All of you need to answer/respond to these 2 questions.
1. Cancer is described as a modern disease, yet its first description dates back to 2500 B.C. I what sens, then, is a cancer a disease of modern times? How does knowing its ancient history affect your notion of cancer?
2. The author frames the book around the story of his patient, Carla Reed. What was her diagnosis? what did you find interesting about Carla's experience? How do you think she shaped the author's life and thoughts?
1. Cancer is described as a modern disease, yet its first description dates back to 2500 B.C. I what sens, then, is a cancer a disease of modern times? How does knowing its ancient history affect your notion of cancer?
ReplyDeleteCancer, among other diseases, is a disease of modern times. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are diseases of modern times as well. While some diseases are genetic others are environmental but cancer is a disease caused by both genetic and environmental factors but predominantly cancer is caused by environmental factors. Cancer is a disease of modern times because cancer research has only been done within the last couple of years. Research has exposed many of the mechanisms, pathways, and growth patterns of cancer. Treatments, cures, and prevention of cancer also make cancer a disease of modern times, there is very little out there as far as prevention, cure and treatment goes. Cancer, in my point, will remain modern throughout the ages because of its devastating affects in patients and various forms. Cancer will remain modern because cancer can literally affect any living thing from plants to animals to humans. Knowing that cancer has ancient history and has been extant for so many years makes me think of cancer as this indestructible entity that has had a chance to evolve so as to take advantage of the potential flaws a cell may have. I think of cancer as this thing that cannot be prevented and cannot be defeated most of the time and we cannot be triumphant with cancer like we have with so many other diseases in the past. There are a few who have won their battle with cancer but there are many who will lose and have lost their battle with cancer, cancer begins and ends with people.
2. The author frames the book around the story of his patient, Carla Reed. What was her diagnosis? what did you find interesting about Carla's experience? How do you think she shaped the author's life and thoughts?
The author frames his book around his patient, Carla Reed. Carla Reed’s diagnosis was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). ALL is a cancer of the white blood cells where the lymphoblasts (immature white blood cells) continue to proliferate. The lymphoblasts are malignant and can spread to other organs. The book begins by describing Carla Reed as a 30 year old kindergarten teacher and a mother of 3 who had been a very energetic person at one time of her life but now was the complete opposite with bruises on her back and pale white gums that would bleed. I think the author begins with her story so that we, the audience, can maybe have some empathy towards her, maybe just as he did towards her. What I find interesting about her experience is that the author says that Carla was fighting her own battle with cancer and that she was jotting notes, “she would write and rewrite the same thoughts.” Maybe these thoughts were her own way of staying motivated and positive. The author also mentions that her type of cancer was often curable, this word curable, this single word out of the hundreds in the text gives you as much hope as Carla had when she heard the exact same word from the author. I think the author framed his book around Carla Reed because she shaped his life and thoughts in some way. The way in which I think she did was through her way in which she dealt with her situation, I think he was inspired by her as I was by just reading the book, to me she sound like a great person with a positive attitude and a different look on life. I have not read far enough into the book to find out whether or not she makes it or not, I guess we will find out. This book is a good book regardless if she makes it or not but I think she will make it and will make this good book a Magnificent book.
great job and the first.. million extra points..
ReplyDeleteSomething 'modern' is defined as NOT being ancient or remote. Clearly cancer has a history and so in the most literal sense of the definition, cancer is not modern. Drug therapies, chemotherapy, and technology associated with cancer are modern. Over the past several centuries, cancer has emerged from Galen's black bile to a Billion dollar a year research investment. Increased survival rates, promising remission duration, and early detection all play a role in cancer's modernism. Cancer in that regard is modern. The history of cancer affects my notion in that it further amplifies the tragedies of cancer. To read of individuals that endured radical surgeries to no avail is heart breaking. The truth ( and tragedy ) of cancer has as an unfortunate reality that many may have died so others could live. The author describes the adamant souls that lived to fight cancer. For every chemical, surgeon, cadaver, mouse or patient we experience through cancer's history, we can only pray that the day will come when cancer's ancient history can rest successfully in the arms of its modern cure.
ReplyDelete1. Cancer is described as a modern disease, yet its first description dates back to 2500 B.C. In what sense, then, is a cancer a disease of modern times? How does knowing its ancient history affect your notion of cancer?
ReplyDeleteCancer is a modern disease in a sense that it has become the main cause of death in modern times. Like the author, I believe that because people now live longer we are able to see symptoms that we were not able to see before. We now live longer and have a greater chance of our mutations of accumulating. Since cancer is a multi- hit process, our chances of acquiring such mutations, cancer, increases with age. Factors like the common flu and bacterial infections were the main cause of death back then, and because of that people didn't live up to their 70’s and 90’s as they do now.
Knowing the history of cancer makes me aware that it is something that has affected many people, while many, like Imhotep, have tried to come up with cures. The thing that worries me the most is that those scientists have tried to find cures for many years and have come up shorthanded. It may just be that cancer is one that can never be cured but treated, to some extent. If a cancerous tumor is removed from a patient, there is still this possibility that the tumor can come back; whereas polio, you get the vaccine and your done.
