The Emperor of All Maladies

I’ve been reading this book for a few months now.

Since my job is somewhat reading-intensive, I usually opt out of reading on weeknights.

Since my job is also rather sedentary, I opt out of reading much on the weekends.

So, it’s taking a long time to get through it.

There are also some very heavy topics here, and sometimes I just have to rest.

The other day, I got a notice from the library saying that a book I had put on hold was now ready for me. It was this very book! I laughed a bit. Then I looked a little closer and saw that it was an audio book. Oh yeah! I forgot!

So this evening, I’m on my rebounder AND reading. 😊 📖

The Emperor of All Maladies is the history of our struggle against cancer… to recognize, categorize, and organize against it.

It’s the story of Sydney Farber and many doctors who came since, each with their own focus and theories.

It’s the story of men and women who attack the problem with enthusiasm and tenacity, who often meet with scorn and disapproval… until the evidence they find is too great to be ignored.

It’s the story of thinkers who become obsessed and push their research too far, are sometimes demoted or fired. But regardless, their research had a lasting impact.

It’s a story where trials have promising results, but turn out to be misleading due to bias, or fraud.

It’s a story of public communications, advertising, and fundraising.

It’s the story of those who experiment on themselves.

It’s a timeline of assumptions that are accepted for decades… and then proven false.

It’s a story where “anecdotal” evidence is laughed at, then studied, then blocked for decades from reaching the ears of the common man, who continues consuming the dangerous product.

It’s very long, and since it was published in 2010, it does not contain a lot of new research and therapies. But still, I highly recommend reading it.

Siddhartha Mukherjee, the doctor who wrote it, is very insightful and also a great writer.

I recommend Mukherjee’s book The Song of the Cell to anyone trying to get a handle on all the amazing activities carried out inside us. It is really fascinating stuff!

And also, I recommend this article (which comes with an audio option) on how sometimes the beginnings of cancer (oncogenesis) is caused by more than one factor: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/12/18/all-the-carcinogens-we-cannot-see