Dr. Timothy Browder, dedicated his life to children with cancer

TIMOTHY BROWDER (Globe File 2000)

When Dr. Timothy Browder, a cancer researcher at Children's Hospital Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, called his older sister to discuss vacation spots in North Carolina's Outer Banks, she was thrilled he was finally taking some time off.

But Dr. Browder wasn't taking a trip; he was booking one for a dying child and his family.

"He would not go himself on vacations," said his sister, Dr. Donna Browder Moyer of Lewisville, N.C., a pediatrician. "He was maxing out his credit cards because he wanted to give to those families. It was kind of like Tim's [own] Make-A-Wish Foundation."

Dr. Browder, whose work with famed cancer researcher Dr. Judah Folkman led to an important breakthrough in treating drug-resistant cancers, died of a heart attack March 3 at his home in Chestnut Hill. He was 51.

About five years ago, Dr. Browder was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, which affects the lungs, according to his family. His loss of stamina forced him to cut back on his research in recent years and left him depressed because he could not work as hard, they said.

Dr. Browder "played an absolutely pivotal role" in cancer treatment, said Dr. Robert S. Kerbel, a Canadian oncology researcher.

At a time when oncologists believed in giving the strongest chemotherapy drugs a patient could handle, Dr. Browder's research as a fellow in Dr. Folkman's lab showed that consistent lower doses of chemotherapy drugs could help curtail angiogenesis, the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors.

Dr. Browder and Dr. Folkman published their findings in the journal Cancer Research in 2000 in the article titled "Antiangiogenic scheduling of chemotherapy improves efficacy against experimental drug resistant cancer." Dr. Folkman died in January.

"Since then, things have progressed in an encouraging way," said Dr. Kerbel, who dedicated an article he coauthored in 2004 in the journal Nature Reviews Cancer to Dr. Browder.

Dr. Browder grew up in Charlotte, N.C. He was the son of Joseph G. Browder, a civil engineer, and Carlotta Browder, an internationally ranked amateur tennis pro.

"He was such a good boy. He was so focused on getting a cure for cancer for little children," said his mother, who last saw her son on Mother's Day 2006.

As a child, he suffered from asthma and needed corrective eye surgery. His sister said his childhood experience with illness inspired him to become a pediatrician.

"He didn't want children to be sick and feel bad about themselves because of medical problems," she said.

As a young student, Dr. Browder was a National Merit Scholarship winner. Awarded a scholarship, he graduated summa cum laude in 1978 from Wake Forest University with a double major in math and biology. He earned his medical degree in 1982 from Duke University Medical School.

After completing his residency at Texas Children's Hospital, he was selected to do research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.

In 1992, he took a post at Children's Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as an assistant in medicine. He also was an instructor in pediatric hematology and oncology at Harvard Medical School.

Another sister, Becky Browder Neustadt of New York City, said Dr. Browder often missed family gatherings because he was either working or spending time with sick children and their families.

"This was a man who did everything for his work. He lived and loved his work," she said.

One of his young patients asked Dr. Browder to look after his little brother after his death. "Tim looked after the little brother until the little brother graduated from high school," Neustadt said.

In addition to his mother and sisters, Dr. Browder leaves a brother, Kevin L. of Lewisville, N.C.; three nieces; and two nephews.

Services have been held.

Correction: Because of reporting errors, an obituary Sunday of Dr. Timothy Browders, a noted cancer researcher, incorrectly described his medical condition and his academic background. He suffered from sarcoidosis, which affected his lungs. His medical degree was from Duke University.