2. The author frames the book around the story of his patient, Carla Reed. What was her diagnosis? What did you find interesting about Carla's experience? How do you think she shaped the author's life and thoughts?
When I began reading the book, the first patient that he talks about is Carla Reed. She was, as he described her, a vivacious thirty-year old kindergarten teacher. She was diagnosed with a kind of leukemia, specifically Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Hey symptoms were out of the ordinary. Some of which included: bruising on her back, always tired, the gum bleeding, massive headaches. What I found interesting is the lack of interest her doctors seemed to have over her health. I would be very angry if a doctor would lack interest in my condition. I mean, that is what they are for. If they don't care for the patient, they shouldn't be doctors. Carla may have gone longer without proper diagnosis if she had not mandated blood work. Additionally, I also found interesting when the author is describing her blood as it was being drawn out, and how it didn't even look normal. Her blood was “watery, pale, and dilute” it hardly resembled blood; it was packed with millions of large malignant white blood cells.
I think and hope that Carla impacted the author’s life tremendously. I think so much that he choose her as the first patient he mention in his book. More importantly, I think it made him realize that something so small as gum bleeding or tiredness can be symptoms of cancer. I hope that he, as a doctor will call for more analyses to reach a correct diagnosis.
This book has impacted my life tremendously. As a relatively young student, it never crossed my mind that something lie a cancer could potentially be lurking in there. And it always keeps me wondering if I have a cancer of this or a cancer of that and if I do is it aggressive? Maybe so slow I wont have any symptoms and I would be able to live a normal life. However, this book is traumatizing in a sense, because just the other day my sister saw some bruises on my back and I immediately went to this and thought “Carla Reed had unexplained bruises in her back and she had this type of cancer, is it possible I have this cancer.” Yet I am very grateful because I will not take the little things for granted and go get them checked out.
Carla Reed's diagnosis was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. What I find interesting about her experience are her memories of the day she learned of her illness. Commonplace particulars make up Carla's memories of that dreadful day: the clock, the car pool, the children, a tube of pale blood a missed shower, the fish in the sun, the tightening tone of a voice on the phone. She thought the nurse said, "come now". I believe Carla had a sick sense something was wrong. Who automatically suspects they have Leukemia? No one - not even Carla. She led a normal life as a wife and mother as her own body betrayed her. Carla was at the mercy of millions of large, malignant white cells - blasts. Carla helped shape the author's life and thoughts. He resigned with great conviction to attempt to answer the questions about the larger story of caner: How old is cancer? What are the roots of our battle against this disease? Or, where are we in the "war" on cancer? Treating Carla (and others) gave the author an enormous advantage in writing- he could testify personally of the devastation of cancer. He knew his experiences with cancer patients would only partially fulfill his desire to investigate the larger issue with cancer and that the other half made it's bed in cancer's history. He was compelled to combine the two. He said, " I could only see the lives and fates of my patients played out in color-saturated detail... I knew instinctively that these experiences were part of a much larger battle against cancer... I had a novice's hunger for history, but also a novice's inability to envision it."
ReplyDelete1. Cancer is a modern disease because only recently in the 1900s have we been able to actually stop the spread of the disease and allow people to live longer lives by performing surgeries on the tumor, radiation and chemotherapy. From all the historical accounts of cancer, we have been able to recognize what is cancer and all the different kinds of cancer that have been around. Knowing the ancient history of cancer has allowed me to realize that this is not a new disease. And knowing the history of the changes in society has also shown a change in the type of cancer that is prevalent for that time period. For modern society, smoking has been a problem and that is when we saw an increase in lung cancer. Knowing the history of cancer should give us a better understanding of cancer today.
ReplyDelete2. Carla Reed was diagnosed with ALL(Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia), which is mainly a childhood leukemia. Before Carla went to the hospital and was diagnosed with All, she had very unusual symptoms. One that I vividly remember reading was that she was in so much pain that she could not walk around her house and that she had to crawl on all fours. I couldn't believe her doctors did not imediately take a blood test and kept saying there was nothing wrong when there obviously was. Her situation took a toll on the author when he could she was giving up on life. He was doing everything he could do to help her but ultimately he knew cancer would get the best of her as he had seen in the past with other patients when cancer would take the will out of them.
Cancer is said to be a disease of modern times for many reasons. Only in the last hundred years have we been able to accurately identify and diagnose cancer-- and only in the last 50 years have we begun to understand it's intricate mechanisms. And it has been even more recently that we have devised ways of treating and in some cases curing this ailment. It is a disease of modern times because modern technology has allowed us to see it and understand it in it's full form. Also, the rise of modern human industry has intertwined our everyday lives with mutagens-- which can often also be carcinogens, an issue that did not exist just two centuries ago (at least not to this extent).
ReplyDeleteCarla was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It is not clear yet why the author chose her case in particular to feature in the book. She must have had a significant impact on his life-- I just haven't reached that point in the story. A physician specializing in Oncology would have met many people with similar stories to Carla's which makes me wonder what made her case so significant to this career.
