Jessica Wapner

I started medical school only a few years after imatinib was successfully approved by the FDA. One of the most memorable lessons from those first few years was about CML and imatinib's use for it. I was dazzled by the very logical chain from translocation to fusion protein to proto-oncogene to inhibitor to cure. There are only a handful of moments that direct someone's life, and this was one of mine: I decided to do cancer genetics (it wasn't until years later that I would drop the "cancer" half of the career plan.) I spent two years in a cancer genetics lab, got involved in one of the first off-label uses of dasatinib and spent time speculating about all of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors of the future. And I've lived in the future, where even having walked away from cancer, I got myself intertwined with lung cancer and EGFR inhibitors and the disappointing resistance that occurs.

So, the Philadelphia chromosome story is a story that is near and dear to my heart. Nonetheless, I found Wapner's rendition of it particularly fascinating. First of all, she doesn't miss a beat: she starts from the very beginning about how dubious scientists were that the Philadelphia chromosome was a spontaneously occurring, somatic, balanced translocation and goes straight through to the ways in which the TK inhibitors that followed were kind of disappointing with the rapid-onset of resistance and the difficulty of detangling primary causative mutations from carrier mutations. Secondly, she really places each step along the research in the context of where science was at the time, keeping track of each of the details ultimately necessary for drug development (several of which I didn't know). And finally, she tells the story in a way that speaks to the broader picture of drug development -- the difficulty of investing in orphan diseases, the tension between industry and academia, the fear of testing a drug that might have unforeseen consequences.

It's rare that a popular science book is equally readable by lay and expert audiences, but I think Wapner's done a great job of making this work accessible but detailed.… (lisätietoja)

A truth that should always be held in mind when talking about the fruits of the scientific endeavor is that science is done by scientists. Scientists are human, capable of of both staggering feats of self-delusion and amazing acts of personal sacrifice and bravery.

Despite its title, this book is not about the genetics that lead to the diseases we collectively call cancer. Nor, despite the book blurb, is it about the discovery of kinase inhibitors and the quest to commercialize the tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are so effective against the chronic myeloid leukemia that results from the eponymous chromosomal defect.

This book is about the people that did the science and made the personal sacrifices because they believed so strongly in their work that it came ahead of their personal lives and allowed them to push through amazing headwinds thrown at them by funding sources and the pharma industry until they ultimately succeeded in their quest.

Above all, its the story of Brian Druker, the researcher who carries the most credit for bringing these drugs to market. What makes this story compelling and this book so valuable is that rather than to perpetuate the false 1950s-esque stereotype of the brilliant and diligent scientists overcoming all odds with his righteousness and competence, Wapner's tale captures the doubt, self-examination, and humanity of how one man followed his passion and drove the state of the art in oncology forward.… (lisätietoja)

This is a very good companion piece to Siddhartha Mukherjee's, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. It could easily serve as a welcome and more detailed look at the last portions of Mukherjee's book. While there is plenty of depth to both books, not all participants in the battle against cancer over the many years come out looking very saintly. The Emperor of All Maladies has a rather jaundiced view of a number of cancer physicians, and The Philadelphia Chromosome author points out many of the shortcomings of drug companies. Nevertheless, this author does make a solid effort to share the drug companies' public relations position papers with a straight face. Having read Mukherjee's book before this one, it is quite difficult to say how much I would have appreciated this one without the knowledge of the first one. My gut tells me I would have enjoyed the book anyway, but that I have a more extensive and accurate assessment of where we are with our battle with cancer because of reading both. Frankly, I can't imagine facing a possible cancer diagnosis without the knowledge I now have.… (lisätietoja)

The major topic of The Philadelphia Chromosome, the discovery of a cancer causing genetic mutation known as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), was actually touched on briefly in The Emperor of All Maladies. However, Jessica Wapner uses the entirety of her book to focus on the connections between genetics and cancer, from the late 1950's through a series of breakthroughs that have allowed thousands to survive what would have once been a fatal diagnosis.

The Philadelphia Chromosome works well because of its balance. It never reads like an overly technical textbook, nor does it fall into a wordy history or weepy biography. Wapner uses the personal stories of patients who were able to survive by taking a daily pill to piece together the history of genetic cancer research. While the science behind the success is described, it is broken down in a way that readers unfamiliar with the details of genetics can easily understand.

Though parts of the book did read rather similar to The Emperor of All Maladies, I didn't necessarily feel like I was reading the same information over again. In fact, I would recommend reading it prior to reading The Philadelphia Chromosome, since it provides readers with a good groundwork in the history of cancer research that Wapner's book can easily build on.… (lisätietoja)