Evarts A. Graham

Dr. Evarts Ambrose Graham conducted mouse-skin painting experiments with Ernst L. Wynder in the famous 1950s tests that showed cigarette "tar" caused tumors.

= Biography =

Evarts A. Graham was the first surgeon to cure a case of human lung cancer by removing the affected lung. Graham worked for the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, 19490 (E. Whelan 1984). Graham was a former president of the American College of Surgeons (pre-1950) (Merchants of Death, 1988).

Graham and his assistant, Dr. Ernst L. Wynder, published the results of the first large-scale research on smoking in the 5/27/50 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), "Tobacco Smoking as a Possible Etiologic Factor in Bronchiogenic Carcinoma." They concluded that "excessive and prolonged use of tobacco, especially cigarettes, seems to be an important factor in the induction of bronchiogenic carcinoma." (L. White, Merchants 1988).

In late 1953, Dr. Wynder and Dr. Graham reported the results of a study in which they had painted the backs of mice with cigarette smoke condensate, or "tar." Some of the animals developed skin cancer. In February 1956, Graham reported on another study in which he had painted mice with tobacco tars. The earlier study had been criticized for using only one type of mouse. In the new study, Graham used other strains and also painted rabbits' ears with the tars. The tests successfully induced cancer.(L. White, Merchants of Death, 1988).

A heavy smoker, Graham died in 1957 of lung cancer.(E. Whelan 1984)

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