The death of cancer: after fifty years on the front lines of medicine, a pioneering oncologist reveals why the war on cancer is winnable-and how we can get there (devita, v. and devita-raeburn, e.; 2015) [Book Review

Abstract

In this memoir of front-line action in the "war on cancer," the authors combine a survey of cancer biology with a recipe for more effective and personalized treatment of the myriad forms of cancer. Presented in chronological order in a smoothly written volume, the book tracks Dr. DeVita's early work as a clinical associate in the Division of Cancer Treatment (DCT) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) through his pioneering treatment of Hodgkin's disease, and ultimately to his leadership of the NCI, and later of the Cancer Centers at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York and at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut. Although at times a polemic against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for restricting patient access to new drugs, the book provides a vigorous defense for the "success" of hard-won advances in cancer treatment, such as improved cure rates and reduced mortality across the spectrum of all cancers, despite the huge allocation of effort and money (US$30 billion). In fact, it is the "boots on the ground" perspective of just how hard-won these advances have been that distinguishes this book from the other excellent book on this topic (The Emperor of All Maladies, by Siddhartha Mukherjee). Together, the two books provide a balanced perspective on the challenges that both patient and physician face when confronting cancer.