The Truth in Small Doses

The Truth in Small Doses, Why We Are Losing the War on Cancer – and How to Win It, by Clifton Leaf, Simon and Schuster 2013

The numbers are shocking.  Cancer-patient and investigative reporter Clifton Leaf presents a horrifying but cohesive look at the war against this wasting disease:

·          In 2013, despite a four-decade war against the disease costing hundreds of billions of dollars, more than 1.5 million Americans will get cancer and nearly 600,000 will die from it.

·         In 2013 cancer will kill more middle-aged Americans (age 45 – 64) than the next three leading causes of death – heart disease, accidents and chronic lower respiratory disease - combined.

·         Cancer will kill more children than any other disease.

We’ve all been hurt by this disease, and many of us contribute or walk or run for the cure, but, Leaf asks, is it working?  Is all the money really taking down this killer? 

Leaf documents how the war against cancer grew into multiple particular research, fund-raising, experimental and pharmaceutical programs, many of which compete against each other.  Further, he demonstrates how government anti-cancer initiatives reinforce counter-intuitive solutions, from researchers competing with each other to achieve less-than- desired results, to confusion in the healthcare information flows that prolong the agony.

Yet, Leaf believes that this enormous challenge is an engineering problem, one that we’ve proven in the Moon Shot, the computer revolutions and now genomic research, we know how to win.  Leaf therefore recommends that we clarify the problem by “paring down the multiple layers of decision-makers  that preside over nearly every aspect of the cancer research process."  Further, he wants to see the anti-cancer industry leaders implement the initiatives they themselves have recommended – that is speed up clinical trials and cut away other bureaucractic obstacles.  Third, Leaf wants to see a common language take over to “transform tens of thousands of separate laboratory fiefdoms into a critical mass.”  Who suspected that in this age of computer integration and social transformation, somehow this particular form of dis-integration could continue to grow and grow and grow?

A powerful book written by someone with skin in the game, a cancer victim.