The Breakthrough: Immunotherapy and the Race to Cure Cancer

The Breakthrough: Immunotherapy and the Race to Cure Cancer

  • Downloads:5957
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2021-01-20 04:21:17
  • Update Date:2025-09-07
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Charles Graeber
  • ISBN:9781455568482
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Editor Reviews

"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)

"THE BREAKTHROUGH 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。 This book and the advances it describes offer far more than the usual glimmer of hope。。。Graeber does a good job of hacking through it all, interspersing the medical research with interesting accounts of patients and their determined physicians。"—The New York Times

"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

"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

"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 defenses。 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

"Engaging。。。In Mr。 Graeber's hands, the evolution of immuno-oncology is both captivating and heartbreaking。 We are immersed in the stories of the brave, desperate patients who try emerging therapies。。。We can't fail to see ourselves, our friends and our families in these stories。"—The Wall Street Journal

"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

"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)

"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

"[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

"Crisp and suspenseful。。。an inspiring medical narrative。"—BBC

"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

"Rare and thrilling。。。a hopeful, even inspiring, book about cancer。"—Minneapolis Star Tribune

From the Publisher

Reviews

Witch-at-Heart

This book is a very interesting as a person with metastatic breast cancer it gives me food for thought。 The book is highly informative。 I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review。

Emma

I really liked this book - my PhD research is on CAR-T cell immunotherapy so it was great to learn more about the history and early discoveries in this field。 However, I found the use of notes at the end of the book really annoying as I had to keep flipping to the back of the book。 There were also numerous typos in the book - AstroZeneca? Finally, the final chapter mentioning religion so much was an interesting choice from the author and I'm not sure that it was the strongest conclusion。 I really liked this book - my PhD research is on CAR-T cell immunotherapy so it was great to learn more about the history and early discoveries in this field。 However, I found the use of notes at the end of the book really annoying as I had to keep flipping to the back of the book。 There were also numerous typos in the book - AstroZeneca? Finally, the final chapter mentioning religion so much was an interesting choice from the author and I'm not sure that it was the strongest conclusion。 。。。more

Candace Rollins

This is a must read if you are interested in the future of cancer treatments, including one of the most promising avenues, virology。 I would suggest reading The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee first to get a layman's understanding of the disease, it's history and potential treatments。 Despite the subject matter, the text was easy enough for the non-medical reader to comprehend。 This is a must read if you are interested in the future of cancer treatments, including one of the most promising avenues, virology。 I would suggest reading The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee first to get a layman's understanding of the disease, it's history and potential treatments。 Despite the subject matter, the text was easy enough for the non-medical reader to comprehend。 。。。more

Joseph M

Great book for anyone interested in the current state-of-the-art medical technologies surrounding Immunotherapy。 Also, goes into great depths of how cancer works and how cancer interacts with our two different immune systems。

JJ

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 an 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。 。。。more

Jack

Really good - very informative - should be read if you want to see where this part of medicine is going

Sharon

Graeber writes about cancer patients, doctors and reseachers who are interconnected in the revolutionary development of immunotherapy as an effective cancer treatment。 The discoveries are constantly being used to develop more efficient cancer treatments。

Kunal Sen

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 read 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 。。。more

Vimal Keerthi

Stunning and a must read for anyone who needs to know how human race is pushing the boundaries of science。

David Rubenstein

It seems odd to review a book that is so far ahead of my learning, but I will note that this is one of the best science books I have ever held。 It is particularly well written and is easy to read with the perfect amount of detail and backgroundThe author tells a compelling story of the long-term research behind using the human immune system to fight (and potentially beat) cancer; it weaves in personal stories of doctors, patients, and advocates without becoming maudlin or heroic; it presents a b It seems odd to review a book that is so far ahead of my learning, but I will note that this is one of the best science books I have ever held。 It is particularly well written and is easy to read with the perfect amount of detail and backgroundThe author tells a compelling story of the long-term research behind using the human immune system to fight (and potentially beat) cancer; it weaves in personal stories of doctors, patients, and advocates without becoming maudlin or heroic; it presents a balanced approach without predicting failure or success, while establishing what would have to happen to reach success; it references but not not attempt to address the giant inequities of a life-saving therapy that cannot be mad affordable to most who need it in the U。S。 and others overseas; it references the investment that the taxpayer made, roughly $100 billion, that is being monetized by private industry; it left me recognizing how so many forces have to be marshaled to take on, let alone beat, a complex, variable, and mutating physiological foe。 Did I mention it was written well, engaging, and educational?Recommended without limitation。 。。。more

Alina Lucia

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。 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。 。。。more

Stephanie D

Good but had to put aside because too serious for reading during shelter-in-place

Satheesh Kumar

A brief overview of the available and under-research cancer immunotherapies through case studies。 Narrative flow really helped what could have been a dense and dry book。

