Exertion

    "Just concentrate on doing research, they will be seen with affirmative," Jacqueline Whang-Peng encouraged every researcher while she was awarded the "Taiwan Outstanding Female Scientist". "Nobody can compare contribution in the field of cancer with her" the CEO of Wu’s academic foundation, Professor Lin Mingrui praised Jacqueline Whang-Peng.

    Jacqueline Whang-Peng Academy is known as the Taiwan's 'Mother of Oncology' has been in office at National Institutes of Health, NIH for 33 years, served as director of the National Cancer Institute; she successfully confirmed that the reason human tumor cell variation exists is due to chromosome variation. She continues to research leukemia chromosome variations during the early periods of stem cell development and differentiation. She has also discovered that through the mother’s blood, you can diagnose leukemia and the sex of the fetus.

    In 1972, she was the first foreigner who won Arthur Flemming Award by research the variation of Tumor Cell and Chromosome.

A. Research in the US

    After graduated from NTC, she became a residential doctor for a year. In 1957, Jacqueline Whang-Peng went to Boston, New England hospital as a resident, but because of gender inequality, sexual discrimination and racial discrimination, but also getting married, hospital rejected her application, and thus her surgeon dream break.Jacqueline Whang-Peng then followed Dr.Tjio and do research in oncology, leading her to the greatest achievements in cancer research  confirmed human tumor cell variation exists is due to chromosome variation. She the first one who discovered and confirmed that cancer related to chromosome variation.

    Jacqueline Whang-Peng’s new discoveries in cancer research field, she is the pioneer of gene therapy for critical illness. In 1972, she was the first foreigner who won Arthur Flemming Award by research the variation of Tumor Cell and Chromosome.

B. Returning Home

     Jacqueline Whang-Peng spent 33 years in the United States, from residency to a director of cytogenetic of the National Cancer Institute. Noticed that cancer has become the top killer in Taiwan but sink in the dilemma of drugs, information, and even specialist Taiwanese people went to United States to cure cancer, made Jacqueline Whang-Peng very distressed. Not only because the far way to the United States but also the cost of the treatment. Sadly, the United State can’t support the best care to the cancer patients.

    After she back to Taiwan, she spent two years and return to become a clinical doctor, to get a license of oncologist and feedback to Taiwan. On the New Year Day in 1994, Jacqueline Whang-Peng left the United States, left a better-off environment and dear family. Invited to serve as a director of Cancer Research Center in Academia Sinica's Institute of Biomedical. Give hopes to Taiwan’s cancer medical treatment.

C. Training the Oncologist

    Jacqueline Whang-Peng invited her best friend, Dr. Paul Carbone who is the Oncologist in the Wisconsin hospital in United State to Taiwan, to train the first professional scientists of cancer. Such as the cancer director in National Taiwan Hospital, National Cheng Kung Hospital and the radiologist director in Sing Kong Hospital.

 Jacqueline Whang-Peng highly recommended the clinical study to increase the efficiency in the test of new medicine. Together with other hospitals, they founded the first Cancer Clinical Study Organization. Even now, this organization is still the most advanced with the most complete equipments in Asia.

 In 1996, National Health Research Institute was founded and she became the director in the genetic treatment study of cancer. However, the audit of human testing was not completely developed, the testing was only allowed to study on animal. Also, after the genetic treatment in United State had caused two patients’ death, most of the countries had stopped the study.

 The problems of how to put genes into the cell and how to control it’s position and function, have always been the difficulties in the study of genetic treatment, which still can not be solve.

D. The War Against Cancer

    Although the genetic treatment has not developed any breakthrough as expectative, the result in the study of cancer is still expressive. Under the lead of Jacqueline Whang-Peng, the cancer treatment in Taiwan also improved.

 “ The cancer treatment study in Taiwan is developing as well as the study in developed-country,” she said. Giving the disease in children, Leukemia as an example, during past five years, the survival rate has raised to 90-95%; however, the rate in adult is only about 20-30％, since the reproduction ability in their cell is not as good as children. The survival rate in testicular cancer also goes up to 80-85％; the rate of curing in female placental tumor had increased to 95%; the cure rate in Lymphoma is also more than 50%.

E. Immunotherapy Treatment

    Jacqueline Whang-Peng said, the study of Cancer in Taiwan mostly focused on the cancers that have the most number of patient. Such as the study of colorectal cancer in Taipei Veterans General Hospital and the clinical trials of lung caver in Taichung Veterans General Hospital, which has been studied for four to five years and already began the Phase ll trials.

