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The Breakthrough: Immunotherapy and the Race to Cure Cancer
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Nurse comes an empowering and accessible story of the discoveries of the tricks cancer uses to avoid the immune system, and the important new therapies already unleashing the immune system to fight -- and beat -- the disease.
Four years in the writing, The Breakthrough is an "exciting read" about the discoveries which received the 2018 Nobel Prize winning discoveries in October, and a dramatic and exciting turning point in our relationship with a disease that has for too long defined us.
For decades, scientists have puzzled over one of medicine's most confounding mysteries: Why doesn't our immune system recognize and fight cancer the way it does other diseases, like the common cold?
As it turns out, the answer to that question can be traced to a series of tricks that cancer has developed to turn off normal immune responses-tricks that scientists have only recently discovered and learned to defeat. The result is what many are calling cancer's "penicillin moment," a revolutionary discovery in our understanding of cancer and how to beat it.
In THE BREAKTHROUGH, Graeber guides readers through the revolutionary scientific research bringing immunotherapy out of the realm of the miraculous and into the forefront of twenty-first-century medical science. As advances in the fields of cancer research and the human immune system continue to fuel a therapeutic arms race among biotech and pharmaceutical research centers around the world, the next step-harnessing the wealth of new information to create modern and more effective patient therapies-is unfolding at an unprecedented pace, rapidly redefining our relationship with this all-too-human disease.
Groundbreaking, riveting, and expertly told, THE BREAKTHROUGH is the story of the game-changing scientific discoveries that unleash our natural ability to recognize and defeat cancer, as told through the experiences of the patients, physicians, and cancer immunotherapy researchers who are on the front lines. This is the incredible true story of the race to find a cure, a dispatch from the life-changing world of modern oncological science, and a brave new chapter in medical history
Four years in the writing, The Breakthrough is an "exciting read" about the discoveries which received the 2018 Nobel Prize winning discoveries in October, and a dramatic and exciting turning point in our relationship with a disease that has for too long defined us.
For decades, scientists have puzzled over one of medicine's most confounding mysteries: Why doesn't our immune system recognize and fight cancer the way it does other diseases, like the common cold?
As it turns out, the answer to that question can be traced to a series of tricks that cancer has developed to turn off normal immune responses-tricks that scientists have only recently discovered and learned to defeat. The result is what many are calling cancer's "penicillin moment," a revolutionary discovery in our understanding of cancer and how to beat it.
In THE BREAKTHROUGH, Graeber guides readers through the revolutionary scientific research bringing immunotherapy out of the realm of the miraculous and into the forefront of twenty-first-century medical science. As advances in the fields of cancer research and the human immune system continue to fuel a therapeutic arms race among biotech and pharmaceutical research centers around the world, the next step-harnessing the wealth of new information to create modern and more effective patient therapies-is unfolding at an unprecedented pace, rapidly redefining our relationship with this all-too-human disease.
Groundbreaking, riveting, and expertly told, THE BREAKTHROUGH is the story of the game-changing scientific discoveries that unleash our natural ability to recognize and defeat cancer, as told through the experiences of the patients, physicians, and cancer immunotherapy researchers who are on the front lines. This is the incredible true story of the race to find a cure, a dispatch from the life-changing world of modern oncological science, and a brave new chapter in medical history
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2018
477 people are currently reading
4230 people want to read
About the author
Charles Graeber
14 books225 followersCharles Graeber is an award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar Award nominated "THE GOOD NURSE" and the British Medical Association book of the year shortlisted "THE BREAKTHROUGH" (both published by Twelve).
He is also a contributor to numerous publications including Wired, The New Yorker, GQ, New York Magazine, Outside Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek and The New York Times. His writing has been honored with the Overseas Press Club award for the year's Outstanding International Journalism, a New York Press Club Prize, several National Magazine Award-nominations, and inclusion in anthologies including The Best American Crime Writing, The Best American Science Writing, The Best American Business Writing, The Best of National Geographic Adventure and The Best of 20 Years of Wired.
"The Good Nurse" is currently being adapted into a major motion picture to be released in 2022.
He is also a contributor to numerous publications including Wired, The New Yorker, GQ, New York Magazine, Outside Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek and The New York Times. His writing has been honored with the Overseas Press Club award for the year's Outstanding International Journalism, a New York Press Club Prize, several National Magazine Award-nominations, and inclusion in anthologies including The Best American Crime Writing, The Best American Science Writing, The Best American Business Writing, The Best of National Geographic Adventure and The Best of 20 Years of Wired.
"The Good Nurse" is currently being adapted into a major motion picture to be released in 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
January 17, 2019
Unfortunately I was let down by this book. It started off strong and my favourite part of the story of Cancer Immunotherapy told by Graeber was the first few chapters, detailing the slow acknowledgement of the relationship between the Immune System and Cancer. I also enjoyed the journeys of the patients detailed in the book, how the discoveries of scientists in the lab ultimately helped their quality of life.
What I didn’t like was how the rest of the book played out and some of the slight opinions the author put into the book. Throughout the tone was very anti-chemotherapy (and a lesser extend radiotherapy and surgery) and somewhat over-hyping Immunotherapy. I am definitely a bit biased, my PhD is in Chemotherapy and I’m definitely well informed about the cancer immunotherapy as a whole (my Honours was in Immunotherapy too!) The book rushes through many of the recent discoveries and speaks only highly about the success of the treatments and not much on the challenges they face entering the clinic or being translated to other cancer types. I also had a bit of a problem with how much time was spent discussing aCTLA-4 and hardly any time on PD-1 which was an equally important discovery.
Maybe I’ve been spoilt by the amazing book Siddhartha Mukherjee wrote on the History of Cancer, or maybe I’m not the target audience who has spent three years learning and critically reading about this field, but this book wasn’t as insightful or educating as I was expecting it to be. it will be handy however, to lend to people whenever they ask what my research is about as it gives a brief insight into the world of tumour immunology.
What I didn’t like was how the rest of the book played out and some of the slight opinions the author put into the book. Throughout the tone was very anti-chemotherapy (and a lesser extend radiotherapy and surgery) and somewhat over-hyping Immunotherapy. I am definitely a bit biased, my PhD is in Chemotherapy and I’m definitely well informed about the cancer immunotherapy as a whole (my Honours was in Immunotherapy too!) The book rushes through many of the recent discoveries and speaks only highly about the success of the treatments and not much on the challenges they face entering the clinic or being translated to other cancer types. I also had a bit of a problem with how much time was spent discussing aCTLA-4 and hardly any time on PD-1 which was an equally important discovery.
Maybe I’ve been spoilt by the amazing book Siddhartha Mukherjee wrote on the History of Cancer, or maybe I’m not the target audience who has spent three years learning and critically reading about this field, but this book wasn’t as insightful or educating as I was expecting it to be. it will be handy however, to lend to people whenever they ask what my research is about as it gives a brief insight into the world of tumour immunology.
May 23, 2019
I have long thought that one day chemo would be thought of in much the same way as "bleeding" patients is thought of today, and Immunotherapy was going to be the much more benign and effective therapy of the future. I was surprised to learn about all all the very serious and dangerous side effects that also accompany immunotherapy.
December 20, 2018
I bought this book on recommendation from Nature Books & Arts, and subsequently a number of prominent scientists I follow on Twitter have also listed this as one of their to-reads of the year, and I certainly understand why. The book, not unlike front-line research in immunology, is written at a breakneck pace right from the very start. Graeber addresses a complicated scientific topic well in my opinion, the language used was accessible and not overly technical, but pitched with sufficient depth that it still appealed to me even though I work in the cancer biology field (albeit not in immunology) and am familiar with the molecular mechanisms of things like how PD-L1 works in the treatment of cancer.
