Worta McCaskill-Stevens

McCaskill-Stevens was born in Louisburg, North Carolina on July 26, 1949. She attended Washington University in St. Louis and the American College of Switzerland. At Georgetown University School of Medicine, she started medical school at age 30, earning a M.D. in 1985 and completing an internal medicine residency. McCaskill-Stevens did a medical oncology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. == Career and research ==

McCaskill-Stevens, a medical oncologist, joined the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 1998 as the program director for the study of tamoxifen and raloxifene (STAR), and assumed responsibilities for breast cancer prevention with the community clinical oncology program (CCOP). She chaired the 2009 National Institutes of Health (NIH) State-of-the Science Conference on ductal carcinoma in situ; was a member of the early breast cancer clinical trialist group in Oxford; and was a member of NCI's breast cancer steering committee. McCaskill-Stevens co-directed the breast care and research center at the Indiana University Cancer Center. == Selected publications ==

McCaskill-Stevens authored or co-authored over 100 scientific papers, with a specific focus on breast cancer prevention, clinical trial recruitment, and minority health. • • • • == Awards and honors ==

McCaskill-Stevens received numerous awards for her leadership in oncology and her commitment to health equity. • 2024: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Distinguished Public Service Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research (Posthumous) • 2020: David King Community Clinical Scientist Award from the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC). • 2017: Honorary Doctor of Science from Georgetown University. • 1985: Kaiser Family Fund Award for Excellence in Academic Achievement and Leadership in Medicine. • Member of the Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. == Legacy ==

Following her death in 2023, the National Cancer Institute established the NCI Worta McCaskill-Stevens Career Development Award for Community Oncology and Prevention Research (K12). This permanent grant mechanism was created to honor her commitment to health equity and is designed to train clinical scientists who focus on community oncology. In late 2023, the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology renamed its annual health disparities meeting the Worta McCaskill-Stevens, MD, MS Health Disparities Symposium. == Personal life ==

McCaskill-Stevens died on November 15, 2023. == References ==