S01E01 Magic Bullets
The search for a “cure” for cancer is the greatest epic in the history of science. It spans centuries and continents and is full of its share of heroes, villains, and sudden vertiginous twists. Sidney...
Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies
S01E03: Finding the Achilles Heel
Scientists believe they have cracked the essential mystery of the malignant cell and the first targeted therapies have been developed. But very quickly cancer reveals new layers of complexity and a formidable array of unforeseen defenses. In the disappointment that follows, many call for a new focus on prevention and early detection as the most promising fronts in the war on cancer. But other scientists are undeterred, and by the second decade of the 2000s their work pays off. Perhaps most exciting of all is the prospect of harnessing the human immune system to defeat cancer. Doug Rogers, a 60-year-old NASCAR mechanic with melanoma, and Emily Whitehead, a six-year-old child afflicted with leukemia are both pioneers in new immunotherapy treatments.
Overview
The documentary series aims to reshape the way the public sees cancer and strip away some of the fear and misunderstanding that has long surrounded it. The story of cancer is a story of human ingenuity, resilience, and perseverance but also of hubris, paternalism and misperception.
Episodes
S01E02 The Blind Men and the Elephant
In the wake of the declaration of a “war on cancer” by Richard Nixon in 1971, flush with optimism and awash with federal dollars, the cancer field plunges forward in search of a cure. In...
S01E03 Finding the Achilles Heel
Scientists believe they have cracked the essential mystery of the malignant cell and the first targeted therapies have been developed. But very quickly cancer reveals new layers of complexity and a formidable array of unforeseen...
Cast
Siddhartha Mukherjee
Self
Edward Herrmann
Narrator (voice)
