Cancerland

by David Scadden

  NOTE

  CHAPTER 1: DAWN OF THE BIOLOGICAL AGE

  1.  Name changed to protect patient’s privacy.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  It has been a privilege to work with Michael D’Antonio. Michael’s friendship, patience, and storytelling prowess have converted our conversations about medical science into this book that I hope will convey the purpose-driven creativity that is that process. Michael endured much with indomitable good cheer throughout. His enormous skills as writer and researcher are superseded only by his humanity; I am forever indebted to him and his friendship is much cherished.

  A book is the product of every influence in an author’s life, and this is especially true for the people who provide love, friendship, inspiration, and guidance. Kathryn Scadden, the love of my life and my partner in every sense of the word, can be felt in every compassionate passage of this text. Margaret Scadden, Elizabeth Scadden, and Ned Scadden are all here in their distinctively inspiring and deeply virtuous ways: they make every day richer and worthy.

  From an early age, I was instructed in matters of humanity and curiosity-driven pursuits by my parents, grandparents, sisters, friends, neighbors and classmates. My sisters encouraged me and while I never had brothers, four people became my brothers in all but blood: Tim Reynolds, Keith Mendelson, Bruce Walker, and Doug Melton. I am a better human because of them.

  I am indebted to those who sparked my love of learning and gave me confidence that curiosity could turn to useful action. First and foremost are my parents, my teachers like George Walthoff, my family doctor, Salvatore Baldino, my professors at Bucknell like Michael Payne, John Murphy, and James Carens, my classmate and friend John Richard, my inspirations in medical school Adel Mahmoud, Charles Carpenter, Richard Graham, and George Bernier, and those extraordinary physicians who shaped my medical career like E. Franklin Bunn, David Rosenthal, Marshall Wolf, Eugene Braunwald, George Canellos, Robert Mayer, Robert Schwartz, Jerome Groopman, James Cunningham, John Potts, Kurt lsselbacher, and especially, Bruce Chabner.

  It is impossible to pursue science without the material and emotional support of individuals and institutions. I am forever grateful to Gerald and Darlene Jordan for the honor of a Harvard Chair in their name, to John Hess, Wilber and Janet James, Craig and Tracey Huff, Susan and Michael Hazard, and the many donors who have given stem cell science at Harvard and MGH the opportunity to deliver benefit for patients. The leaders of the institutions I have been fortunate to be a part of make an often unsung, but enormous impact on the lives they shape and foster. I thank them and MGH, Harvard, BWH, Case Western Reserve and Bucknell for what they have given me.

  Those who been my students or post-doctoral fellows have been an intellectual family whom I treasure and whose success is an ever-expanding source of joy. It has been a privilege to work with them. They include: Barbara Fuller, DVM, Anna Berardi, Ph.D., David Feder, M.D., Andrew Freedman, M.D., Ph.D., Lucia Columbyova, M.D., Michael Franken, M.D., Hongmei Shen, Ph.D., Tao Cheng, M.D., Nadia Carlesso, M.D., Ph.D., Antonio Daga, M.D., Ph.D., Tajiro Ishiyama, M.D., Jason Gardner, Ph.D., Byeong-Chel Lee, Ph.D., Christian Brander, Ph.D., Mark Poznansky, M.D., Ph.D., Richard Evans, M.D., Nobuyuki Miura, M.D., Ph.D., Neil Rodrigues, Ph.D., John Patrick Whelan, M.D., Ph.D., Zhengyu Wang, Ph.D., Paula O’Connor, M.D., Leonor Sarmento, Ph.D., Kenneth Cohen, M.D., Sebastian Stier, M.D., Gregor Adams, Ph.D., Yorikio Saito, M.D., Henry Dong, M.D., Ph.D., Zbigniew Szczepiorkowski, M.D., Ph.D., Robin Mayfield, M.D., Anna Gallazi, M.D., Dipti Patel, M.D., Randolf Forkert, M.D., Paul Robertson, MRCP, Eyal Attar, M.D., Dojun Gohara, Ph.D., Todd Suscovich, Ph.D., Keith Orford, M.D., Ph.D., Dorothy Sipkins, M.D., Ph.D., Chou-Wen Lin, Ph.D., Tong Chen, M.D., Richard Haspel, M.D., Ph.D., Heather Fleming, Ph.D., Viktor Janzen, M.D., Jonas Larsson, M.D., Ph.D., Louise Purton, Ph.D., Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., Ph.D., Nathaniel Jeanson, Ph.D., Brian Garrison, Ph.D., Shangqin Guo, Ph.D., Cristina LoCelso, Ph.D., Stephanie Xie, Ph.D., Marc Raaijmakers, M.D., Ph.D., Andre Catic, M.D., Ph.D., Daniela Krause, M.D., Ph.D., Borja Saez, Ph.D., Dongsu Park, Ph.D., Vionnie Yu, Ph.D., Siyi Zhang, Ph.D., Rushdia Yousuf, M.D., Lev Silberstein, M.D., Ph.D., Stephen Sykes, Ph.D., Stephania Lymperi, Ph.D., Gerd Bungartz, Ph.D., Francesca Ferraro, M.D., Ph.D., Jorg Dietrich, M.D., Ph.D., Ying-Hua Wang, Ph.D., Andrew Lane, M.D., Ph.D., David Sykes, M.D., Ph.D., Francois Mercier, M.D., Christine Ragu, Ph.D., Youmna Kfoury, Ph.D., Dongjun Lee, Ph.D., Jonathan Hoggatt, Ph.D., Rahul Palchaudhuri, Ph.D., Julien Cobert, M.D., Ninib Baryawno, Ph.D., Nicolas Severe, Ph.D., Demetrios Kalatzidis, Ph.D., Toshihoko Oki, M.D., Ph.D., Karin Gustafsson, Ph.D., Nisarg Shah, Ph.D., Amir Schjanovich, Ph.D., Nick Van Gastel, Ph.D., Yiping Wang, Ph.D., Azeem Sharda, MS, Cheuk-Him Man, Ph.D., Catherine Rhee, Ph.D., Xiao-Jing Yan, M.D., Ph.D., Adrian Berg, B.S., Phillip Chea, B.S., and Ting Zhao, Ph.D.

  It is not possible to thank enough the people who have been partners in making laboratory science and clinical care mesh without daily chaos. My assistant, Lisa Tramontozzi, has been heroic and ever cheerful in keeping the wheels turning. Those before her, including Ellen Kornell and Chris Pasker, also have my special thanks. The Center for Regenerative Medicine at MGH could not exist without the tireless effort, commitment and indefatigable good humor of Dave Machon. Brock Reeve has been a beacon of strength and creative drive for the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Catherine Link, Willy Lensch, Ph.D. and now Heather Rooke, Ph.D. managed the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University with exceptional skill and personal touch. I am indebted to them and those they lead for their dedication and friendship.

  Finally, colleagues and patients are the greatest source of inspiration and wisdom for anyone in medical research. I cannot name them all nor adequately express how I value their spirited engagement with our shared mission to improve health. Collectively, they are the true wellspring of ideas and motivation. My work in clinical cancer research was made possible by a team that was unparalleled in commitment to giving patients the best possible care. They are Jocelyn Bresnahan, R.N., Walter Howard, P.A., and Kathleen Shea. I would be remiss to not thank one patient in particular, Linda Allen, who has shown how joyful living and serendipity can mean everything, even in Cancerland.

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