Avinash Pandey

Camouflage and espionage of immune cells meant to annihilate cancer, turns rogue in attempt to defend tumors。 How to arm twist this detractor to initiate it's noble deeds again? Laudable attempt by Charles Graeber, to portray the journey of Nobel laureate, Jim Allison who pioneered the work of immunotherapy as therapeutic option to treat cancer Camouflage and espionage of immune cells meant to annihilate cancer, turns rogue in attempt to defend tumors。 How to arm twist this detractor to initiate it's noble deeds again? Laudable attempt by Charles Graeber, to portray the journey of Nobel laureate, Jim Allison who pioneered the work of immunotherapy as therapeutic option to treat cancer 。。。more

Gregory E。 Meyer

Very insightful view into the future of cancer cures。Great analysis of disruptive cancer during technology。 Hard to put down。 Shows examples of the weaknesses in current clinical trials。

Cenk Undey

Great story of the first chapters of cancer immunotherapy。

Vidya

Awesome history of I/O and good explanation of the science。 Very much enjoyed。 The excitement of science continues to amaze。

Tânia

Wonderfully written book, from which I’ve leaned a lot about a topic I’ve heard quite a bit about from the pharma perspective but knew little about。 In addition to being very informative, the human perspective gives it a very special touch。 Thank you!

Tammy

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 infor 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。 。。。more

Zain Patel

An excellent introduction to immunological cures for cancer。 This book is very well written。

emilie taymor

Favourite read of the year!

Tasha

Very interesting read, couldn’t put it down until about 3/4 in, where pacing seemed to be off ( maybe too much detail slowing it down for me?)。 Would recommend still and may reread in the future。

Casey Daniels

Too optimistic, and a bit dreamy at the end, but he generally got the nuts and bolts of the story correct, and presented it in a way that's easy to understand and connects the science with the humanity。 Very timely。 Too optimistic, and a bit dreamy at the end, but he generally got the nuts and bolts of the story correct, and presented it in a way that's easy to understand and connects the science with the humanity。 Very timely。 。。。more

Jenny

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。 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。 。。。more

David Mccracken

A very well written look at the transformation of cancer treatment in the last 10 years due to discoveries in how cancer blocks the immune system and how drugs can, in many cases, block the blockers。

Anne

GREAT storyline on a complex medical subject makes this book a compelling read for the science-oriented layperson who loves history in the making。

Harsh

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 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。 。。。more

John Deardurff

This is not normally the type of book that I read, but I discovered it through a July 2019 article in Wired Magazine about The 2018 Nobel Prize winners in medicine awarded jointly to James P。 Allison and Tasuku Honjo "for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation。" The actual book is only about 180 pages with the rest being documentation, pictures, and notes。 The first three chapters start with the history of Immunotherapy and Cancer Research, but it is told t This is not normally the type of book that I read, but I discovered it through a July 2019 article in Wired Magazine about The 2018 Nobel Prize winners in medicine awarded jointly to James P。 Allison and Tasuku Honjo "for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation。" The actual book is only about 180 pages with the rest being documentation, pictures, and notes。 The first three chapters start with the history of Immunotherapy and Cancer Research, but it is told through relatable stories。 I will admit, starting with chapter four I started getting lost in the medical jargon and acronyms, but I was able to hang on to understand that we are on the verge of an amazing decade of medical advancement that might see the end of cancer。 。。。more

Jason

A pretty interesting history of cancer immunotherapy research over the last few decades。 The level of scientific detail was appropriate for a general audience, without being too dumbed down。 At the same time, there were quite a few patient sob-stories that I felt were a little sappy and excessive。 The book was short though, so those didn’t drag on for too long。

Olatomiwa Bifarin

Biology is extremely complex, so is our immune system。 So, let’s get that out of the way first。•Okay。 One, this is a great book to read for anyone interested in how biology / biomedical research works。 It’s just lots of failure。 However these failures aren’t failures in a very practical sense (if experiments were carried out appropriately), because Science at its best is an antifragile system。•Two, for a lay person who wants to marvel at the complexity of our bodies, this will give you some hint Biology is extremely complex, so is our immune system。 So, let’s get that out of the way first。•Okay。 One, this is a great book to read for anyone interested in how biology / biomedical research works。 It’s just lots of failure。 However these failures aren’t failures in a very practical sense (if experiments were carried out appropriately), because Science at its best is an antifragile system。•Two, for a lay person who wants to marvel at the complexity of our bodies, this will give you some hints。 •Three, for someone who wants to learn about these topics, obviously - that our immune system has the capability of clearing out cancer cells。 A first course in immunology will make this a light read, and for the general audience, the author does a great job with analogies。 •Four, a caveat。 This isn’t the conventional, intuitive breakthrough, as Charles puts it “The breakthrough is a door, now open; the beginning, but not yet the cure。” Inshorts, there is plenty we don’t know。 。。。more

Becky L Long

Combine advances discussed in this book with the metabolic theory of cancer and the future of cancer doesn't look nearly as bleak。 Combine advances discussed in this book with the metabolic theory of cancer and the future of cancer doesn't look nearly as bleak。 。。。more