The Breakthrough: Immunotherapy and the Race to Cure Cancer

(Paperback)

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New York Times bestselling author Charles Graeber tells the astonishing story of the group of scientists working on a code that can enable the human immune system to fight - and perhaps even cure - cancer. New York Times bestselling author Charles Graeber tells the astonishing story of the group of scientists working on a code that can enable the human immune system to fight - and perhaps even cure - cancer. For decades, scientists have puzzled over one of medicine's greatest mysteries- why doesn't our immune system fight cancer the way it does other diseases The answer is a series of tricks that cancer has developed to turn off normal immune responses - tricks that scientists have only recently discovered, and now are learning to defeat. We are in the midst of a revolution in our understanding of cancer and how to beat it. Groundbreaking, riveting, and expertly told, The Breakthrough is the story of the game-changing and Nobel Prize-winning scientific discoveries that unleash our natural ability to recognise and defeat cancer, as told through the experiences of the patients, physicians, and immunotherapy researchers who are on the front lines. This is the incredible true story of the race to find a cure, and the definitive account of a historic moment in medical science. 'Crisp and suspenseful ... an inspiring medical narrative.' -BBC ' 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 '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

Reviews

`Only 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 Graebers hands, the evolution of immuno-oncology is both captivating and heartbreaking. David A. Shaywitz, The Wall Street Journal `The extraordinary story of how medical research may finally have made the ultimate breakthrough a cure for cancer. Sydney Morning Herald

Author Bio

Charles Graeber is a contributing editor for Wired and a contributor to publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, GQ, Vogue, and many others. He has received many awards, and his work has been featured on NPR, CNN, the BBC, and numerous other media outlets.