It’s interesting that this book was published prior to the announcement of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to James Allison and Tasuko Honjo for the discovery of precisely what is discussed in this book. Like other reviewers have pointed out, I was slightly disappointed that Honjo’s work was covered fairly minimally in this book, but do acknowledge that there is only so much you can say (and of course the author couldn’t have known beforehand who would win the Nobel Prize!).
I also appreciated the short discussion towards the end of the book on the economics of cancer therapy, and how accessible therapies really aren’t widespread in today’s world. This is true even in many developed countries, where treatment options are available but simply not accessible to a large number of patients. It’s a discussion worth pursuing now, as more and more new drugs coming onto the market have intellectual properties attached to them for a specific number of years, often giving drug companies the exclusive right to provide the drug. The rationale for this is presumably to allow these companies to recoup the astronomical research costs associated with making such a discovery in the first place, not to mention the costs of the actual process of getting FDA approval, which in turn would provide seed funding for the next round of research. Yet, no matter how effective a therapy, it would essentially be useless of not economically accessible – something which is not so often discussed in the same narrative.
On a more personal note, this book was very motivating in showing the translational aspects of the incredibly tedious process of research, and why such tediousness is required. As the book is outlined in a patient-centric manner, this gave a slight personal touch to the narrative, which is not often seen in public science books which are usually a bit more technical in nature. By putting the patient first, I felt that Graeber successfully captured the true essence of research which can sometimes be lost in the sea of knowledge. The description of the role of luck, grit and networking in several of the breakthroughs, and how inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places, demonstrates the importance of thinking out of the box. If not anything else, it’s pushed me to stop squirrelling away in the lab and look at the world outside a bit more. Also, starting each chapter with a motivational quote was a nice touch! 5 stars, for how much better I feel after reading this book if not for anything else.
It’s interesting that this book was published prior to the announcement of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to James Allison and Tasuko Honjo for the discovery of precisely what is discussed in this book. Like other reviewers have pointed out, I was slightly disappointed that Honjo’s work was covered fairly minimally in this book, but do acknowledge that there is only so much you can say (and of course the author couldn’t have known beforehand who would win the Nobel Prize!).
I also appreciated the short discussion towards the end of the book on the economics of cancer therapy, and how accessible therapies really aren’t widespread in today’s world. This is true even in many developed countries, where treatment options are available but simply not accessible to a large number of patients. It’s a discussion worth pursuing now, as more and more new drugs coming onto the market have intellectual properties attached to them for a specific number of years, often giving drug companies the exclusive right to provide the drug. The rationale for this is presumably to allow these companies to recoup the astronomical research costs associated with making such a discovery in the first place, not to mention the costs of the actual process of getting FDA approval, which in turn would provide seed funding for the next round of research. Yet, no matter how effective a therapy, it would essentially be useless of not economically accessible – something which is not so often discussed in the same narrative.
On a more personal note, this book was very motivating in showing the translational aspects of the incredibly tedious process of research, and why such tediousness is required. As the book is outlined in a patient-centric manner, this gave a slight personal touch to the narrative, which is not often seen in public science books which are usually a bit more technical in nature. By putting the patient first, I felt that Graeber successfully captured the true essence of research which can sometimes be lost in the sea of knowledge. The description of the role of luck, grit and networking in several of the breakthroughs, and how inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places, demonstrates the importance of thinking out of the box. If not anything else, it’s pushed me to stop squirrelling away in the lab and look at the world outside a bit more. Also, starting each chapter with a motivational quote was a nice touch! 5 stars, for how much better I feel after reading this book if not for anything else.
June 25, 2019
Huge spoiler:
There's no real "breakthrough" here. I thought my Stage 3B cancer-stricken husband now had a glimmer of hope, but having read this from cover to cover, I can confirm this book's title is but a (probably very successful) marketing ploy.
Long story short: immunotherapy is one of the newest cancer treatments available, but it still is nowhere near any form of cure, and nowhere as revolutionary as the word "breakthrough" suggests. Patients treated with various immunotherapy drugs that target different cancer mechanisms often recur - and in some, as soon as just several months after their treatment ended (one teenage girl even died, just months after her immunotherapy treatment was deemed a "success" - upon its recurrence, the cancer had mutated to resist the drugs given previously, and doctors had no new drug to give her).
But I enjoyed reading how immunotherapy came about. It all began with William Coley - a 19th century physician who observed that a feverish infection seemed to cure patients of their cancer. The first case he observed this occurrence in, was a man named Fred Stein, who had recurrent neck tumours (sarcomas). After one tumour had been excised, another grew back a short time later (as is the nature of sarcomas). While Stein had been hospitalised for surgery, he contracted repeated bacterial infections in the ward which left him feverish and near death. But each time he had the infection, his tumours also shrank. Ultimately, the tumours died off completely, and luckily for Stein, the infections did not kill him. When Coley located Stein decades after this incident, he found him to be still alive and cancer-free. He thereby surmised that the bacterial infection Stein had must have played a part in killing off the cancer in his body, though he did not know how.
Google "Coley's toxins" if you're interested in knowing where this goes.
What I find a shame, is that modern day researchers and physicians have chosen not to go down the same route Coley has, and are instead trying to dissect the human immune system and its various mechanisms in order to find out how they can be very specifically harnessed against particular cancer types - especially melanomas, which has seen the biggest "success" so far where immunotherapy is concerned, provided you are willing to accept that "success" in this case means that close to half the number of patients still do not respond to treatment, or will experience a cancer recurrence later on again.
The book examines in detail how modern immunotherapy drugs work - what exactly they target and how they do so.
What still no one can explain, is why some patients respond to this treatment and others don't. And why cancer still recurs in patients who have previously had successful treatments that had supposedly eradicated the cancer.
This clearly tells us that we are still far away from understanding all the factors at play here.
If only Coley were still around.
Long story short: immunotherapy is one of the newest cancer treatments available, but it still is nowhere near any form of cure, and nowhere as revolutionary as the word "breakthrough" suggests. Patients treated with various immunotherapy drugs that target different cancer mechanisms often recur - and in some, as soon as just several months after their treatment ended (one teenage girl even died, just months after her immunotherapy treatment was deemed a "success" - upon its recurrence, the cancer had mutated to resist the drugs given previously, and doctors had no new drug to give her).
But I enjoyed reading how immunotherapy came about. It all began with William Coley - a 19th century physician who observed that a feverish infection seemed to cure patients of their cancer. The first case he observed this occurrence in, was a man named Fred Stein, who had recurrent neck tumours (sarcomas). After one tumour had been excised, another grew back a short time later (as is the nature of sarcomas). While Stein had been hospitalised for surgery, he contracted repeated bacterial infections in the ward which left him feverish and near death. But each time he had the infection, his tumours also shrank. Ultimately, the tumours died off completely, and luckily for Stein, the infections did not kill him. When Coley located Stein decades after this incident, he found him to be still alive and cancer-free. He thereby surmised that the bacterial infection Stein had must have played a part in killing off the cancer in his body, though he did not know how.
Google "Coley's toxins" if you're interested in knowing where this goes.
What I find a shame, is that modern day researchers and physicians have chosen not to go down the same route Coley has, and are instead trying to dissect the human immune system and its various mechanisms in order to find out how they can be very specifically harnessed against particular cancer types - especially melanomas, which has seen the biggest "success" so far where immunotherapy is concerned, provided you are willing to accept that "success" in this case means that close to half the number of patients still do not respond to treatment, or will experience a cancer recurrence later on again.
The book examines in detail how modern immunotherapy drugs work - what exactly they target and how they do so.