1.Cancer is described as a malignant neoplasm, where cells divide and grow uncontrollably. To be termed “modern”, is to say that cancer is adaptive and invasion in almost every part of the body, which has been proven to be true. Although present in ancient times, cancer’s persistence only confirms that what we have learned based on its past is only minimal compared to its presence now. Changes in cancer therapies based on observations and experimentation are done in the hope of removing cancer, but have only allowed patients to live a longer prognosis but not fully recover. Our society’s norm is to try to repair those things that have caused breakage or disruption, and if it cannot be mended in some way then it must be replaced; everything is replaceable in a fast moving society. But little do we know that cancer is similar to us, it lives a fast-paced lifestyle where its past determines only future advances possible to reoccur and continue spreading. Knowing about the history of cancer only leaves more speculation as to what the future for cancer will evolve and if there is a cure to be made will we the present become the past and cancer continue on toward the future?
ReplyDelete2.The author’s patient Carla Reed was the basis for the sequential chapters that became accumulation of what could be called Cancer 101. Carla Reed, according to the author was diagnosed with a kind of leukemia named Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), which most often affected small children rather than adults. What was interesting about Carla Reed’s experience was the fact that she knew something was wrong within herself and yet trained medical doctors were not convinced based on the symptoms based on what they frequently encounter. it was not until proper blood work was done that revealed that something was wrong with the patient’s blood (especially when it was drawn) that deserved proper attention. Assuming that author’s own experience with Carla Reed gave rise to the his idea of cancer and how it was treated lead to the ideology that in the past the concept of cancer was more a mystery and harder to diagnose. His diagnosis of Carla Reed took a smaller faction of time with medical references to justify his observation. From what I understood was that the author seemed to be grateful to be able to help and diagnose his patient but at the same time wonder how past experimental doctors were able to determine what the aliment was and treat it.
1-Ever since complex life evolved, it has been exposed to cancer. Plants can get cancer. It has been around for thousands and thousands of years. It is certainly disease. The oldest description of cancer in humans was found in an Egyptian papyrus written between 3000-1500 BC. It referred to tumors of the breast. Hippocrates the Father of Medicine who lived in Greece around 400 BC was credited with being the first to recognize the difference between benign and malignant tumors.But progress on understanding and treating cancer was slow over the next two thousand years. Huge breakthrough to our understanding of cell biology came in 1953, when Francis Crick and James Watson unraveled the structure of DNA. Since then we have begun to study and understand the causes of cancer at a molecular level, and to devise new treatments based on this knowledge. The last fifty years have seen an explosion in our understanding of this most fundamental of diseases, and new discoveries are occurring on an almost weekly basis. But I also think that the incidence of cancer has been increasing in modern times. I think this for two main reasons. First, we're now exposed to all kinds of cancer causing chemicals that were not around a couple of hundred years ago, and great thanks to the whole in the ozone, we're being exposed to more cancer causing UV radiation than we used to be. And second, people are living longer. Although people of any age can get cancer, it's most common among the elderly, for the simple reason that their cells have had more time to accumulate the mutations that cause them to become cancerous. As people live longer, more people live long enough to get cancer, so the incidence of cancer increases. In that expect it is modern, that the cases of cancer has increased in past century to enormous number. That’s why it seems more modern in a sense.
ReplyDelete2-Carla is suffering from, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), is a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that the body uses to fight infections. In ALL, the bone marrow makes lots of unformed cells called blasts that normally would develop into lymphocytes. However, the blasts are abnormal. They do not develop and cannot fight infections. The number of abnormal cells (or leukemia cells) grows quickly. They crowd out the normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets the body needs. Carla from the beginning have the idea that there was something immensely wrong with her, but the medical community wasn’t able to understand her symptoms well enough to provide her with the diagnosis. I think author providing her with the diagnosis gave her piece of mind, as well as broad aspect on whole cancer topic, peace of mind, because now she knows what’s wrong with her, and she recognizes her options. But on author it had mildly different effect; he was astonished by the whole paradigm, thinking about the how it effects out everyday life as well as the progress in cancer research over period of time. Also it seems like that his point of view on ALL would impact his life as well, but that just a hypothesis, further reading is much required.
1. Cancer is the modern illness for various reasons. Cancer cells are advanced because they are uncontrollable in replication causing for no cure in patients. Back in the days cancer was not a big issue as other illnesses such as smallpox. It was low key at the time that not much research was done to find a cure. Before it was two choices one removing the tumor or zapping it with radioactive as the book had mentioned. Now with modern technology we can diagnose the cancer see what type it is since there are many types of cancer. This helps us to know more about cancer than before. Even though it has been in history for many hundreds of years it is just the beginning of knowing what cancer is. Cancer now has overcome other illness that is now in the public views to determine how to cure patients or what kind of therapy is needed. Also cancer is in spotlight because there are so many ways of getting a type of cancer due to environmental.
