated by Humphrey and his colleagues continued over the ensuing 40 years to improve both patient survival and quality of life. Today, more than 70% of children and an increasing proportion of adults can be cured.The beginning of Humphrey's career in haematology and oncology coincided with much international concern about leukaemia, a relatively rare but challenging disease which, at that time, after accidents,...

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