What still no one can explain, is why some patients respond to this treatment and others don't. And why cancer still recurs in patients who have previously had successful treatments that had supposedly eradicated the cancer.
This clearly tells us that we are still far away from understanding all the factors at play here.
If only Coley were still around.
June 12, 2019
The Breakthrough is such an important book for the layman to understand about Cancer, our immune system and about Immunotherapy, an alternative treatment of cancer.
Most of us know that the treatment of cancer is surgery and then radiation and chemotherapy, which the author explains as cut, burn and poison treatment.
But few might know that the answer to cancer is within our immune system and scientists and researchers, who believes in this, have been slogging for years to activate those fighter and killer T cells in our immune system which has tremendous potential and the key to throw off the cancerous cells out from our body. The treatment is called Immunotherapy.
This book is a humble endeavour by Charles Graeber to bring out the history of Immunotherapy. How some exciting revelation about our immune system strengthens the fact that answer to cancer is within our immune system.
The years of research, trials on both animals and willing cancerous patients has fetch invaluable data and successful results ignited a hope for life among the people suffering from cancer. The success rate may not be heartening, but it definitely generates hope.
Most of us know that the treatment of cancer is surgery and then radiation and chemotherapy, which the author explains as cut, burn and poison treatment.
But few might know that the answer to cancer is within our immune system and scientists and researchers, who believes in this, have been slogging for years to activate those fighter and killer T cells in our immune system which has tremendous potential and the key to throw off the cancerous cells out from our body. The treatment is called Immunotherapy.
This book is a humble endeavour by Charles Graeber to bring out the history of Immunotherapy. How some exciting revelation about our immune system strengthens the fact that answer to cancer is within our immune system.
The years of research, trials on both animals and willing cancerous patients has fetch invaluable data and successful results ignited a hope for life among the people suffering from cancer. The success rate may not be heartening, but it definitely generates hope.
December 19, 2018
This was a fast and so-encouraging read about the incredible breakthroughs in cancer immunology. If there's ever a best time to get cancer, it's probably now, only to be exceeded by getting it five years from now because the field is advancing so quickly. Graeber does a clear job of explaining how we are learning to harness our bodies' own immune systems to attack cancerous cells and out-trick the trickster. All this time, cancer cells have been hiding under the radar of our immune systems, hijacking tricks that our own bodies use to prevent runaway immune-system attacks.
Most amazingly, the author talks about an incredible treatment where they centrifuge out your own T-cells, sequence both them and your cancer cells, doctor the T-cells specifically to target the hiding cancer cells, and pump them back into you, all within 22 days. If it's this quick, cancer could start to be seen as a chronic disease--whenever it "escaped" and mutated and flared up again, you went through this 22-day process to beat it back again!!!
I would love to attend a Q&A session because I did have some Qs that didn't get answered:
- Why are immunotherapies not being offered for ALL kinds of cancers? Is it the high price tag, or would they not be effective, depending on the kind of cancer you have? If the latter, why?
Nearly 1 in 3 Americans get cancer. I've got three friends/family on my prayer list even as I type. Read this book.
Most amazingly, the author talks about an incredible treatment where they centrifuge out your own T-cells, sequence both them and your cancer cells, doctor the T-cells specifically to target the hiding cancer cells, and pump them back into you, all within 22 days. If it's this quick, cancer could start to be seen as a chronic disease--whenever it "escaped" and mutated and flared up again, you went through this 22-day process to beat it back again!!!
I would love to attend a Q&A session because I did have some Qs that didn't get answered:
- Why are immunotherapies not being offered for ALL kinds of cancers? Is it the high price tag, or would they not be effective, depending on the kind of cancer you have? If the latter, why?
Nearly 1 in 3 Americans get cancer. I've got three friends/family on my prayer list even as I type. Read this book.
Read
September 17, 2019Only Graeber, one of America’s greatest non-fiction writers, could take a subject so complex, dense and sprawling and turn it into a rollicking high-tension medical thriller. Masterful.
Douglas Rogers, award-winning journalist and author of The Last Resort
A gripping chronicle of the 100-year overnight success of immunotherapy. For myself and millions of other cancer survivors, The Breakthrough is a book of immense and essential hope.
Michael Fitzgerald, co-founder and CEO of Submittable, and author of Radiant Days
There is no villain more ruthless than cancer, which has robbed us all of loved ones who had to endure untold suffering before they succumbed. But after decades of frustration and toil, scientists finally understand how to vanquish the disease by activating the human body's natural defences. The intimate stories behind this triumph lie at the heart of Charles Graeber’s The Breakthrough, an expertly crafted and exhilarating account of life-saving ingenuity at its most dazzling. You will never encounter another book so incisive about the art of medical sleuthing, or so poetic about our innate drive to hold on to all that's beautiful in this world for as long as we can.
Brendan I. Koerner, Wired contributing editor and author of The Skies Belong to Us
Lucid and informed … Graeber gives readers a basis for both understanding the challenges involved and for cautious optimism that a cure can be found.
Publishers Weekly
Graeber concisely reviews the science of cancer … The risks of tinkering with an intricate immune system are obviously high, even perilous. But the potential reward is a cure. Exciting reading.
Booklist
Imagine a vaccine that could cure cancer. As this book reports, that possibility may not be far off … [T]he book offers hope for more effective treatments in the near future. A readable survey of the emerging field of immunotherapy in cancer treatment.
Kirkus
In Mr Graeber’s hands, the evolution of immuno-oncology is both captivating and heartbreaking.
The Wall Street Journal
Graeber’s writing is swift and clear, as if he can barely contain his enthusiasm for the subject — and, in fact, he can’t contain it ... One or two chapters are weighted down by talk of cell division and the like but, for the most part, Graeber paints vivid portraits of people who have cancer or are trying to conquer it ... a rare and thrilling thing: a hopeful, even inspiring, book about cancer.
Chris Hewitt, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The extraordinary story of how medical research may finally have made the ultimate breakthrough – a cure for cancer.
Sydney Morning Herald, Bianca Nogrady
The new book by Charles Graeber, The Breakthrough: Immunotherapy and the Race to Cure Cancer, artfully traces the history of old and new developments that may have — finally — resulted in an actual cure for the most dreaded of all diseases.
Mimi Swartz, The New York Times
Fascinating and engaging … Written with the verve and tension of a medical thriller, Graeber vividly brings to life the scientists and physicians on the front-line battle with cancer and details in simple terms their efforts and breakthroughs.
Canberra Weekly
The Breakthrough not only provides good background and good understanding for patients, but is also a wonderful read, a book easily picked up but not easily put down — I'd recommend it for any patient interested in immunology of cancer.
Dr. James L. Gulley M.D. Ph.D., Director of Medical Oncology, Cheif of Immunology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Crisp and suspenseful ... an inspiring medical narrative.
BBC
Graeber does it again. He takes a complex topic — this time advances in cancer treatment — and weaves an engaging narrative that engages you to the end. With cancer as a leading cause of illness and death, this book is a timely and important account of the challenges and possibilities for new horizons in cancer treatment.
Diana J. Mason, PhD, Senior Policy Service Professor (George Washington University School of Nursing), Professor Emerita (Hunter College, City University of New York)
[A] deft, detailed study of cancer immunotherapy ... From the once-discredited pioneer William Coley to immunologist and Nobel laureate James P. Allison, they form a brilliant, driven, admirably stubborn group that Graeber brings vividly to life.
Nature
Fascinating ... [Graeber] weaves human stories with accounts of scientific progress, looking beyond the “cut, burn, and poison techniques” — surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy — to focus on the myriad ways the immune system can attack cancer, and provides hope that a cure might not be beyond imagination.
