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Irwin H. Krakoff

In Memoriam: Irwin H. Krakoff

(07/20/1923 - 08/09/2023)Member since 1957
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Irwin H. Krakoff, MD, a pioneering oncologist and cancer center leader, died August 9, 2023, at the age of 100.

Krakoff was born July 20, 1923, in Columbus, Ohio. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at The Ohio State University, then completed a residency at Boston City Hospital and served in the U.S. Navy.

Following his naval service, Krakoff began his medical career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City, holding positions as chief of the chemotherapy service and vice chairman of medicine. His work focused on chemotherapy and pharmacology, including research aimed at reducing the side effects of cancer treatments while maintaining their efficacy.

In 1976, Krakoff joined the University of Vermont Medical College as founding director of its cancer center, and in 1983, Krakoff became head of the Division of Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center.  Over the course of his long career, he was a respected mentor to many students.

Krakoff joined the AACR in 1957. Among many career honors, he received the David Karnofsky Memorial Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 1993.

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