Larry E. Kun, M.D., FASTRO
Tribute by Richard T. Hoppe, M.D.
Larry E. Kun was born in Philadelphia at the leading edge of the baby boom generation and he has remained a leader of that generation ever since. Larry spent his formative years in Pennsylvania, receiving a BA from Penn State. At the tender age of only 22 he was awarded an MD degree from Jefferson Medical College. While at Jefferson, Larry first became intrigued with the field of radiation therapy after attending a lecture and taking a medical student elective with Simon Kramer, who would later become an ASTRO President and Gold Medal recipient. To cement his interest in the field, Dr. Kramer arranged for Larry to take another elective, during his senior year of medical school, at the Penrose Cancer Hospital in Colorado Springs, under the direction of Juan del Regato, another future ASTRO Gold Medalist. At Penrose, Larry met two young residents, Jim Cox and Frank Wilson, two more luminaries in our field and future ASTRO gold medal awardees. This experience clinched Larry's interest in the specialty. After completing an internship at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, Larry returned to Colorado to begin his training in Therapeutic Radiology at the Penrose Cancer Hospital with del Regato. After completing his residency, Larry fulfilled his military commitment as a Clinical Associate in Radiotherapy at the National Cancer Institute. It was here that Larry began his publishing career, as co-author of four papers related to Hodgkin's disease and other lymphomas. After leaving the NCI, he spent a year as a fellow and Assistant Radiotherapist at the Rotterdam Radiotherapy Institute, working with Brigit van der Werf-Messing.
In 1975, Larry returned to the US to begin a productive academic career. After a brief appointment at the University of Vermont, he moved to the Medical College of Wisconsin as an Assistant Professor in 1976, and was promoted to Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology in 1980. It was at the Medical College of Wisconsin that Larry first developed an interest in pediatric radiation oncology and he was also named an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in 1983.
In 1984, Larry made a career-defining move to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where he became Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology. There he has thrived and provided long-term leadership to the institution as a member of St. Jude's Executive Committee and membership on countless other Committees and Councils. In 1996, in recognition of his important contributions to pediatric radiation oncology and service to the St. Jude Hospital, he was awarded the John and Lorine Thrasher Endowed Chair. In 2003 he was appointed Chair of the Department of Radiological Sciences at St. Jude. He also holds Professorships at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and the University of Kansas. He has been a visiting Professor in more than twenty academic departments of radiation oncology.
Larry is an internationally recognized expert in the field of pediatric radiation oncology. In addition to his key position as Chair of radiation oncology at St. Jude, he was able to influence the development of pediatric radiation oncology nationally through his leadership positions in national cooperative groups. He was a key member of the Pediatric Oncology Group, serving on its Executive Committee and chairing the Brain Tumor Committee. He has held similar important positions in the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium and the Children's Oncology Group. His publications, which number greater than 300, cover virtually every aspect of pediatric radiation oncology, including brain tumors, soft tissue sarcomas, Ewing's sarcoma, Hodgkin's disease, malignant lymphomas, other pediatric cancers, and the late effects of cancer treatment. He has served as an editorial board member for numerous pediatric journals, including the American Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, the Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, the Journal of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Medical and Pediatric Oncology, Pediatric Blood and Cancer, Pediatric Neuroscience, and Pediatric Neurosurgery. He has been author or co-author of chapters in the definitive textbooks of oncology, radiation oncology and pediatrics, related to pediatric cancer. He is a co-author of the major textbook Pediatric Radiation Oncology, now in its 4th edition.
As Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at St. Jude, Larry has been involved in training numerous residents in pediatric radiation oncology. Although St. Jude does not have its own training program in radiation oncology, residents from numerous programs around the country spend one or more months at St. Jude as part of their required training. It is likely that Larry has contributed to the training of more radiation oncology residents in the past ten years than any other individual.
Larry's service to radiology and radiation oncology has been extraordinary. As a former President and Chairman of the Board of ASTRO, his commitment to our professional organization is unquestionable. He has served on numerous important committees and task forces. However, he has been equally generous with his time in support of other organizations that are vital to our specialty. He serves as a Trustee of the American Board of Radiology and Assistant Executive Director for Maintenance of Certification, an extremely important and time-consuming responsibility. He is also a member of the Residency Review Committee for Radiation Oncology.
Larry has an extraordinary work ethic. He is dedicated to his patients and to his profession. This dedication is exceeded only by his love for his family. Larry met his wife Donna while he was still in medical school. They have two lovely and successful daughters Julie, an attorney, and Amy, a fellow in pediatric oncology. Not a day goes by that Larry does not speak with both on the telephone. Julie and Amy are married and each has been blessed with a son – making Larry and Donna grandparents of two. In addition to spending as much time as possible with his family, Larry enjoys hiking in the mountains – or anywhere else.
Larry is a very accomplished radiation oncologist who has contributed to our field by virtue of his clinical expertise treating children, his teaching efforts with residents, his scholarly work, and service to the field. He is a true ASTRO “all-star” and most deserving to be awarded its Gold Medal.
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