CANCER: EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES PBS SPECIAL BY KEN BURNS BASED ON THE BOOK BY SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE

CANCER: EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. How is a cancer cell different than a normal cell? (video 1) 2. How has cancer treatment evolved as scientists have learned more about cancer? (video 3,4,5) 3. What steps can an individual take to prevent cancer? (video 2,3) 4. Why has it been so difficult to find a cure for cancer? (video 3, 4) 5. What does Richard Klausner mean when he says cancer is like evolution in a bottle? (video 6)

1. WHAT IS CANCER? (4:39) Read the following list of cancer statistics aloud before viewing the clips: - 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will experience cancer in their lifetimes. - Cancer afflicts 1.7 million Americans each year—and kills 600,000 of them. - 40% of cancer cases have no known cause at all. - Cancer mortality has been slowly declining -- down 20% over the last two decades. - If society were to implement what’s known about prevention, cancer deaths could be reduced by 50%.

2. CAUSES OF CANCER (:57) -What are the 6 known causes of cancer? -What percent of causes of cancer are unknown? -What are three things you can do to prevent cancer? -For which of these main “killers” do we know the causes: a) breast cancer b) prostate cancer c) colon cancer d) pancreatic cancer

3. WHY IS CANCER SO DIFFICULT TO CURE? (1:02) -Cancer cells constantly “mutate”? What does that mean? (see also Vocabulary) -How does mutation make finding a cure more difficult? How is this like a “moving target”? -What happens to cancer cells after taking cancer drugs?

4. CANCER TREATMENT TODAY (3:41) -How much has cancer mortality declined in the past two decades? -Of the three keys to fighting against cancer: a) prevention b) early detection c) targeted therapies Which is most effective at saving lives? - One discovery that has helped cancer treatment is that not all __________________ are important. Also, some types of cancers are actually connected in groupings called ______________. Another important key is the fact that each time a cancer cell mutates, it gains a new ________________. So the key to attacking the cancer cells is using a ______________________ of drugs.

5. CANCER TREATMENT TODAY (1:49) -The biggest revolution in cancer research is in _________________ the disease. -Even though cancer cells are evolving, so are ________________.

6. EVOLUTION IN A BOTTLE (1:49) -Cancer is described as “evolution in a bottle” because it is constantly __________________. -Scientists hope to map out all the human cancer ____________ and ________________.