The National Book Review
The Breakthrough, reads like a crime thriller because that's what it is – the true story of a dedicated, persistent group of doctors and scientists stalking a killer: cancer … Brilliant.
Australian Financial Review
An entertaining and moving portrait of [Charles Graeber’s] trade ... As skilled a wordsmith as a surgeon.
Robin Osborne, GPSpeak
Douglas Rogers, award-winning journalist and author of The Last Resort
A gripping chronicle of the 100-year overnight success of immunotherapy. For myself and millions of other cancer survivors, The Breakthrough is a book of immense and essential hope.
Michael Fitzgerald, co-founder and CEO of Submittable, and author of Radiant Days
There is no villain more ruthless than cancer, which has robbed us all of loved ones who had to endure untold suffering before they succumbed. But after decades of frustration and toil, scientists finally understand how to vanquish the disease by activating the human body's natural defences. The intimate stories behind this triumph lie at the heart of Charles Graeber’s The Breakthrough, an expertly crafted and exhilarating account of life-saving ingenuity at its most dazzling. You will never encounter another book so incisive about the art of medical sleuthing, or so poetic about our innate drive to hold on to all that's beautiful in this world for as long as we can.
Brendan I. Koerner, Wired contributing editor and author of The Skies Belong to Us
Lucid and informed … Graeber gives readers a basis for both understanding the challenges involved and for cautious optimism that a cure can be found.
Publishers Weekly
Graeber concisely reviews the science of cancer … The risks of tinkering with an intricate immune system are obviously high, even perilous. But the potential reward is a cure. Exciting reading.
Booklist
Imagine a vaccine that could cure cancer. As this book reports, that possibility may not be far off … [T]he book offers hope for more effective treatments in the near future. A readable survey of the emerging field of immunotherapy in cancer treatment.
Kirkus
In Mr Graeber’s hands, the evolution of immuno-oncology is both captivating and heartbreaking.
The Wall Street Journal
Graeber’s writing is swift and clear, as if he can barely contain his enthusiasm for the subject — and, in fact, he can’t contain it ... One or two chapters are weighted down by talk of cell division and the like but, for the most part, Graeber paints vivid portraits of people who have cancer or are trying to conquer it ... a rare and thrilling thing: a hopeful, even inspiring, book about cancer.
Chris Hewitt, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The extraordinary story of how medical research may finally have made the ultimate breakthrough – a cure for cancer.
Sydney Morning Herald, Bianca Nogrady
The new book by Charles Graeber, The Breakthrough: Immunotherapy and the Race to Cure Cancer, artfully traces the history of old and new developments that may have — finally — resulted in an actual cure for the most dreaded of all diseases.
Mimi Swartz, The New York Times
Fascinating and engaging … Written with the verve and tension of a medical thriller, Graeber vividly brings to life the scientists and physicians on the front-line battle with cancer and details in simple terms their efforts and breakthroughs.
Canberra Weekly
The Breakthrough not only provides good background and good understanding for patients, but is also a wonderful read, a book easily picked up but not easily put down — I'd recommend it for any patient interested in immunology of cancer.
Dr. James L. Gulley M.D. Ph.D., Director of Medical Oncology, Cheif of Immunology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Crisp and suspenseful ... an inspiring medical narrative.
BBC
Graeber does it again. He takes a complex topic — this time advances in cancer treatment — and weaves an engaging narrative that engages you to the end. With cancer as a leading cause of illness and death, this book is a timely and important account of the challenges and possibilities for new horizons in cancer treatment.
Diana J. Mason, PhD, Senior Policy Service Professor (George Washington University School of Nursing), Professor Emerita (Hunter College, City University of New York)
[A] deft, detailed study of cancer immunotherapy ... From the once-discredited pioneer William Coley to immunologist and Nobel laureate James P. Allison, they form a brilliant, driven, admirably stubborn group that Graeber brings vividly to life.
Nature
Fascinating ... [Graeber] weaves human stories with accounts of scientific progress, looking beyond the “cut, burn, and poison techniques” — surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy — to focus on the myriad ways the immune system can attack cancer, and provides hope that a cure might not be beyond imagination.
The National Book Review
The Breakthrough, reads like a crime thriller because that's what it is – the true story of a dedicated, persistent group of doctors and scientists stalking a killer: cancer … Brilliant.
Australian Financial Review
An entertaining and moving portrait of [Charles Graeber’s] trade ... As skilled a wordsmith as a surgeon.
Robin Osborne, GPSpeak
Read
August 26, 2022HIV doesn’t inject its DNA into cells - irksome. Enjoyed learning more about some of the key players behind immunotherapy though and the first patients on clinical trials. Translational research is where my interests lie and so reading these books is important to me.I also learnt for the first time that the band members of Imagine Dragons are mormon.
October 17, 2022
Hay algunas importantes diferencias entre este y otros libros bestsellers de ciencia que he leído en los últimos años. La narrativa es inmersiva, nos importa saber más sobre los científicos y pacientes que aquí se plasman; los detalles no son excesivos en general, son suficientes para darnos contexto y explicar las cosas; hay una secuencia de verdad lógica en el relato de los eventos. Lo malo es que en ocasiones sí peca de lo mismo que otros bestsellers, y tiende a irse por la tangente o a perderse en la información.
Fue muy interesante conocer todo el trasfondo de la inmunoterapia, y su acompañamiento con ciertos biomarcadores como PD1/PDL1.
Fue muy interesante conocer todo el trasfondo de la inmunoterapia, y su acompañamiento con ciertos biomarcadores como PD1/PDL1.
February 19, 2019
I was fully prepared not to like this book, but that's because (as I discovered) I'm kind of a snob and a jerk, not because there was anything wrong with the book itself.
I had noticed that the author, Charles Graeber, had risen to fame after writing a book about a nurse who killed hundreds of patients. I assumed this meant that the book was sensationalized, and that this book might suffer the same problem. I had no evidence for this, of course, and what I found upon reading 'The Breakthrough' is that Graeber did a great deal of detailed and difficult research -- I had the sense that he left out a great deal more than he put in, to prevent the story from bogging down. That's an admirable trait.
The problem of fighting cancer with one's own immune system is quite complicated, and Graeber chose to address this by focusing on the main problems and not getting bogged down in every single experiment being run around the world. (I was disappointed in Siddhartha Mukharjee's Pulitzer-Prize-winning 'The Emperor of Maladies,' precisely because it seemed that everything ever learned found its way into his long, long, and repetitive book.) For each major hurdle along the way, Graeber introduces a researcher and a patient, and tells their stories in enough detail to follow the overall progress as well as illustrating its importance.
The biology involved is fiendishly complicated, and so it required to fifty years of sustained effort to arrive at our latest and best weapon in the fight against cancer, which are the CAR-T drugs. Initial results do indeed seem to show that, for many patients, at least, these drugs *cure cancer,* which has never really been a realistic goal in the past.
My only complaint with the book is that the final chapter, in which all the different threads come together with the advent of CAR-T therapy, feels rushed and incomplete. Indeed, the information is so new and so rapidly evolving that we could not expect a fully fleshed-out report, but it seems oddly lacking in detail compared to the rest of the book.
Nice job, Mr. Graeber!
I had noticed that the author, Charles Graeber, had risen to fame after writing a book about a nurse who killed hundreds of patients. I assumed this meant that the book was sensationalized, and that this book might suffer the same problem. I had no evidence for this, of course, and what I found upon reading 'The Breakthrough' is that Graeber did a great deal of detailed and difficult research -- I had the sense that he left out a great deal more than he put in, to prevent the story from bogging down. That's an admirable trait.