ReplyDelete2. Carla Reed was diagnosed with leukemia. What was interesting was that she never knew what she had but did know something was not right with in herself. Although she saw different doctors that neither were able to come to a conclusion of what was the problem. After finally getting some blood sample drawn out, that is when it was figured out what she had. The authors made him realize that cancer is a big mystery and can be difficult to diagnose. Knowing that in the past cancer was a big mystery and even now with the technology it is still hard at times to figure it out. He had to go back and see how other doctors were able to diagnose cancer and how to treat it.
1. Cancer is described as a modern disease, yet its first description dates back to 2500 B.C. I what sens, then, is a cancer a disease of modern times? How does knowing its ancient history affect your notion of cancer?
ReplyDeleteCancer has been dated back to 2500 B.C. but is described as a modern disease for several reason. One of them being that cancer because it existed in only a few individuals but as we develop as a nation, cancer seems to develop and progress in many other forms. It is an adaptive disease and adapts to the conditions. One example of that is smoking or drinking: we tend to cause ourselves liver or lung damage by drinking or smoking but back in the day, rare cases of lung and liver cancer existed. For example, developing countries have certain incidences and types of cancers compared to those in developed countries. Also, in the ancient times, it was more of an observational disease and not many practices were done to cure cancers. It was believed that a person with cancer would most likely live longer than a person being experimented on. Only recently did we begin to differentiate between the different types of cancers and be able to diagnose them and possibly cure them.
2. The author frames the book around the story of his patient, Carla Reed. What was her diagnosis? what did you find interesting about Carla's experience? How do you think she shaped the author's life and thoughts?
Carla Reed was diagnosed for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) which is a case of childhood leukemia, and is rare in adults but Carla was diagnosed with ALL and her symptoms were quite strange. She seemed to be having headaches, and bruises and pains. Her symptoms were quite different. She didn't think it was anything serious and was diagnosed for ALL. The interesting thing I found about Carla's experience is that she knew there was something wrong with her mentally but didn't decide to go to get the medical work done until much later and was living through this for quite a long time. The doctor was explaining to her and she felt was if she was going to die; she felt so negative about the disease (ALL) she seemed to have already given up hoe of being alive for very long. It seemed as if the hospital seemed analogous to a prison without an escape. The doctor provided her with hope of survival. It shaped the author's life and thoughts by making the author realize that cancer is still a mystery and there is alot to be explored; an adult get a children's disease is very rare and there is so much more to be discovered about cancer.
1. Cancer is a modern disease in the sense that it wasn't until recently, within the last 100 years or so, which people have begun to really understand cancer. Modernity has allowed individuals to understand cancer in a number of ways. As Mukherjee explains, back in the day, the average life span was so small that most did not live long enough to develop cancer or would fall victim to other diseases. Those who did encounter tumors were limited by the medicine and technology of the time. Surgery was essentially suicide since doctors were unaware of bacteria and infection. As time went on, scientists and doctors developed better tools such as sterilization techniques and anesthesia. Thus, longer life spans, improved surgeries, and cures for other diseases as well as curiosity allowed for more frequent encounters with tumors. Doctors came up with more ideas about cancer and possible treatments to cure the disease. Today, with technology up to date, scientists have characterized cancer down to the molecular level with accuracy.
ReplyDeleteKnowing about the ancient history of cancer was both a shock and not a surprise for me at the same time. I was not surprised about the limitations placed on characterizing cancer and treating the disease due to the tools and medicines available at the time. I was impressed with the level of curiosity and intelligence doctors and scientists had in attempting to discover more about cancer. It took so many years of theory and bizarre remedies to be able to and came up with effective treatments for the disease. It was interesting to read about people in ancient times that recorded what are believed to be incidences with tumors. Where I was surprised is the extent of time that we have been aware of cancer. Because we have not found a cure for all types of cancer, it becomes apparent that this disease is not like small pox where it can eradicated with vaccines. Cancer is different in the sense that finding a cure is not and has not been an easy fight. Although we are now able to characterize many cancers well and some are more easily treated than others, it will be a very time before we can find a cure.
2. Carla Reed’s diagnosis was acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her story was rather frightening to read. Her symptoms were so extreme that I felt so much sadness for Carla. I would be terribly worried if I had experience what she did; unexplainable bruises, tremendous weakness, bleeding gums, those are all great tolls on the body. I got a real sense of her illness as Mukherjee explained that Carla was a kindergarten teacher, usually outgoing and full of energy that suddenly fell into great frailty. What was interesting to me was that Carla was not diagnosed in her first few visits to the doctor. It got to the point that she demanded more blood work to be performed before anyone became alarmed. She was diagnosed with leukemia. Mukherjee himself describes the disease as a severe one, “it is a terrifying to experience, terrifying to observe, and terrifying to treat
I think that with holding Carla’s life in his hands, the author’s mind and life would be taken over. He has had to make decisions that will change the lives or even kill his patients. As Mukherjee describes, “the stories of my patients consumed me, and the decisions that I made haunted me.” It was obviously overwhelming to take on cancer that way he has, constantly thinking of ways to heal his patients like Carla. He couldn’t help but get swallowed by the decisions he makes with cancer because that meant a decision with a life.
All of you need to answer/respond to these 2 questions.
