The Death of Cancer

By: Vincent T. DeVita Jr. MD, Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn

Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin

Ater 50 years on the front lines of medicine, a pioneering oncologist reveals why the war on cancer is winnable - and how we can get there.

Cancer touches everybody's life in one way or another. But most of us know very little about how the disease works, why we treat it the way we do, and the personalities whose dedication got us where we are today. For 50 years, Dr. Vincent T. DeVita, Jr., has been one of those key players: He has held just about every major position in the field, and he developed the first successful chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma, a breakthrough the American Society of Clinical Oncologists has called the top research advance in half a century of chemotherapy.

As one of oncology's leading figures, DeVita knows what cancer looks like from the lab bench and the bedside. The Death of Cancer is his illuminating and deeply personal look at the science and the history of one of the world's most formidable diseases. In DeVita's hands, even the most complex medical concepts are comprehensible.

Cowritten with DeVita's daughter, the science writer Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn, The Death of Cancer is also a personal tale about the false starts and major breakthroughs, the strong-willed oncologists who clashed with conservative administrators (and one another), and the courageous patients whose willingness to test cutting-edge research helped those oncologists find potential treatments. An emotionally compelling and informative listen, The Death of Cancer is also a call to arms. DeVita believes that we're well on our way to curing cancer, but there are things we need to change in order to get there. Mortality rates are declining, but America's cancer patients are still being shortchanged - by timid doctors, by misguided national agendas, by compromised bureaucracies, and by a lack of access to information about the strengths and weaknesses of the nation's cancer centers.

©2015 Vincent T. DeVita, Jr., MD, and Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

We came a long way since 1971!

We came a long way since president Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act in 1971, or as he described it the "war on cancer".

Bittersweet story would get ten stars if I could

What an expose on human nature! In a field which the most sanguine of us would hope and pray could be devoid of greed, jealousy, and even corruption, alas it is not to be. Money is the root of all evil. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I salute Vince DeVita for this confession, revelation, and apology. But most of all for his endurance, passion and focus throughout a brilliant career. Greatest quote in book " the problem with Vince is that he wants to cure cancer!" I am a gynecologic oncologist and I lost count of the number of times I winced while assimilating this book. May the public and profession never lose heart and hope.....and may God continue to bless us with the likes of Vincent DeVita.

Memoir of a great oncologist

How many cancers, if not killed, have been converted to chronic diseases. This is about treatment, not prevention. Also much about politics of cancer research, and failings of FDA approval process, a death sentence for many patients.

Great Book!

What did you love best about The Death of Cancer?

This was one of the best Cancer books I have read....the real stories about patients and his compassion and dedication were amazing!

What about Stephen McLaughlin’s performance did you like?

Excellent narration.

history more than science

was hoping for more science, but this book is really more of an autobiography/historical account of chemotherapy developement. still a very informative and eye opening book.

What You Need to Know

What made the experience of listening to The Death of Cancer the most enjoyable?

Hearing what actually happens. The war on cancer is a lot of camps with their own agendas.

What did you like best about this story?

It was true & conforms to the conflicts that occur in any big group.

What does Stephen McLaughlin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The emotion of the voice.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Eye opening.

Any additional comments?

A very good book.

Reads like one of his fascinating lectures.

There were times when I struggled with the content, but overall a very readable book. I worked at NCI during the time he was director, so it was especially meaningful to me. Excellent source for the history of medicine and the history of cancer research. This is a Dr. who applied science with humanity.

Loved this book!

As a pharmacist, I really enjoyed the combination of science and patient stories. A great book every health care professional should take the time to read or listen.

Excellent memoir, history, and science

4.5 stars. A nearly perfect blend of medical memoir, history of cancer (think Emperor of All Maladies, abridged), and explanation of how cancer functions and the strategies for defeating it. DeVita has a lively writing style and his reminisces and anecdotes demonstrate abundant humanity and sensitivity. This is a man who clearly, both in his work developing groundbreaking treatments for cancer and directly with patients, feels deeply for the people he treats and that his work in oncology is a calling. His insights into the past and current realities of cancer research and treatment, the political and hierarchical machinations, the challenges facing clinicians and patients, are eye-opening, educational, and all too often disturbing. Well worth the time of any reader, but especially those with an interest in the ongoing mission to find ways to diagnose, treat, and eventually cure cancer.

PLEASE, Read this book! Chaplain Tim

This is a book that not only presents but documents "The War on Cancer". It is a sad but real eye opener of where we've been, where we are, and a terrible loss of life that was preventable due to our weapons being financed to sit on the shelf. There is hope, together armed with truth, history, and a desire to help current and future patients, we all can make a difference by being informed and sharing what we know. This book is a great start!