Cancer

Watch

• How do doctors determine what stage of cancer you have? - Hyunsoo Joshua No and Trudy Wu ↗TED-Ed
• Why is it so hard to cure cancer? - Kyuson Yun ↗TED-Ed
• Starving cancer away | Sophia Lunt | TEDxMSU ↗TEDx Talks
• The Reason Why Cancer is so Hard to Beat ↗Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
• Why are more adults than ever getting cancer younger? - The Global Story podcast, BBC World Service ↗BBC World Service
• Our immune system - Miracle weapon against cancer? | DW Documentary ↗DW Documentary

Read

• The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer ↗A Pulitzer-winning magnum opus, this offers a sweeping intellectual history of humanity's enduring battle against a protean adversary, from ancient observations to modern therapies.Siddhartha Mukherjee
• When Breath Becomes Air ↗A poignant memoir from a neurosurgeon confronting his own terminal diagnosis, this offers an intimate reflection on life, death, and purpose at the medical frontier.Paul Kalanithi
• Cancer: The Evolutionary Legacy ↗This offers a compelling evolutionary lens on cancer, revealing how its ancient origins and genetic predispositions inform modern understanding and therapeutic challenges.Mel Greaves
• The Gene: An Intimate History ↗A masterful exploration of heredity, this provides crucial context for understanding cancer as a disease fundamentally rooted in genetic instruction and malfunction.Siddhartha Mukherjee
• The Hallmarks of CancerThis landmark paper articulates the six fundamental capabilities acquired by cancer cells, providing a foundational framework for understanding oncogenesis and guiding therapeutic strategies.Douglas Hanahan and Robert A. Weinberg

Voices to follow

• Siddhartha Mukherjee ↗His seminal work, "The Emperor of All Maladies," offers a profound historical and scientific narrative of cancer, making complex biology accessible.Physician, oncologist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author
• David Agus ↗A proponent of personalized medicine and preventative strategies, he champions a holistic, data-driven approach to cancer care and wellness.Oncologist, professor of medicine and engineering, University of Southern California
• Harold Varmus ↗His foundational work on oncogenes and subsequent leadership in major research institutions have profoundly shaped the trajectory of modern cancer science and policy.Nobel laureate, former Director of the National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health
• Bert Vogelstein ↗A pioneer in understanding the genetic mutations driving cancer, his research has illuminated the molecular pathways crucial for diagnosis and targeted therapies, particularly in colorectal cancer.Geneticist and cancer researcher, Johns Hopkins University

Glossary

• BenignA benign tumor means the lump of cells is not cancerous and will not spread to other parts of the body. These tumors are usually not life-threatening. For example, a common skin mole is a benign growth; it's there, but it won't cause harm by spreading.
• BiopsyA biopsy is a medical procedure where a doctor removes a small piece of tissue or cells from your body to examine it under a microscope. This helps doctors figure out if a tumor is cancerous or benign. For example, if a doctor finds a suspicious lump, they might do a biopsy to get a tiny sample and check for cancer cells.
• CancerCancer is a group of diseases where some cells in your body start to grow out of control and spread to other parts. These abnormal cells don't stop growing like healthy cells do. For example, if cells in your lungs start growing uncontrollably and form a lump, that could be lung cancer.
• CarcinogenA carcinogen is any substance or agent that can cause cancer. Exposure to carcinogens can damage cells and lead to uncontrolled growth. For example, smoking cigarettes is known to be a carcinogen because the chemicals in tobacco can cause lung cancer.
• ChemotherapyChemotherapy, often called "chemo," is a type of cancer treatment that uses strong medicines to kill fast-growing cancer cells throughout the body. These medicines can be given as pills or through an IV. For example, a patient with leukemia might receive chemotherapy to destroy the cancer cells in their blood.
• DiagnosisDiagnosis is the process of identifying a disease or condition, like cancer, by examining symptoms and test results. It's when doctors figure out exactly what's wrong. For example, after a biopsy and other tests, a doctor can give a diagnosis of breast cancer.
• MalignantA malignant tumor means the lump of cells is cancerous and can grow into nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body. These are the dangerous types of tumors. For example, if a doctor finds a malignant tumor in your kidney, it means the cancer cells could spread to other organs.
• MetastasisMetastasis is when cancer cells break away from the original tumor and travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to form new tumors in other parts of the body. This is how cancer spreads. For example, if lung cancer cells travel to the brain and start growing there, that's metastasis.
• OncologistAn oncologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer. They help patients understand their cancer and choose the best treatment plan. For example, if you or a family member is diagnosed with cancer, an oncologist would be the main doctor you see for treatment.
• Radiation TherapyRadiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy rays, like X-rays, to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. It's often aimed directly at the tumor. For example, if someone has a tumor in their throat, doctors might use radiation therapy to shrink it.
• RemissionRemission means that the signs and symptoms of cancer have significantly decreased or disappeared after treatment. It doesn't always mean the cancer is completely gone, but it's a very positive sign. For example, after months of treatment, a patient might be told their cancer is in remission, meaning they are feeling much better and tests show no active disease.
• TumorA tumor is a lump or mass of abnormal cells that have grown together. Not all tumors are cancerous. For example, a small, harmless lump under your skin might be a tumor, but it doesn't mean it's cancer.

Threads 5

Where this connects to other fields, and why it's worth knowing.

• Optimization Mathematics

  The same body systems that stop cells from turning into cancer also help wear us out as we age. It's a tuned trade-off. Push too hard to block cancer and you tend to speed up aging, and vice versa.

• Philosophy of Language Literature

  We call cancer a 'battle,' but that word quietly does damage. If treatment is a fight, people who die are framed as 'losers,' as if they didn't try hard enough. And 'battle' language pushes money toward dramatic attacks on cancer instead of the boring prevention that actually saves more lives.

• Game Theory & Strategy Mathematics

  Your body is a giant deal between trillions of cells: each one agrees not to grab all the food and multiply endlessly, so the whole team can live. Cancer is just one cell that breaks the deal and starts taking everything for itself. It's a cheater walking out of a very old truce.

• Intellectual Property and Copyright Law

  A company once patented a human gene linked to breast cancer, meaning only they could test for it. That gave them a monopoly on your own body's code. Then courts said no: you cannot own a piece of a person's genome.

• Evolution Science

  Blast a tumor with the strongest chemo and you kill the weak cells but breed the tough survivors, which then take over. So some doctors now treat lightly on purpose, keeping the beatable cells alive to crowd out the dangerous ones. It's using evolution against the cancer.