 The therapeutic vaccines for lung cancer Jacqueline Whang-Peng studied about, is the immunotherapy. Tumors occurs when the cell mutated. If the T cells in lymph can not distinguished the mutant cell and norma cell, how can they destroy the tumor cells. The purpose of immunotherapy, is to break these cells and cultivate them with the dendritic cells. When the dendritic cells that carry the antigens of tumor cells have been injected to the patient’s body, it helps the T cell to recognize the abnormal cells.

 In United State, this treatment has already cured the patients of kidney cancer and melanoma. There is still no any successful case happens in Taiwan, however, most of the average time for cancer patients to live has increased.

 Jacqueline Whang-Peng has explored a new path way and goal for Taiwan’s cancer study. Apart from the traditional treatment, the scientists are now spending more time, studying immunotherapy and target therapy treatment.

F. target therapy

    Apart from the breakthrough in immunotherapy, Taiwan also discover a new treatment for cancer — Angiostatin. Same as immunotherapy, in order  to work the treatment, the doctors have to first find characteristic that can distinguish the mutative genes or cancer cell.

 For example, the Chronic Leukemia. The medical scientists have already found the treatment that could cure the two kind of mutant genes that produce specific proteins which caused Chronic Leukemia. The mutant genes in Lung Cancer have also been found (In southeast Asia, the rate of mutant genes in the female patients who do not smoke is more than 60%; In western country, the rate is only 15%). The oral medicine treatment for it is very effective at curing the cancer.

 Jacqueline Whang-Peng said, the production of this treatment also stopped when it first sold in United State, since it was sold badly. Later, when it is popular in Asia, Taiwan found out it is to expensive and is forced to use second-line drugs.

G. Cancer’s Puzzle

    Jacqueline Whang-Peng’s major research in WanFang Hospital is Brain tumor. She said, the recent treatment of Brain Tumor is to treat patients with chemotherapy, target therapy and angiostatin, which has became more effective compare to the past

 Jacqueline Whang-Peng believes, more we study about cancer, the puzzle will be more complete. Perhaps, after half century, human could find a way to defeat Cancer, “the most terrific killer”.

H. Prevention in Cancer

    No matter how innovative the studies and invention of the medical treatment are, preventing is alway the most effective way to defeat confer disease. Together with other scholars, Jacqueline Whang-Peng founded the “Formosa Cancer Foundation” in 1997 and become vice chairman. They tried their best to promote and educate the prevention of the cancer.

 “The chances in hesitance cancer are only 5 %. The rest of the possibility are affected by postnatal cause such as food and smoking.” Tumor is caused by the mutation in chromosome, however, chromosomal aberrations are mostly caused by postnatal factors. “Especially to the children who are under eighteen, the damage to the immature organ is way more effective,” said by Jacqueline Whang-Peng

 After the the atomic bomb explosion in Japan during World War 2, the three most urgent disease problem were the Acute Leukemia in children, Chronic Leukemia and female Breast Cancer. Risks such as smoking, drinking and betel, give great effect to the teenagers, especially the younger one. Once the damages are caused, it is very difficult to bring back health.

I. Grateful

    Jacqueline Whang-Peng dedicated her great contribution in cancer to everyone who has helped her. “ I received many support for many people, I would not finished the study without the help from everyone” Although the study and technology has developed very well, there is still many limit from government, on the use of new cancer treatment. Cancer is the most serious medical issue in recent years, therefore, it is very important to make sure the new treatment won’t bring any serious side effect.

 After Jacqueline Whang-Peng returned back to Taiwan, having a “ National Biotechnology Research Park” a has always been the biggest dream she wants to achieve. This development plan has been ensured to implement and finish in recent month.

 Jacqueline Whang-Peng said, those who died in Taiwan, one in every four, was died because of cancer. To save the cancer patients, she suggests: “Instead of separating the cancer treatment in different organ branch, they should have a specific branch and certification for cancer and doctor for tumor ”

J. Behind the Success

    It is not easy for a married-woman to take care her family and her academic study research at the same time. Jacqueline Whang-Peng dedicated her success to her husband; because of his supports, she could focused and devoted herself completely in work.

 “It is very important for the female scientist to marry a husband who could regardless support her.” Both of her two daughters became surgeon and dermatologist in United State; both of her two sons became the engineers as their father. Although all of her children were already adults and married, she still want to return to United Sate and be with her family, after the few year, her retirement.