The problem of fighting cancer with one's own immune system is quite complicated, and Graeber chose to address this by focusing on the main problems and not getting bogged down in every single experiment being run around the world. (I was disappointed in Siddhartha Mukharjee's Pulitzer-Prize-winning 'The Emperor of Maladies,' precisely because it seemed that everything ever learned found its way into his long, long, and repetitive book.) For each major hurdle along the way, Graeber introduces a researcher and a patient, and tells their stories in enough detail to follow the overall progress as well as illustrating its importance.
The biology involved is fiendishly complicated, and so it required to fifty years of sustained effort to arrive at our latest and best weapon in the fight against cancer, which are the CAR-T drugs. Initial results do indeed seem to show that, for many patients, at least, these drugs *cure cancer,* which has never really been a realistic goal in the past.
My only complaint with the book is that the final chapter, in which all the different threads come together with the advent of CAR-T therapy, feels rushed and incomplete. Indeed, the information is so new and so rapidly evolving that we could not expect a fully fleshed-out report, but it seems oddly lacking in detail compared to the rest of the book.
Nice job, Mr. Graeber!
January 9, 2019
Amazing, fascinating history of cancer immunotherapy, starting in late 19th century and leading up to the breakthrough in the modern day (2018). Immunotherapy is dubbed "cancer's penicilin moment" and this book explains why scientists, researchers, and cancer survivors are increasingly hopeful of this new cancer treatment. The book reads like a science thriller, it has main actors and supporting actors, and you immediately start to care about their fates, good and bad; it has strange twists and turns, serendipity moments, aha! breakthrough moments throughout the book. When you're done reading this book, you'll feel hopeful about your health in old age and enthusiastic about the world in general.
I recommend the Audible version of this book: the narrator is excellent (one of the best I've had the pleasure to listen to) and succeeds completely in amplifying the content which is excellent, and turning this book into a thriller.
I recommend the Audible version of this book: the narrator is excellent (one of the best I've had the pleasure to listen to) and succeeds completely in amplifying the content which is excellent, and turning this book into a thriller.
August 25, 2020
Heartwarming & heartbreaking—Graeber humanizes the scientific discovery and journey of immunotherapy. It’s a good balance of story and science. The science especially is broken down to a comprehensible level for anyone who isn’t in the health/science field, so if you’re looking to learn a little about this topic but are not looking for a dense read, this is the perfect book. It is thorough but never overwhelming. Graeber certainly doesn’t cover every aspect of immunotherapy (it’s a very broad and still expanding field), but he hits many of the key points and events. Meaning, if you’re an expert and you’re looking for more, this might not be the book for you.
As a PICU nurse who often treats oncology patients, I personally enjoyed learning the history of the drugs and therapies I administer to the children. The drug we often use is actually tocilizumab (the anti IL6 drug) in combination with another chemo drug or biotherapy, so the penultimate chapter was particularly a delight.
Overall, an easy non-fiction read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
As a PICU nurse who often treats oncology patients, I personally enjoyed learning the history of the drugs and therapies I administer to the children. The drug we often use is actually tocilizumab (the anti IL6 drug) in combination with another chemo drug or biotherapy, so the penultimate chapter was particularly a delight.
Overall, an easy non-fiction read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
January 26, 2021
The book title made me more hopeful than I am after reading this book. With the explanation on p. 164, the author clarified why the title suits the story: "The breakthrough is a door, now open; the beginning, but not yet the cure." Cancer immunotherapy is a door, but we will still have to go through it. This story is full of hope, an emotional book of few people cured from cancer. But if you read between the lines, you sadly learn that there are still way too many people who do not succeed. I was missing overall summaries of study results taking more patients into account, but the author decided to focus on few people rather than the treatments. Maybe this was a good decision as it made the book easy to read. In conclusion, we should still hope that our beloved ones will be around long enough to see cancer immunotherapy coming of age.
September 22, 2024
Excellent primer for the layperson on the impact of immunotherapy in the fight on cancer. Fascinating book. I listened to the entire audiobook while doing a 10 hour road trip to and from a bicycle ride. I didn't intend to listen very long before switching to a mystery but I was hooked from the first cancer survivor story.
Want to read
November 12, 2025He won the lawsuit
https://youtu.be/tVpIt0Q35uc?si=lvf-a...
https://youtu.be/tVpIt0Q35uc?si=lvf-a...
April 20, 2020
Great book on the history of the progress made in cancer immunotherapy, from the 50's up to today. Suitable for people with little to no knowledge of molecular biology, but also to those in the field, offering a contextual perspective on the research that was done.
July 22, 2023
Excellent read with an appropriate mix of science and stories. It took me some time to finish, but that was because I felt like reading other books.
April 20, 2019
This book tells of the recent progress in the race to cure cancer through immunotherapy. It also gives an accounting of the history of research into the fight against cancer and the politics in the scientific community.
This is a book worth reading!!!
This is a book worth reading!!!
November 7, 2024
"The real revolution in cancer medicine will not be a single discovery, but the ability to use the immune system in a smart and personalized way to target cancer cells."
November 5, 2019
Lately, I’ve developed an interest in medicine science, cell biology, cancer research, etc. - especially after reading Siddhartha Mukherjee’s ‘Emperor of all Maladies’ on cancer, which I really liked. So when I came across a review of this book, I instantly added it to my to-read list, and it turned out to be another good read.
‘The Breakthrough’ came out just last year. It talks about the progress in cancer immunotherapy research over the decades, and the cutting-edge work going on in the field as we speak. Scientists have made some really breakthrough discoveries over the past decade about the interaction between cancerous cells and our immune cells which have resulted into working immunotherapy drugs for certain kinds of cancers, albeit at a prohibitively expensive price point currently, but still the progress is promising with a hope that an eventual scale will make these therapies cost-effective as well. Putting costs aside, discoveries themselves are of prime importance right now given how complex and how evolutionary the cancer really is. Just figuring out various novel ways to treat cancer opens up a spectrum of possibilities to deal with it.
It’s so fascinating to read about such intricate atom-level science being studied and dealt with. You’ll be amazed to read about just how much of research work has gone on to understand the most fundamental workings of our cells. Intelligent hypotheses, brilliant research designs, patient data gathering (sometimes for decades), careful results comparison, etc. all slowly leads up to that one eureka moment which by the way may not promise any meaningful cure right away. Reading about it has got almost surrealistic feel to it and of course, science is beautiful.
‘The Breakthrough’ came out just last year. It talks about the progress in cancer immunotherapy research over the decades, and the cutting-edge work going on in the field as we speak. Scientists have made some really breakthrough discoveries over the past decade about the interaction between cancerous cells and our immune cells which have resulted into working immunotherapy drugs for certain kinds of cancers, albeit at a prohibitively expensive price point currently, but still the progress is promising with a hope that an eventual scale will make these therapies cost-effective as well. Putting costs aside, discoveries themselves are of prime importance right now given how complex and how evolutionary the cancer really is. Just figuring out various novel ways to treat cancer opens up a spectrum of possibilities to deal with it.
It’s so fascinating to read about such intricate atom-level science being studied and dealt with. You’ll be amazed to read about just how much of research work has gone on to understand the most fundamental workings of our cells. Intelligent hypotheses, brilliant research designs, patient data gathering (sometimes for decades), careful results comparison, etc. all slowly leads up to that one eureka moment which by the way may not promise any meaningful cure right away. Reading about it has got almost surrealistic feel to it and of course, science is beautiful.
