06/11/2025 - 16:57 PM
Special for Beirut Times
In a world that is changing at a rapid pace and facing many challenges, the human being remains the one who makes the greatest impact, especially when knowledge meets will, profession meets mission, and patriotism meets action.
As part of the "Great Lebanese in the World" series, launched by the Beirut Times newspaper that was first published in the United States in 1985, which aims to honor Lebanese expatriates who have left a significant mark in various fields, in this episode we highlight a prominent medical and humanitarian figure: Professor Philip Salem, one of the world's most prominent cancer doctors, a pioneer in modern medicine, and a free and uncompromising Lebanese voice.
Honoring Professor Philip Salem... Honoring the Lebanon we aspire to.
When we honor Dr. Philip Salem, we honor Lebanon, a world-class, open, courageous, honest, and deeply rooted in humanity.
Philip Salem is not just a brilliant doctor or a world-class researcher, but a living example of the Lebanese person when they are granted freedom and the doors of dignity are opened before them.
Writing about him means recalling an exceptional success story that was never separated from his homeland. He is the Lebanese man who traveled, succeeded, and shone, but he never severed his ties with his country. He remained loyal to it, carrying its pain in his heart, its dream in his mind, and its name in every scientific and humanitarian achievement he accomplished.
He dedicated his knowledge, his pen, and his success to serving humanity. From his global position, he remained an uncompromising voice for justice and uncompromising on values, calling for a free, secular, and just Lebanon, based on merit, not sectarianism, and on competence, not loyalty.
Philip Salem is more than a doctor and university professor
He is a conscience in a time of confusion, a voice in a time of silence, and a message in a time of confusion. In his heart is a homeland that still lives despite its wounds, a homeland that shines and renews itself, and believes in its sons no matter how far geography separates them or how fate ravages them.
When we honor Dr. Salem, we are not only celebrating him as a person, but we are also highlighting the beautiful, noble, and possible image of Lebanon.
We honor the idea that the Lebanese person is capable of greatness when the barriers are removed from his path and he is granted the right to dream and live with dignity.
A word of loyalty
Dr. Salem,
Our loyalty to you is part of what befits someone who has raised the name of his country high in the fields of medicine, reason, and dignity.
You are not only a beacon of knowledge, but a national, moral and humanitarian example of which we are proud.
In the face of oblivion, I was the memory.
In times of weakness, you were strength.
In a time of division, you were unity, conscience, and a free voice.
We honor you today to say: You are a part of Lebanon that will never die.
Origins and beginnings
Philippe Adib Salem was born in 1941 in the town of Bteram, Koura District, northern Lebanon. From an early age, he displayed a passion for learning and a precocious patriotic commitment to his country's causes. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the American University of Beirut in 1965, then left for the United States, where he began an exceptional academic career.
Professor Philip Salem comes from a prominent Lebanese family. His father, Adib Salem, was a well-known notary public in the Koura region of northern Lebanon. His brother, Elie Salem, served as Lebanon's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister under President Amin Gemayel and played a key role in drafting the Taif Agreement and the May 17 Agreement of 1983. He was also president of the University of Balamand for decades and is known for his influential academic and political influence, having played a prominent role in Lebanese-Syrian relations during the 1980s.
Professor Philip Salem's family life played a significant role in shaping his career, as he was influenced by his family environment in Lebanon before moving to the United States to pursue his cancer research. Salem was very close to his family, and his personal and family experiences shaped his medical philosophy. He believes that medicine should be humane, based on knowledge, love, and hope—values ​​he may have derived from.
Scientific and medical career
He trained at some of the most prestigious research and treatment centers in America, including:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York
MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas
He later served as director of the Oncology Research Center at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, where he founded the Salem Oncology Center in Houston, Texas, a world-class cancer center.
In 1971, he returned to Lebanon to establish a department of oncology at the American University of Beirut, but was later forced to leave the country due to the civil war.
Outstanding research and achievements
Salem believes that knowledge alone is not enough, but must be accompanied by love, hope, and human care.
He authored a book titled "Conquering Cancer - Knowledge Is Not Enough," which was widely acclaimed in scientific circles.
The American Association for Cancer Research (ASCO) selected him to honor his medical career at its 2024 annual conference, in recognition of his contributions to the development of cancer treatments.
Recent activities
He continues to give medical lectures around the world and participates in scientific conferences to discuss the latest developments in cancer treatment.
He directs the Salem Medical Research Center in Houston, which focuses on developing new treatments and improving patients' quality of life.
Leadership in medicine and research
Professor Salem has distinguished himself with research that has revolutionized the understanding and treatment of cancer:
One of the first scientists to prove the relationship between chronic infection and certain types of cancer, particularly colon cancer.
He developed the ICTriplex triple therapy protocol, combining chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, achieving unprecedented cure rates exceeding 50% in some difficult types.
