cover image Why Millions Survive Cancer: The Successes of Science

Why Millions Survive Cancer: The Successes of Science

Lauren Pecorino. Oxford Univ., $29.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-19-958055-2

The reality is grim: the lifetime risk of getting cancer is one in three. Yet, insists University of Greenwich cancer biologist Pecorino, successes in understanding and battling cancer should fill us with hope.%C2%A0There are an estimated 28 million cancer survivors worldwide%E2%80%9412 million of them in the United States. There are newer, better drugs%E2%80%94for instance, drugs to treat even metastatic tumors and prevent tumors from developing the new blood vessels that nourish them, and more targeted treatments that are making a difference in the battle against cancer. Five-year survival in childhood cancers has also brightened, from 65% in the mid-1980s to 81% currently. But, Pecorino says, there's work for the public to do as well: to be aware of how they can help decrease their own risks: eat a healthy diet, exercise, maintain a healthy weight. This is an orderly, thoughtful, and optimistic guide, but some may find that in emphasizing science's successes, Pecorino relegates bad news (lung cancer's deadliness) to the background as she emphasizes her optimism (you can stop smoking!). (Sept.)