ABOVE: Emil J Freireich in his office in 2015
WYATT MCSPADDEN
Emil J. Freireich, an influential cancer researcher who developed new approaches to chemotherapy and leukemia treatments, died February 1 at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he worked for 50 years. He was 93.
“Dr. Freireich was a giant of modern medicine whose impact on the field of cancer is beyond compare,” says Peter Pisters, the president of MD Anderson, in a statement from the institution. “For more than 60 years, he pushed boundaries and devoted himself to saving young lives and relieving suffering. Dr. Freireich’s compassion and empathy, with a focus on the holistic needs of individual patients, was fused with scientific creativity and perseverance.”
Known as Jay to his friends and colleagues, Freireich was born to Hungarian immigrants in 1927 and grew up poor in inner-city Chicago, according to MD Anderson’s statement. He earned his ...
