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One of the most deadly forms of cancer is also one of the most preventable. In this program, doctors from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and elsewhere focus on three case studies of senior citizens with colon cancer to explore the etiology and pathology of colon cancer, risk factors, and screening options. Prevention through colonoscopic examinations is emphasized,...

How can twins with the same DNA be physically different? Biology is undergoing a revolution called "epigenetics", which is radically changing our conception of genetic inheritance. Our DNA can be influenced by external factors that turn our genes on or off! The changes provoked are fascinating and reversible: we now hold the key to our own destiny.

Most health problems typically respond best when they are diagnosed and treated as early as possible. This is especially true for colon cancer, the fourth most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the U.S. and the nation's second-leading cancer killer. This program explores the lives of colon cancer patients, and features leading medical experts discussing screening, diagnosis, and treatment. They explain that both men and women are at risk for colon...

Announced at the dawn of the 21st century, the first draft of the human genome map hinted at a new world of personalized medicine and targeted gene therapies. After more than a decade, how close are we to that scientific utopia? This program looks for answers as it follows three individuals who hope their serious genetic disorders may soon be treated or cured. Sophie, 21, has cystic fibrosis. She wonders if the gene therapy that has saved a young...

How does a functioning health system bring about a stable society? What were and are the great evolutionary steps in the development of new medicines and what are the challenges for the future? From the herbal gardens of the Middle Ages and Paracelsus to the great researchers of the 19th and 20th centuries, the cultural history of medicine reflects the history of mankind.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, six women from ABC News sat down and talked about taking on their formidable enemy. This program features all six women one year later, discussing what transpired over the past twelve months and how they feel about the future. While most are in remission, two patients are still grappling with disease on a daily basis, and both take this communal opportunity to reveal the concerns, frustrations, and hopes at...

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer and viruses; helped lead to in vitro...

In 1971, President Nixon declared war on cancer, envisioning a cure within five years. What mechanisms-financial, political, and medical-did his announcement set in motion? Are we any closer to winning the war? This program takes on those questions, examining milestones in cancer research and studying forces outside the scientific world that have driven or hindered anti-cancer efforts. Interviews with renowned medical pioneers-including Dr. Steven...

Women may be able to treat their breast cancer with a gel that is applied to the skin. Research at Northwestern University has shown that a gel form of tamoxifen applied to the breasts of women with noninvasive breast cancer reduced the growth of cancer cells to the same degree as the drug taken in oral form but with fewer side effects that deter some women from taking it.

In 1971, the federal government promised to find a cure for cancer. Since then hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent and much has been learned. Still, the diseases claims more lives each year. PBS NewsHour correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports on the past, present and future of cancer treatment.