ReplyDelete1. Cancer is described as a modern disease, yet its first description dates back to 2500 B.C. I what sens, then, is a cancer a disease of modern times? How does knowing its ancient history affect your notion of cancer?
Cancers first description dates back to 2500 B.C. Since it wasn’t very well understood in ancient history, the diagnosis and treatment of the disease was very different from what we see today. Cancer is a modern disease because new types of cancer have been discovered and within the last few decades there is now, through advances in technology, a better understanding of its mechanisms.
Knowing the ancient history of cancer gives me an appreciation for all of the research and advancements that have been made. It used to be thought that the more you cut out of a cancerous tumor, the better. This would have been very disfiguring and if the cancer cells were malignant it wouldn’t be a cure. Cancer is a scary disease knowing what we know today and using the past as a reference, it is very hard to figure out when cancer will be “cured” if ever. With the development in cellular technology and understanding of the human body, I feel that a lot of cancers will continue to be cured and hopefully the fatal ones too.
2. The author frames the book around the story of his patient, Carla Reed. What was her diagnosis? what did you find interesting about Carla's experience? How do you think she shaped the author's life and thoughts?
Carla was diagnosed with acute lympthoblastic leukemia, which is cancer of the white blood cells that is common in children and rare in adults. I thought Carla’s symptoms were interesting, such as headaches, fatigue, and pale white gums. All of which can be symptoms of this disease because of the excessive build up of lympthocytes and the significant drop in red blood cell count. This causes a lack of oxygen that can be transported to different parts of the body (leading to fatigue) and also to the brain (causing headaches.). I think Carla’s case definitely had an affect on the author’s life and thoughts. He felt that nothing he had done in the past had prepared him for dealing with his cases, where the patient had better odds of dying then living. In Carla’s case she had a 30% chance of surviving the disease. I feel that the author was inspired by Carla’s attitude towards her condition, but his patient’s diseases consume most of his thoughts and thus affect his life.
1. Even though caner has always been around, there seems to be more cases of cancer now than in ancient times. This is due to the advances in medicine that have allowed people to live longer, hence with an increase of age more people are affected by mutagens and carcinogens that can lead to cancer. Also with the advances in basic science like genotyping, molecular techniques and so on we are discovering more about cancer every day. Consequently, it seems like a modern disease since we are talking more about it, and we talk about its molecular aspects. With this influx of new information we can better understand cancer and have treatments available to help people with the diseases. By knowing that cancer has been prevalent since ancient times, it tells me that this disease might remain prevalent for years to come, because it has been been easy getting rid of it.
ReplyDelete2.Carla Reed had Acute lymphoblastic leukemia she was an energetic person, but all of a sudden she constantly had headaches and lost her fatigue. Carla had lost about 20 fold of her white blood cells, and 25% of those cells were blast, she had so many blasts that she had lost the ability to produce new blood. They realized that Carla needed chemotherapy, but by undergoing this procedure she would lose any of her living red and white blood cells. The author uses Carlas case to give us a better understanding about the procedures and history of cancer. First he went into detail of the discovery of her illness and how it was 1st discovered, and possible treatments, then they talk to her about chemotherapy and the author gives us some history about this therapy.
1. Cancer has been around since ancient times, but I think it is referred to as a “modern” disease because we are only now getting a firm understanding of it. The ancients knew it was dangerous and knew it had to be removed, but they did not understand the mechanics of it. Even now, it surprises me how recent our understanding is. I know that we’ve known about it for a while and had treatments, but was really surprised how barbaric some of the treatments were not so long ago. I was especially surprised at the leukemia/folic acid trial where the children were given folic acid to see if it slowed the progression of the leukemia. The theory may have been sound, but the doctor moved on to human trials without a full understanding of what may happen.
ReplyDelete2. Carla Reed was diagnosed with leukemia as an adult. I found her case interesting because she had a sudden onset of some fairly severe symptoms later in life. Typically when I hear about leukemia I think of children because all the information I’ve had about it in the past has been in regards to children. I was also horrified by her case because her symptoms sent her to the doctor multiple times, and even though there were times where she had difficulty simply walking across a room, she was sent home with no medical testing. I think adding her journey intermittently in the history of cancer, really puts a face on it and humanizes it. It’s easy to get lost in the clinical and biological aspects of cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment, that many people forget that it affects real people. There are so many more aspects to treating it than just treating the blood or the tumor, they are still people and it makes it more personal to add her story to his.
1. Cancer has been a prevalent disease since ancient times. Accounts describing various cases of cancer have been reported since 2500 B.C. Although the ancients were aware of this type of disease they lacked the knowledge and technology to be able to understand the full scope of what was occurring in the body. Modern advances in molecular biology and genetics give rise to the inner workings of what occurs in the body when it becomes cancerous. The advancement of science coupled with the increase in knowledge in the reason cancer is considered a modern disease. Knowing how far back cases of cancers have been described and the countless deaths caused by the diseases help me appreciate all the research involved in devolving treatments and cures.
