From the “Sultan of Swat” to the “Colossus of Clout,” no baseball player has inspired more attention-grabbing nicknames than George Herman Ruth . But there’s one moniker for the legendary Babe you might not know: cancer pioneer.

Babe Ruth, the fearsome slugger who hit 714 home runs and won seven World Series, battled advanced-stage cancer in the final years of his life. In the process, he became one of the first chemotherapy patients anywhere and helped alter the course of medicine. Friday marks 76 years since his death at age 53, but the findings from his experimental treatment still reverberate in cancer care today.

Ruth didn’t prioritize his health when he was young

Ruth, born in February 1895, was the undisputed king of baseball by his 30 th birthday. By 1925, he had won four

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