James P. Allison

Well, there's some central understanding. I think what it comes down to, if you look at all the data that exists, is that it's basically mutations that cause it. And If you get out of the sun a lot and you expose your skin to ultraviolet radiation, chances are you're going to get mutations in your skin that can cause melanoma because that's, you know, what the sunlight hits.

Well, there's some central understanding. I think what it comes down to, if you look at all the data that exists, is that it's basically mutations that cause it. And If you get out of the sun a lot and you expose your skin to ultraviolet radiation, chances are you're going to get mutations in your skin that can cause melanoma because that's, you know, what the sunlight hits.

And, you know, if you stay out of the sun, you're probably not going to, get melanoma, although plenty of people, same with lung cancer. You smoke, you know, you're highly, you know, you're a lot more likely to get, but you're not, if you don't smoke it, I mean, you're not going to get lung cancer because the cells divide. There's, there's, there are mistakes.

And, you know, if you stay out of the sun, you're probably not going to, get melanoma, although plenty of people, same with lung cancer. You smoke, you know, you're highly, you know, you're a lot more likely to get, but you're not, if you don't smoke it, I mean, you're not going to get lung cancer because the cells divide. There's, there's, there are mistakes.

Let's go back historically. Let's go back way to the start. There's evidence that the Greeks knew about tumors, and they cut them off. Okay. And so the very first cancer therapy was surgery.

Let's go back historically. Let's go back way to the start. There's evidence that the Greeks knew about tumors, and they cut them off. Okay. And so the very first cancer therapy was surgery.

got it yes and uh that still is perhaps the most effective if you can get it all that's the problem though because by the time you certain kind of cancers in particular like melanoma very often by the time you notice it in any kind of big way it's already spread to other organs uh in your body prostate same way um so um But if you can catch it early, surgery is pretty effective.

got it yes and uh that still is perhaps the most effective if you can get it all that's the problem though because by the time you certain kind of cancers in particular like melanoma very often by the time you notice it in any kind of big way it's already spread to other organs uh in your body prostate same way um so um But if you can catch it early, surgery is pretty effective.

The next therapy that came along was radiation. The Curies around the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century, Madame Curie in particular, developed radiotherapy. That was quite useful and curative in some cases. Of course, it also caused cancer. People learned about spinogenic effects, but the idea was you blast a cell and give it enough mutations that it can't live.

The next therapy that came along was radiation. The Curies around the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century, Madame Curie in particular, developed radiotherapy. That was quite useful and curative in some cases. Of course, it also caused cancer. People learned about spinogenic effects, but the idea was you blast a cell and give it enough mutations that it can't live.

The problem, of course, is that it also kills the normal tissues. So you gotta be careful about that. And then, oddly enough, with the advent of mustard gases and things during World War I and chemical warfare, agents that were developed leading into World War II, ultimately led to some pioneers in cancer therapy.

The problem, of course, is that it also kills the normal tissues. So you gotta be careful about that. And then, oddly enough, with the advent of mustard gases and things during World War I and chemical warfare, agents that were developed leading into World War II, ultimately led to some pioneers in cancer therapy.

In the 50s, you know, applying it to leukemias, childhood leukemias in particular, mustard, I mean, just toxic gases, toxic chemicals that were used to mustard gas, for example. Those were the basis of the first chemotherapies. They kill dividing cells.

In the 50s, you know, applying it to leukemias, childhood leukemias in particular, mustard, I mean, just toxic gases, toxic chemicals that were used to mustard gas, for example. Those were the basis of the first chemotherapies. They kill dividing cells.

They cause a lot more mutations. They screw up the DNA as it's dividing and make it so that the cell can't successfully divide without making it. Unfortunately, you could also put in a lot of mutations that will make it more likely to get a cancer down the road. But the bottom line is, with both of those, both radiotherapy and chemotherapy as given, unless you kill every last tumor cell,

They cause a lot more mutations. They screw up the DNA as it's dividing and make it so that the cell can't successfully divide without making it. Unfortunately, you could also put in a lot of mutations that will make it more likely to get a cancer down the road. But the bottom line is, with both of those, both radiotherapy and chemotherapy as given, unless you kill every last tumor cell,

with those techniques, those approaches to it, the tumor's gonna win, because it'll just come back. And so you have to blast them so hard, or with radiation, or poison them so much that it makes you sick, your hair falls out, the lining of your gut comes out, you don't make new blood cells, your immune system's blown away, and you're sick.

with those techniques, those approaches to it, the tumor's gonna win, because it'll just come back. And so you have to blast them so hard, or with radiation, or poison them so much that it makes you sick, your hair falls out, the lining of your gut comes out, you don't make new blood cells, your immune system's blown away, and you're sick.

And that's what I saw when I was growing up, and my mother and two of her brothers, and my brother, And it's a devastating thing, not just the cancer, but the consequences of the therapies.

And that's what I saw when I was growing up, and my mother and two of her brothers, and my brother, And it's a devastating thing, not just the cancer, but the consequences of the therapies.