ReplyDelete2. The type of Cancer which Carla Reed was diagnosed with was Acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I have worked in a hospital for many years have had many people close to me become infected with various cancers. I have seen first hand patients describe the exact same symptoms which Carla Reed had been feeling. Cancer changes everything about a person and seeing someone close go through the disease and wreak emotional havoc on a person. Seeing the disease progression though Carla Reed, made the author see it from a different angle. It is easy for a Dr. to primarily concerned with biological pathways and treatment options and lose sight of the patient they are treating. The experience with Carla Reed showed the author the multi-facteted devastation the disease truly causes.
I agree that doctors can all too often loose site of the fact that the patient is a person. They are someones brother or sister, mother or father, and even child. One of the reasons I like reading these types of books is not only for the wealth of information that I get from them, but I hope to be a doctor one day, and not just any doctor, I want to be a good one that listens to patients and can see them for more than just another body gone wrong. These writings from first hand experiences are the best way to orient myself to what the experience of being doctor can really be like, and hopefully allows me to keep my focus on whats really important, the human being that is sick before me, and what I can do to help.
Delete1. Cancer is described as a modern disease, yet its first description dates back to 2500 B.C. In what sense, then, is a cancer a disease of modern times? How does knowing its ancient history affect your notion of cancer?
ReplyDeleteCancer is considered a modern disease because although there are some reports that go as far back as 2500 B.C., these are relatively few. Most accounts are oddly quiet or short when describing cancer. It isn't that cancer didn't exist in ancient times, it's just that most people would die of a host of other diseases long before cancer could take hold. Cancer is, after all, a disease usually closely associated with aging since it is the result of an accumulation of mutations within cells. As the author notes, "it becomes common only when all other killers themselves have been killed.... civilization did not cause cancer, but by extending human life spans -- civilization unveiled it" (Mukherjee, 44). Knowing that cancer occured even within early civilizations makes me believe that we are probably giving too much credit to pollution and envirormental chemicals. While it is certainly true that man does create mutagens, cancer does not exist solely because of our actions.
2. The author frames the book around the story of his patient, Carla Reed. What was her diagnosis? What did you find interesting about Carla's experience? How do you think she shaped the author's life and thoughts?
Carla Reed is diagnosed with ALL -- acute lymphoblastic leukemia, form of cancer that affects while blood cells and typically only occurs in children. The most terrifying thing about Carla's story is how rapidly her health spiraled. Within one month of her first symptoms (odd bruising on her back) the leukemia had enfeebled her to the point that she was reduced to crawling from room to room in her own house. Within one month she went from normal to being on the verge of death. From having the typical 5,000 white blood cells per microliter of blood to having 90,000 white blood cells per microliter! Her entire body was starving for oxygen. It is terrifying to consider how quickly cancer completely makes over a person's entire life. I think the author likely had these feelings too. He mentions how frightening in particular ALL is to someone just learning to treat cancer. "It is terrifying to experience, terrifying to observe, and terrifying to treat," he says of the rapid pace and arc that ALL follows(Mukherjee, 3). At this point in his career, the author is becoming caught up in the lives of his patients, perhaps feeling a bit guilty that there isn't always more he can do for them, and worried that he is becoming "inured to the deaths and the desolation" (Mukherjee, 4).
1. Cancer, by its very nature of being a genetic disease, has been integrated into the human population for as long as we (DNA containing species) can remember. The first description of cancer as depicted in our history up to 2500 B.C. ago such as the Mukherjee’s example in ancient Atossa of the Persian queen ordering her slave to cut off her breast tumor with a knife. However, cancer has been depicted as a “modern” disease for several reasons. Firstly, the “what’s” of cancer has only been recently questioned scientifically in the nineteenth century via John Bennett while observing true pus like blood, blood suppuration. In the same century, the same notion was undertaken by Rudolf Virchow who had recognized that the pus-like blood was a hyperplastic (increasing in cell number) nature of white blood cells—which we today recognize as cancer of white blood cells--leukemia. Due to these relatively modern scientists’ inquiry of such medical conditions, cancer is deemed as a “modern” disease. Secondly, cancer is implied in the book as “modern” due to society’s increasing trend of life expectancy mixed with modern carcinogenic fads. Mukherjee writes, “If we seek immortality…then so, too, in a rather perverse sense, does the cancer cell.” Hence readers can infer, as the human population, due to contemporary medical advances, live longer—the cancer disease prone-population, from a mix of modern carcinogenic habits such as smoking, may display an increased number of cancerous conditions. Such situation may display cancer as being more prevalent in the modern times, hence deemed as a “modern” disease.
ReplyDeleteMukherjee believes in the significance in understanding the history of cancer to “give shape to the shape-shifting illness” to allow current understandings of cancer.
2. 33 year old female patient Carla Reed is diagnosed in the beginning of the book with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which the author describes as a cancer “in one of its most explosive, violent incarnation”. The author met his patient during his beginning year in his oncology fellowship, where he felt that he fell to the lowest point. Although Mukherjee only partially understood the scary confining nature of cancer, he attempted to describe acute lymphoblastic leukemia to Carla Reed stating that ALL was often curable. By doing so, Carla Reed and Mukherjee in alliance attempted to take on this battle against cancer together. Interesting aspect of Carla’s experience was her detailed experience of leukemia. Mukherjee does a tremendous job in illustrating one’s unfathomable experience of cancer—Carla Reed, once an “outgoing, gregarious…ebullient” woman having to “crawl down the hallways of her house on all fours” from the bodily deteriorating nature of the tragic disease. I found Carla’s initial confusion rather than depression when first diagnosed with cancer particularly interesting. Such depiction truly places cancer-inexperienced readers in perspective of becoming a victim of cancer.