April 4, 2021
"The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell"("It's time", Imagine Dragons)
Tyleris Robinsonas sirgo reta vėžio forma - rabdomiosarkoma. Tačiau kaip ir daugelis jis tikėjo, kad dar ne viskas prarasta. Vėžys buvo diagnozė, bet toli gražu dar nuosprendis. Šešiolikmetis degė viltimi per "Imagine dragons" koncertą, o visi žmonės salėje jam pritariamai šūkčiojo. Atrodė, kad vėžys įveiktas , nes Tyleris 2011m. patyrė remisiją, tačiau 2013m. vėžys atsinaujino ir jis mirė. Po jo mirties buvo įsteigtas Tylerio Robinsono fondas.
Kiti vėžiu sergantys pacientai nesulaukė nei koncertų, nei plojimų, o jų vardais nebuvo pavadintos labdaros organizacijos. Daugelis, praradę bet kokią viltį, ieškodavo galimybės dalyvauti bet kokiuose klinikiniuose tyrimuose, kuriuose būtų išbandomi nauji vaistai nuo vėžio. Kai kuriems tie tyrimai padėdavo, bet didesnei daliai pacientų jie tik tam tikram laikui prailgindavo gyvenimą.
Vėžys "mąsto". Jis mutuoja, prisitaiko ir nepaliaujamai stiprėja. Jis padidėja, sumažėja, išnyksta. Atrodo, kad būna nugalėtas. Kaip parodyta šioje knygoje, remisija gali trukti trejus metus, o tada vėžys ir vėl atsinaujina.
Šioje knygoje dėmesys sutelkiamas į imunoterapinį kovos su vėžiu būdą. Kadangi chemoterapija ar spindulinė terapija padėjo ne kiekvienam, mokslininkai ieškojo vis naujų būdų, kaip būtų galima kovoti su vėžiu. Imunoterapija yra priemonių visuma, kuriomis siekiama paskatinti pacientų imunines sistemas pačioms kovoti su klastinguoju vėžiu, kuris sugeba užblokuoti bet kurio paciento imuninės sistemos atsaką. Iš imunoterapeutų ilgus dešimtmečius buvo tyčiojamasi, o jų gydymo būdas veikdavo tik su pelėmis. Pelėms nuolatos būdavo išgydomas vėžys, tačiau su žmonėmis pelėms taikomi metodai beveik visiškai neveikdavo. Nereikia pamiršti ir to, kad kiekvieno paciento imuninė sistema yra skirtinga, todėl, kai dirbtinai yra paskatinama paciento imuninė sistema(pacientas pradeda stipriai karščiuoti ar kitaip išoriškai reaguoti), vienam tai gali reikšti paskatintą kovą su vėžiu, o kitam labai greitą mirtį.
2018. James P. Allison ir Tasuku Honjo gavo Nobelio medicinos premiją. Jų atradimai pakeitė mokslininkų požiūrį į vėžį ir į mūsų pačių imuninę sistemą. Ši knyga yra medicinos šimtmečio istorija, kurioje pasakojama apie imunoterapijos vystymąsi ir apie mokslininkus, kurie net ir didžiausios nevilties akimirkomis tikėjo, kad imunoterapija yra veiksminga priemonė kovoti su vėžiu. Šioje knygoje derinamos kelios asmeninės žmonių istorijos su mokslininkų atradimais, kurie yra persipynę tarpusavyje.
Vėžys dar nėra nugalėtas. Ir visi moksliniai atradimai, kad ir kokie jie būtų revoliucingi, vis dar yra nepakankami. Mes vis dar kovojame už kiekvieną pacientą, bandome kiekvienam kiek įmanoma ilgiau prailginti gyvenimą. Klausimas, ar tai galima vadinti proveržiu? Galima, tačiau tai tikrai ne toks proveržis, apie kokį gali pagalvoti dauguma žmonių. Joks mokslininkas negali teigti, kad esame ties vėžio įveikimo riba. Tačiau žvelgdami atgal į tai, kas buvo prieš šimtą metų ir kas yra dabar, galime teigti, kad pokyčiai yra esminiai. Ir ypač jie yra juntami per pastarąjį dešimtmetį.
Pati tema išties sudėtinga, tačiau autorius sugeba puikiai dėstyti savo mintis ir ypač ryškiai parodo, su kokiais sunkumais susiduria visi su vėžiu kovojantys specialistai. Knyga parašyta moksliškai, tiksliai ir įtraukiančiai. Autorius pats asmeniškai kalbėjosi su dauguma mokslininkų ir pasveikusių pacientų, todėl tai tik dar labiau padidina knygos vertę. Stipriai rekomenduoju.
1. Nemokamai prieinama internete:
http://www.lma.lt/mokslo-populiarinim...
2. Tyleris Robinsonas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqwx2...
3. Tylerio Robinsono fondas:
https://www.trf.org/about/
3. Nobelio premija:
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/med...
Iš knygos:
P.77. Mintis, kad „spaudai reikėtų pateikti operatyvią gydymo rezultatų suvestinę“, jam atrodė įžeidžianti, be to, gydytojas netikėjo, jog žiniasklaida pajėgi suprasti, kokie pavojingi bet kokie vėžio gydymo būdai, jau nekalbant apie eksperimentinius.
P.137. Nors tai dar nebuvo įrodyta žmonėms, jau buvo manoma, kad PD-1 ir PD-L1 sąveika nurodo vėžį puolančiai T ląstelei sustoti. Šį organizmo ląstelių perduodamą slaptą signalą aktyviai siuntė vėžio ląstelės (ypač – labai mutavusios ląstelės), kad T limfocitai jų neatpažintų ir nepultų. Dėl PD-L1 vėžio ląstelė imuninei sistemai atrodė kaip normali organizmo ląstelė. PD-1 ir PD-L1 sąveika sustabdydavo net suaktyvintas T ląsteles, jau susirinkusias prie naviko ir pasiruošusias žudyti. Taigi dabar prasidėjo lenktynės siekiant sukurti antikūnus, galinčius užblokuoti šį slaptą signalą, ir išbandyti juos kaip galimą vėžio imunoterapiją.
P.144. Kovoje su vėžiu pasiekėme lūžio tašką. Tai mūsų kartos kelionė į Mėnulį. Ir tai tik pradžia. Pagalvokite, kaip smarkiai ištobulėjo antibiotikai nuo to laiko, kai buvo atrastas penicilinas. Praėjo dešimtmečiai. Imuninės patikros taškų inhibitorius atradome visai neseniai – PD-1 pirmą kartą buvo patvirtintas 2014-aisiais. Taigi tai proveržis, mes ką tik atradome savo peniciliną. Bet tai tik pradžia.“
P.207. Mintis, kad kovojant su vėžiu būtų galima manipuliuoti imunine sistema, Vakarų medicinoje kilo XIX a. viduryje, kai vokiečių patologas Rudolfas Virchowas aprašė per mikroskopą apžiūrėtą naviko gabalėlį, į kurį buvo įsiskverbusios žmogaus imuninės sistemos ląstelės. Tai reiškė, kad imuninė sistema puolė naviką.
P.227. Pardavimui skirtos laboratorinės pelės − palyginti nesenas reiškinys. Daugiausia jų gaunama iš Bar Harboro miestelyje (Meino valstijoje, Plikojo kalno saloje) įsikūrusios Jacksono laboratorijos. Šiuolaikinės laboratorinės pelės išvestos iš įvairių veislių, kurias XIX a. pradžios pelių mėgėjai laikė kaip egzotinius augintinius, ir yra keturių skirtingų ir geografiškai išsibarsčiusių pelių porūšių genetinis mišinys: mus musculus domesticus (iš Vakarų Europos), mus musculus castaneus (iš Pietryčių Azijos), mus musculus musculus (iš Rytų Europos) ir mus musculus molossinus (iš Japonijos). Pasak Jacksono laboratorijos, daug giminingų pelių padermių kilusios iš XX a. pradžioje gyvenusios pelių mėgėjos ir veisėjos Abbie Lathrop kolonijų (Granbio apylinkėse, Masačusetso valstijoje).
