Harry Bisel

Overview
Dr. Harry F. Bisel (1918 - 1994) was a pioneering American oncologist working in the field of medical oncology.

Dr. Harry Bisel, along with Doctors Fred Ansfield, Herman Freckman, Arnoldus Goudsmit, Robert Talley, William Wilson, and Jane Wright, was one of the founding members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). This group of pioneering doctors, through the formation of ASCO, is largely credited with the development of modern American medical or clinical oncology. In 1964, Bisel was elected the first president of ASCO. He was active in the American Cancer Society and a consultant to the National Cancer Institute. Bisel was a founding member of American Society of Preventative Oncology as well as the American Association for Cancer Education.

He was born on June 17, 1918 in Manor, Pennsylvania, USA. He attended Peabody High School and the University of Pittsburgh. There, he received the MD degree in 1942. Dr. Bisel did graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Medical School. He was one of the first trainees to graduate from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Medical Neoplasia program. In 1971, Dr. Bisel received the prestigious Hench Award from the School of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

He was in the United States Naval Reserve from 1942 to 1978, and on active duty from 1943 to 1947. During WW 2, he was flight surgeon and was awarded three battle stars for action in the Pacific.

Dr. Bisel was the first formally trained oncologist hired by the Mayo Clinic. He was on staff from 1963 until he retired in 1983. He founded the Mayo Clinic Section of Medical Oncology, and was chairmen from 1963 to 1972. He also served as a faculty member of the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine and Mayo Medical School.

He and his wife, Sara C. Bisel, had three children, Jane, Clark and Harold.

Review papers
Bisel, H., Wroblewski, F., Ladue, J., "Incidents of Clinical Manifestations of Cardiac Metastases," J.A.M.A. 153:712-715, October 24, 1953

Bisel, H., "Clinical Aspects of the Cancer Chemotherapy Program," Current Res. Cancer Chemother., 5:6-14, June, 1956

Bisel, H., "The Incident and Clinical Aspects of Metastatic Heart Tumors," ''Acta Un. Int. Cancr''., 12:28-34, 1956

Bisel, H., "Treatment of Advanced Breast Carcinoma with Delta 1-Testololactone," ''Acta Un. Int. Cancr''., 20:429-431, 1964

Bisel, H., Ansfield, F., Mason, J., Wilson, W., "Clinical Studies with Tubercidin Administered by Direct Intravenous Injection," Cancer Res., 30:76-78, Jan., 1970

Bisel, H., Ahman, D., Hahn, R., "Chemotherapy for the Palliation of Disseminated Malignant Melanoma," Presented at XI Interbational Cancer Congress, Florence, Italy, Oct. 1974

Bisel, H., "Chemotherapy, Single and Multiple Agents in treatment of Locally Advanced, Recurrent and Disseminated Breast Cancer," The Breast, edited by Gallager, H., Leis, H., Synderman, R., and Urban, J., St. Louis, Missouri. C. V. Mosby Co. 1978

Bisel, H., Ahman, D., Edmonson, J., Hahn, R., O'Connell, M, "Treatment of Advanced Breast Carcinoma in Premenopausal Women," Prodeddings of the 12th International Cancer Congress. Buenos Aires, Oct. 1978

Bisel, H., "Management of Locally Advanced and Disseminated Breast Cancer - Chemotherapy" Cancer, Volume 46: Issue S4, Date: 15 August 1980, Pages: 1079-1083