You couldn't be more right. This book does an excellent job at orienting those that have never experienced cancer first hand - either diagnosed or knowing someone whos was diagosed - to what it means to be a victim of cancer. I myself lost a parent to breast cancer, and it is quite difficult to express and explain what it is like to see some one deteriorate in front of your eye. It is only now that I am older, that I can truly reflect on the experience and understand what it was to go through the pain.
DeleteYou are also right about the confusion. It's not easy taking the news and it is even more difficult trying to understand the maganitude of such a diagnosis without any knowledge of what might lay ahead for the future of your well being, even if a doctor says "it is curable."
I also wanted to say I love your writting style. I can't wait to read your next post. Thanks
1. Cancer is a modern times disease due to many reasons. The main reason is that people are living longer. Up to about one hundred years ago, the average lifespan for an adult was about 59 years old. While the average lifespan today in the United States is about 85. This is an increase of almost 30 years of life. Nonetheless, these numbers are based on averages in the United States only.
ReplyDeleteUp to a couple hundred years ago, major causes of death were, to name a few: influenza, black death, cholera, scarlet fever, etc. These diseases, due to lack of treatment, caused many deaths at early ages. Thus, before the cells could take multiple hits which causes cancer cells, the people would die before tumors, which can lead to cancer, could arise. Another reason that cancer cells are considered a modern disease is because we have the technology to detect it early. Back in 2500 B.C., an Egyptian physician named Imotep described a bulging mass in the breast, that reading it today seems to describe breast cancer; however, one could not be so sure because there is no evidence that in fact it was cancer. Nonetheless, reports of cancer in the past are scarce because, for the most part, certain cancer affects people who are older or live a certain lifestyle. One of which they did not live years ago. For example, one of the leading causes of death today, in the United States is lung cancer. This is due to people smoking cigarettes, or inhaling second hand smoke. Another reason why cancer is a modern day disease is because we now have technology to detect it, and somewhat treat it, through removal of the malignant tumor and chemotherapy. The chances of being successful is increased by early detection, all of which was not offered a couple of hundred years ago due to lack of knowledge of what cancer is. Even though cancer existed in 2500 B.C, or even before, I still think it is a modern day disease because many people are being affected by it today, its our modern day illness, much like cholera was back when it was prevalent due to lack of treatment.
2. Carla Reed was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), which is rare in adults. I found it interesting, but highly disturbing that after so many doctors visits, the doctor finally decided to do blood work on Mrs. Reed. This shows the negligence that is in the medical field today. I believe this shaped the author's life by pushing him to find out more about cancer. I suppose he might have thought, in order to fight such a disease, one must know as much as they can in order to "defeat the enemy," so to speak.
1. I believe it was Hippocrates that first described non-ulcer forming and ulcer forming tumors as "karkinos.” Genetic mutations that ultimately lead to the over proliferation of cells in the body has been happening for quite some time now. I think one of the reasons we call it a modern disease is because we are only just finding out the intricate molecular makeup of the cancerous cells, and this is leading us to being able to develop treatments for those that are ailed with it. There are so many studies being done today for trying to understand the genetic makeup, biological pathways, and modes of growth and origin and with the further understanding of how the tumor cells work in the environment of the body, we are getting closer to finding treatments, and maybe someday the cure.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it is hard to think that we will ever find the cure for mutation. Cancer has been around for so long, and mutations have been around since the dawn of genetic material. So how do we stop mutations? Do we really ever think we will find the cure for something that is supposed to add genetic variation to our species? Sure we could avoid exposure to carcinogenic and mutagenic agents, and we could also make sure to keep up on our screenings for common cancer types, but that only really lessens our chances. It doesn't really rid of the chances all together. I think the more we understand the way cancer works molecularly, the better equipped we will be to slow down the process and maybe even reverse it, rather than rid the body of mutating into cancerous cells all together. I see good things happening in the studies of cancer and how the treatments will improve in the future, and it is all due to modern technology and the building of discoveries over time. We just need to make sure to use out modern knowledge to combat this ancient disease.
2. Carla Reed, a daughter, a wife, and a mother. She couldn’t explain her fatigue, headaches, and it was time to head to the doctors to figure out what was wrong. Carla has ALL, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It is a rare form of leukemia that usually tends to affect children, and more often have a better chance of recovery. The worst part of the experience is the isolation. Not just at the beginning when she has to rid her body of all white blood cells, essentially leaving her with no immunity, and thus causing her to be isolated to avoid exposure to any illness, but there is also the psychological isolation. I have always thought the worst part of the battle against cancer for patients were the pains associated with treatment; I never thought to consider what the isolation would be like. It was interesting how the author described her battle as completely internalized at one point. Attending the daily sessions of chemotherapy and becoming so isolated and focused in the fight, it must have been agenizing for Carla to feel as if she can’t give any of herself to you family and loved ones. They wanted to feel needed, and Carla just didn’t have the strength give them attention or any part of here that removed here from what little will she had left.