Tyleris Robinsonas sirgo reta vėžio forma - rabdomiosarkoma. Tačiau kaip ir daugelis jis tikėjo, kad dar ne viskas prarasta. Vėžys buvo diagnozė, bet toli gražu dar nuosprendis. Šešiolikmetis degė viltimi per "Imagine dragons" koncertą, o visi žmonės salėje jam pritariamai šūkčiojo. Atrodė, kad vėžys įveiktas , nes Tyleris 2011m. patyrė remisiją, tačiau 2013m. vėžys atsinaujino ir jis mirė. Po jo mirties buvo įsteigtas Tylerio Robinsono fondas.
Kiti vėžiu sergantys pacientai nesulaukė nei koncertų, nei plojimų, o jų vardais nebuvo pavadintos labdaros organizacijos. Daugelis, praradę bet kokią viltį, ieškodavo galimybės dalyvauti bet kokiuose klinikiniuose tyrimuose, kuriuose būtų išbandomi nauji vaistai nuo vėžio. Kai kuriems tie tyrimai padėdavo, bet didesnei daliai pacientų jie tik tam tikram laikui prailgindavo gyvenimą.
Vėžys "mąsto". Jis mutuoja, prisitaiko ir nepaliaujamai stiprėja. Jis padidėja, sumažėja, išnyksta. Atrodo, kad būna nugalėtas. Kaip parodyta šioje knygoje, remisija gali trukti trejus metus, o tada vėžys ir vėl atsinaujina.
Šioje knygoje dėmesys sutelkiamas į imunoterapinį kovos su vėžiu būdą. Kadangi chemoterapija ar spindulinė terapija padėjo ne kiekvienam, mokslininkai ieškojo vis naujų būdų, kaip būtų galima kovoti su vėžiu. Imunoterapija yra priemonių visuma, kuriomis siekiama paskatinti pacientų imunines sistemas pačioms kovoti su klastinguoju vėžiu, kuris sugeba užblokuoti bet kurio paciento imuninės sistemos atsaką. Iš imunoterapeutų ilgus dešimtmečius buvo tyčiojamasi, o jų gydymo būdas veikdavo tik su pelėmis. Pelėms nuolatos būdavo išgydomas vėžys, tačiau su žmonėmis pelėms taikomi metodai beveik visiškai neveikdavo. Nereikia pamiršti ir to, kad kiekvieno paciento imuninė sistema yra skirtinga, todėl, kai dirbtinai yra paskatinama paciento imuninė sistema(pacientas pradeda stipriai karščiuoti ar kitaip išoriškai reaguoti), vienam tai gali reikšti paskatintą kovą su vėžiu, o kitam labai greitą mirtį.
2018. James P. Allison ir Tasuku Honjo gavo Nobelio medicinos premiją. Jų atradimai pakeitė mokslininkų požiūrį į vėžį ir į mūsų pačių imuninę sistemą. Ši knyga yra medicinos šimtmečio istorija, kurioje pasakojama apie imunoterapijos vystymąsi ir apie mokslininkus, kurie net ir didžiausios nevilties akimirkomis tikėjo, kad imunoterapija yra veiksminga priemonė kovoti su vėžiu. Šioje knygoje derinamos kelios asmeninės žmonių istorijos su mokslininkų atradimais, kurie yra persipynę tarpusavyje.
Vėžys dar nėra nugalėtas. Ir visi moksliniai atradimai, kad ir kokie jie būtų revoliucingi, vis dar yra nepakankami. Mes vis dar kovojame už kiekvieną pacientą, bandome kiekvienam kiek įmanoma ilgiau prailginti gyvenimą. Klausimas, ar tai galima vadinti proveržiu? Galima, tačiau tai tikrai ne toks proveržis, apie kokį gali pagalvoti dauguma žmonių. Joks mokslininkas negali teigti, kad esame ties vėžio įveikimo riba. Tačiau žvelgdami atgal į tai, kas buvo prieš šimtą metų ir kas yra dabar, galime teigti, kad pokyčiai yra esminiai. Ir ypač jie yra juntami per pastarąjį dešimtmetį.
Pati tema išties sudėtinga, tačiau autorius sugeba puikiai dėstyti savo mintis ir ypač ryškiai parodo, su kokiais sunkumais susiduria visi su vėžiu kovojantys specialistai. Knyga parašyta moksliškai, tiksliai ir įtraukiančiai. Autorius pats asmeniškai kalbėjosi su dauguma mokslininkų ir pasveikusių pacientų, todėl tai tik dar labiau padidina knygos vertę. Stipriai rekomenduoju.
1. Nemokamai prieinama internete:
http://www.lma.lt/mokslo-populiarinim...
2. Tyleris Robinsonas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqwx2...
3. Tylerio Robinsono fondas:
https://www.trf.org/about/
3. Nobelio premija:
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/med...
Iš knygos:
P.77. Mintis, kad „spaudai reikėtų pateikti operatyvią gydymo rezultatų suvestinę“, jam atrodė įžeidžianti, be to, gydytojas netikėjo, jog žiniasklaida pajėgi suprasti, kokie pavojingi bet kokie vėžio gydymo būdai, jau nekalbant apie eksperimentinius.
P.137. Nors tai dar nebuvo įrodyta žmonėms, jau buvo manoma, kad PD-1 ir PD-L1 sąveika nurodo vėžį puolančiai T ląstelei sustoti. Šį organizmo ląstelių perduodamą slaptą signalą aktyviai siuntė vėžio ląstelės (ypač – labai mutavusios ląstelės), kad T limfocitai jų neatpažintų ir nepultų. Dėl PD-L1 vėžio ląstelė imuninei sistemai atrodė kaip normali organizmo ląstelė. PD-1 ir PD-L1 sąveika sustabdydavo net suaktyvintas T ląsteles, jau susirinkusias prie naviko ir pasiruošusias žudyti. Taigi dabar prasidėjo lenktynės siekiant sukurti antikūnus, galinčius užblokuoti šį slaptą signalą, ir išbandyti juos kaip galimą vėžio imunoterapiją.
P.144. Kovoje su vėžiu pasiekėme lūžio tašką. Tai mūsų kartos kelionė į Mėnulį. Ir tai tik pradžia. Pagalvokite, kaip smarkiai ištobulėjo antibiotikai nuo to laiko, kai buvo atrastas penicilinas. Praėjo dešimtmečiai. Imuninės patikros taškų inhibitorius atradome visai neseniai – PD-1 pirmą kartą buvo patvirtintas 2014-aisiais. Taigi tai proveržis, mes ką tik atradome savo peniciliną. Bet tai tik pradžia.“
P.207. Mintis, kad kovojant su vėžiu būtų galima manipuliuoti imunine sistema, Vakarų medicinoje kilo XIX a. viduryje, kai vokiečių patologas Rudolfas Virchowas aprašė per mikroskopą apžiūrėtą naviko gabalėlį, į kurį buvo įsiskverbusios žmogaus imuninės sistemos ląstelės. Tai reiškė, kad imuninė sistema puolė naviką.
