ASTROnews: A Portrait of Sarah S. Donaldson, M.D., FASTRO

By Janaki Moni, M.D.

Sarah S. Donaldson, M.D., FASTRO, was raised in Portland, Ore., by her well-educated, hardworking mother—an extraordinary lady who lived through the depression and instilled in Sarah a deep respect for education and an excellent work ethic.

She was a leader as early as her high school years at Grant High School in Portland, Ore., now famous for being the filming location of the award-winning movie, “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” It was never in doubt that she would go on to complete a university education; her volunteer work at Multnomah County hospital as a high school student inspired her to pursue a career in nursing during an era when opportunities for women were limited to nursing, teaching or secretarial duties. 

After completing a five-year program at the University of Oregon, she was awarded B.S. and R.N. degrees and joined Dr. William S. Fletcher in the newly developed surgical oncology and cancer chemotherapy program at the University of Oregon Medical School. Fletcher, a great visionary, gently persuaded the then Nurse Donaldson to complete various courses in basic science and encouraged her to apply to Dartmouth Medical School, a school actively recruiting female entrants at that time. Dr. Donaldson began her medical education at Dartmouth and completed it at Harvard. Dr. Fletcher remained her mentor through her years in medical school and beyond. When Dr. Donaldson was faced with a choice between pursuing a surgical residency in Boston or a medical residency in Seattle, Dr. Fletcher encouraged her to consider radiation therapy at Stanford University instead. When she demurred that her knowledge of physics and calculus necessary for this field was inadequate, Dr. Fletcher advised her to concentrate on oncologic principles and “hire a good physicist.” Dr. Donaldson was promptly accepted into the program at Stanford by Drs. Scotte Doggett and Malcolm Bagshaw. Needless to say, today’s world of radiation oncology is beholden to Dr. Fletcher for this impeccable advice.

Dr. Donaldson published one of her first papers on infections in asplenic patients with Dr. Henry Kaplan after 43 revisions (20 of her own and 23 of Dr. Kaplan’s). Drs. Kaplan and Bagshaw encouraged her to take a fellowship at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France, to train in pediatric oncology. At Dr. Bagshaw’s suggestion, she trained there with Dr. Odile Schwesguth, the “Queen Mother of Pediatric Oncology in Europe.” Subsequently, she also trained in pediatric oncology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

When she completed her training, Dr. Donaldson returned to Stanford to join the faculty and start a pediatric oncology program along with pediatrician Dr. Jordan Wilbur, with whom she had worked during her time at M.D. Anderson. She became a trailblazer in the treatment of pediatric Hodgkin’s disease using combination chemotherapy and low-dose, involved field radiation rather than the then standard of care of high-dose, total lymphoid radiation. She was invited to join the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group after she gave a comprehensive critical review of the group as a site visitor. In the past 40 years, this group has escalated the cure rate for these tumors while continuing to assess risk adaptation. Her other achievements at Stanford include working with Dr. Charlotte Jacobs to build a clinical cancer center at Stanford and establishing a clinical trials office and an outreach program.

Dr. Donaldson was the first woman to be president of ASTRO and has inspired many who have chosen radiation oncology as a career. She has received several awards, including the Gold Medal from the American College of Radiology, the ASTRO Gold Medal, the Janeway Medal from the American Radium Society and is a member of the Institute of Medicine. She was also the first female president of the American Board of Radiology—an honor that she cherishes for giving her the opportunity to make a “real and lasting contribution to education.” 

A cheerleader in her younger days, she continues to keep physically fit by participating in outdoor activities. She is part of a group of “walkers” who have hiked, kayaked or biked their way through North America and Europe. For those of us whose lives have been touched by her, she personifies her favorite saying from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

To read Dr. Donaldson’s complete interview as well as interviews with other luminaries in radiation oncology, visit www.astro.org/AboutUs/SocietyHistory/HistoryCommitteeInterviews.

Dr. Moni is a member of the History Committee and an associate professor of radiation oncology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Mass.