I can only imagine what it would be like to see one of your patients going through such internal suffering and all in efforts to save their lives and because it was the treatment plan that you prescribed. It isn’t a wonder that Mukherjee looked to the past studies of Farber to try to get a sense of what the earlier doctors who were at the forefront of this disease might have been thinking and what internal battles they were going through as well.
1. Cancer is described as a modern disease, yet its first description dates back to 2500 B.C. I what sens, then, is a cancer a disease of modern times? How does knowing its ancient history affect your notion of cancer?
ReplyDeleteCancer as a disease of modern times, would be an accurate definition even though it has been described in ancient times. Cancer, it seems, has increased in the modern ages although this is not completely true. Cancer has not increased we have just found better ways of diagnosing it and most importantly we have increased the human lifespan. This causes a problem because cancer is derived from mutations. The chances of cancer increases with age because we have more chances of accumulating mutations from being exposed to carcinogens and mutagens.
Cancer has become our biggest fear in modern times because we have learned to cure most of our other aliments, but cancer has mystified us. As our knowledge of viruses and of genetics increases we have grown our understanding of cancer and have only now been finding ways to combat it. In ancient years cancer was a death sentence, some tried to remove it but for the most part there was nothing to be done. Now in our modern days we actually have a chance. Perhaps this is why cancer is called a modern disease because it was not until these modern times that we actually understood it.
2. The author frames the book around the story of his patient, Carla Reed. What was her diagnosis? what did you find interesting about Carla's experience? How do you think she shaped the author's life and thoughts?
Carla's diagnosis was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, this disease is "often curable" according to the author about 30% curable. This may sound good to a doctor because cancer is such an awful disease that even some wins are uplifting, but to a patient whose only care is their own win 30% is very scary. I think that the author wrote about this specific incident because it is a scary and isolating disease for a patient, but it is also a fight for the doctor. I think it would be extremely hard to be an oncologist especially one dealing with cancers like Leukemia. I think the author chose Carla's case because of how delicately the situation needed to be treated. Carla had gone a long while without knowing her diagnosis because Leukemia is so easily hidden on the inside, and was very far along, her body growing weaker everyday.
1. Cancer is a disease of modern times because only recently has cancer research taken off with new technology and advancements. Before the last few decades, little was known about cancer and now after about 40-50 years of “war on cancer” and over 200 billion dollars invested in cancer research, only a 5% decrease in cancer death rates have been seen. Cancer is described as a modern disease even though cancer has been around for centuries because only recently has technological advancements and education about and for cancer been more readily available to study cancer forms and causes (genetic and/or environmental factors), to diagnose cancer (signs and symptoms), treatments for cancer, and cancer prevention. Cancer is also described as a modern disease because now and days the average lifespan of human beings have increased and thus cancer can be seen and studied more in depth. … These are all factors as to why cancer is described as a modern disease, because previously all these factors could not be studied as they can now.
ReplyDeleteKnowing cancer’s ancient history does not affect my notion of cancer very much because as every disease, infection, problem in the world – unfortunately it starts somewhere. Cancer started centuries ago and has significantly become worse with the different types and classes of cancers that exist and continues to arise, thus bringing significant awareness and interest to the disease. The various types of cancer and its invasion and devastating effects on people’s lives further bring it to the limelight. Knowing its ancient history allows those who study cancer to see the trends of cancer and serves to help those who study cancer and its effects develop effective treatments, controls, and possibly a future cure for cancer.
2. The author frames the book around the story of his patient, Carla Reed, who was described as a bubbly, cheerful, energetic individual. She was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), which is a cancer of the white blood cells characterized by excess lymphoblast. What was interesting about Carla’s experience was that she had seen various doctors in search of answers to her signs and symptoms of obvious distress. It was interesting yet disturbing to read about the doctors’ lack of interest in her health. I thought that was extremely unprofessional and unethical of doctors to nonchalantly shun her away when it was obvious and apparent that something was wrong with her. I felt the doctors that shunned her away at her time of need should not be in the medical profession if they truly are not there to serve in the best interest of their patients. Thankfully she was able to find a professional and ethical doctor even though she had to demand blood work be done, and finally got a proper diagnosis of her ailment. … I think she shaped the author’s life and thoughts as well as those she is influencing via the author’s recollection of her experience in very positive and great ways. She was a very strong and courageous individual who fought for what she knew was right. She knew something was wrong with her and sought professional attention, but was relentless even after doctors shunned her away telling her she was fine. I think she is a prime example of a person who is a go-getter that is persistent and stays positive despite negativity. Her unfortunate difficult experience and the way she handled it has deep meaning which has likely shaped the author’s life and thoughts in positive ways. So far, I know it has shaped and confirmed my life and thoughts in nothing but positive ways and hopefully it has done the same for you. Another great read.
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