P.227. Pardavimui skirtos laboratorinės pelės − palyginti nesenas reiškinys. Daugiausia jų gaunama iš Bar Harboro miestelyje (Meino valstijoje, Plikojo kalno saloje) įsikūrusios Jacksono laboratorijos. Šiuolaikinės laboratorinės pelės išvestos iš įvairių veislių, kurias XIX a. pradžios pelių mėgėjai laikė kaip egzotinius augintinius, ir yra keturių skirtingų ir geografiškai išsibarsčiusių pelių porūšių genetinis mišinys: mus musculus domesticus (iš Vakarų Europos), mus musculus castaneus (iš Pietryčių Azijos), mus musculus musculus (iš Rytų Europos) ir mus musculus molossinus (iš Japonijos). Pasak Jacksono laboratorijos, daug giminingų pelių padermių kilusios iš XX a. pradžioje gyvenusios pelių mėgėjos ir veisėjos Abbie Lathrop kolonijų (Granbio apylinkėse, Masačusetso valstijoje).
Want to read
August 21, 2020Science magazine review: https://blogs.sciencemag.org/books/20...
Excerpt:
"In The Breakthrough, journalist Charles Graeber tells the story of how we may finally slay the beast. The “breakthrough” referenced in the title is not a single drug or treatment but a series of revelations regarding how the body’s immune system regulates itself and how cancer can hijack it to avoid our defenses. This, Graeber argues, is cancer’s “penicillin moment,” opening the door to a radically new therapeutic approach.
Graeber is remarkably skilled at explaining complex immunological phenomena and captures the convoluted dynamics of scientific discovery. He centers each part of the narrative on a character or two, whom he brings to vivid and sympathetic life, highlighting not just their work or their disease but also their humanity, their personality, and the emotional challenges they face."
-- The reviewer is a physician and molecular biologist who consults on health systems and data for technology and health care organizations.
Looks promising, but who knows how this will play out?
Excerpt:
"In The Breakthrough, journalist Charles Graeber tells the story of how we may finally slay the beast. The “breakthrough” referenced in the title is not a single drug or treatment but a series of revelations regarding how the body’s immune system regulates itself and how cancer can hijack it to avoid our defenses. This, Graeber argues, is cancer’s “penicillin moment,” opening the door to a radically new therapeutic approach.
Graeber is remarkably skilled at explaining complex immunological phenomena and captures the convoluted dynamics of scientific discovery. He centers each part of the narrative on a character or two, whom he brings to vivid and sympathetic life, highlighting not just their work or their disease but also their humanity, their personality, and the emotional challenges they face."
-- The reviewer is a physician and molecular biologist who consults on health systems and data for technology and health care organizations.
Looks promising, but who knows how this will play out?
January 30, 2020
Graeber knows how to write a story, and this is an engaging one. I’m a molecular biologist, but I do neuroscience research, not cancer research, so I appreciated the history of cancer immunology as well as the biology behind checkpoint inhibitors.
Ultimately though, I am giving this three instead of four stars because I wanted more information on cancer biology and on why checkpoint inhibitors don’t always work. I felt that the layperson as well as the scientist would be interested in more information The side effects are oftentimes dangerous, and the author minimizes this and touts this breakthrough as far superior to chemotherapy when that is only true for some types of cancers.. In addition, the book was poorly proofread in places (CLTA-4 instead of CTLA-4!?), not the least of which was referring to my alma mater, UC San Diego, as “UCLA San Diego”, as if it were a satellite if UCLA. Ouch.
Still, it was worth the read and gives some good insight into the torturous and accidental winding pathways through which science works.
Ultimately though, I am giving this three instead of four stars because I wanted more information on cancer biology and on why checkpoint inhibitors don’t always work. I felt that the layperson as well as the scientist would be interested in more information The side effects are oftentimes dangerous, and the author minimizes this and touts this breakthrough as far superior to chemotherapy when that is only true for some types of cancers.. In addition, the book was poorly proofread in places (CLTA-4 instead of CTLA-4!?), not the least of which was referring to my alma mater, UC San Diego, as “UCLA San Diego”, as if it were a satellite if UCLA. Ouch.
Still, it was worth the read and gives some good insight into the torturous and accidental winding pathways through which science works.
November 9, 2021
A very good read for people like time that want to understand more about treatments and cures for cancer, and who have little or no medical background.
The audiobook is well narrated.
The audiobook is well narrated.
May 10, 2019
Latest and Greatest
The latest exciting area of cancer research is immunotherapy. Checkpoint inhibition which works on T cells along with targeted therapy (not immunological) are just right for certain cancers.
The checkpoint inhibition which stops the blocking of the immune system is used and has decent results on some solid cell cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer with more research ongoing for bladder& others.
For some it is a magical “cure” and for others it can unleash a troublesome autoimmune set of inflammatory side effects such as dermatitis (rashes), hepatitis or others.
The text reviews most of the hot topics. The author paints pictures of many of the best researchers. It would benefit from more images and diagrams. A better understanding would come from pictures which are worth a thousand words.
The latest exciting area of cancer research is immunotherapy. Checkpoint inhibition which works on T cells along with targeted therapy (not immunological) are just right for certain cancers.
The checkpoint inhibition which stops the blocking of the immune system is used and has decent results on some solid cell cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer with more research ongoing for bladder& others.
For some it is a magical “cure” and for others it can unleash a troublesome autoimmune set of inflammatory side effects such as dermatitis (rashes), hepatitis or others.
The text reviews most of the hot topics. The author paints pictures of many of the best researchers. It would benefit from more images and diagrams. A better understanding would come from pictures which are worth a thousand words.
May 8, 2020
An eye opening and hopeful book about a mode of cancer treatment that took many decades to establish itself, but showing tremendous promise in the last few years. Best of all, it uses our own immune system to fight the disease and also explains many spontaneous recovery anecdotes which are often attributed to bogus treatments.
The story it tells is exciting and often reads like a thriller. However, that is also its weakness. The author tries too hard to make the book exciting and to get the reader excited about the possibilities. I could not but compare his style with Siddharta Muklherjee’s cancer book, which uses a much more reserved tone, thus making the book more convincing and humane.
Having said that, I am really glad that I read it. I was mostly unaware of the recent breakthroughs in this field and the promise of this new weapon against some forms of cancer.
Kunal
The story it tells is exciting and often reads like a thriller. However, that is also its weakness. The author tries too hard to make the book exciting and to get the reader excited about the possibilities. I could not but compare his style with Siddharta Muklherjee’s cancer book, which uses a much more reserved tone, thus making the book more convincing and humane.
Having said that, I am really glad that I read it. I was mostly unaware of the recent breakthroughs in this field and the promise of this new weapon against some forms of cancer.
Kunal
April 8, 2019
This is a dense but fascinating book. First off, if you have friends/relatives/self with cancer, it gives a huge amount of scientifically-based hope of not only a remission, but possible cure. The narrative style works well. The author mixes anecdotes about patients and scientists with some difficult specifics of the immune system. Though I had to reread the hard science parts several times, it's the first time I've actually got a real picture of what we know about how the immune system works, and how cancer outwits it. It's written for a layperson, and explained well, but there's just a lot to absorb. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys nonfiction. So far, it's one of my favorite books of the year.
November 13, 2019
At many points, the book is truly inspirational and moving. The overall history of immunotherapy is well documented, and Graeber lays out his explanations well -- it is truly fascinating on how our knowledge of the immune system/cancer has changed.
There does seem to be some bias (naturally) in the story, with the strong view that immunotherapy is going to be the "breakthrough" against cancer, but that does not detract from the story.
There does seem to be some bias (naturally) in the story, with the strong view that immunotherapy is going to be the "breakthrough" against cancer, but that does not detract from the story.
September 29, 2019
A most fascinating and riveting tale of how immunotherapy evolved to be one of the most promising avenues for curing cancer. A must read!
March 1, 2020
Great story of the first chapters of cancer immunotherapy.
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