He has published more than 300 scientific studies approved by international medical bodies, and his theories have been used in the development of globally recognized treatment protocols.
Awards and Honors
Professor Philip Salem has received numerous awards and medals, including a significant official honor from the former President of the Lebanese Republic, General Michel Aoun, who awarded him the Lebanese Gold Order of Merit, First Class, in recognition of his medical, humanitarian, and national services. This great honor reflects the Lebanese state's recognition of his distinguished scientific and national contributions and highlights his role as a model of a luminous Lebanon, committed to values ​​and dignity. It also embodies the nation's loyalty to its sons who have raised Lebanon's name high in the fields of medicine, research, and humanitarian service.
Ellis Island Medal of Honor – 1998
Medal of Freedom from the United States Senate – 1994
Research Chair named after him at Saint-Luc Hospital – 2010
Annual lecture in his name at the Mayo Clinic
Honorary doctorates from American and Lebanese universities
Ruler of Sharjah attends a lecture by Dr. Philip Salem
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, attended a scientific lecture delivered by Dr. Philip Salem, Chairman of the Salem Oncology Center in the United States, at the University of Sharjah. The lecture discussed the latest cancer treatment methods developed by the Salem Center, focusing on innovative ICT therapy, a multi-system therapy that combines chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Dr. Salem emphasized that combining immunotherapy and chemotherapy is superior to chemotherapy alone in treating many types of cancer, with care taken to tailor treatment to each patient's condition.
The World Lebanese Cultural Union in Los Angeles, USA, honored Professor Philip Salem and awarded him the Courage Award for his sacrifices and courage in politics, medicine, and cancer treatment.
The celebration was attended by Lebanese MPs Nadim Gemayel, Adib Abdel Massih, and Raji Al-Saad, as well as members of the US-Lebanon Friendship Committee in the US Congress. Representatives of more than 20 American associations concerned with the situation in Lebanon also attended, in addition to representatives of Lebanese sovereign movements in the United States, and a large crowd of political, social, and medical figures.
The three Lebanese representatives spoke about Philip Salem, the politician, physician, and human being, praising his virtues and values. Nabih Chartouni, President of the Lebanese Cultural Union in the World, also spoke about Salem's role in the diaspora, his unwavering support for Lebanon, his strong ties with the Lebanese diaspora and all US administrations, and his unwavering support for his homeland, which lives in his heart and conscience.
Intellectual and political positions
In addition to his medical achievements, Professor Salem emerged as a free thinker and committed intellectual:
He has been a keynote speaker at international conferences on humanizing medicine, equity in health care, and patients' rights.
He served as a White House health advisor during the 1990s under two presidential terms.
He wrote boldly about the situation in Lebanon, calling for positive neutrality, separation of religion and state, and moral reform before political reform.
He called for the Lebanese state to restore its authority and prestige, and to reject subordination and the hijacking of sovereign decisions.
Human and national commitment
Despite his professional success in the United States, he remained loyal to Lebanon and never forgot his homeland. He worked silently to build academic and humanitarian bridges between Beirut and the world through his lectures, his support for Lebanese students, and his welcoming of talented individuals to his institutions.
He believed that health was not a commodity but a sacred right, and he was one of the few who dared to speak the truth: there can be no reform in Lebanon without restoring human dignity and a fair health system that respects dignity.
He was and still is a free voice against sectarianism and corruption. He called for a civil homeland governed by efficiency and justice, and he did not compromise in his positions.
He sent medical aid during crises, particularly after the Beirut port explosion, and launched medical scholarship and fellowship programs for outstanding Lebanese students.
He called for developing the health infrastructure and raising the level of scientific research, and warned against environmental pollution, which increases cancer rates.
Dr. Philip Salem's works
1. "Cancer... the enemy I defeated"
o in Arabic
o A personal and scientific journey in the face of cancer, blending medical research with the human dimension.
2. "On the Banks of Hope"
A collection of intellectual and humanitarian articles about humanity, homeland, and faith.
3. "The Doctor and Faith"
o The relationship between science and faith, and the balance between them in medical practice.
4. Man is the answer
o Articles and thoughts calling for placing human dignity above all considerations.
5. Internationally published scientific research
o More than 350 research papers in prestigious medical journals, contributing to the development of globally recognized treatment protocols.
6. From the Calvary of Cancer to the Resurrection of Lebanon.
Medicine, Politics, and Society
Salem wrote about his medical experiences and his vision of medicine, politics, and society, making him a unique human and scientific authority.
Professor Philip Salem is the Lebanon we aspire to: global, open, courageous, honest, and rooted in humanity.
Writing his story means bringing to life a living example of a successful Lebanese person abroad, one who never breaks away from his roots and dedicates his knowledge to serving humanity.
He is more than a doctor and a university professor. He is a conscience, a voice, and a message. In his heart is a shining, free, and renewed Lebanon that continues to beat despite its wounds.
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