The Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at West Virginia University is two decades old. It seems as though the facility has been around for a much longer time.
We have learned a great deal about cancer in the past thirty years. So much so, that the timeline of the historical record of mankind’s suffering from this disease has been drastically skewed. In 1980, actor Steve McQueen traveled to Mexico where he took laetrile treatments to try and cure his mesothelioma. Just last week, cancer survivor Lance Armstrong was back in the hospital, this time for a broken collarbone suffered while riding his bicycle.
Steve McQueen, the daredevil biker who did everything but sing “Edelweiss” as he toured the German countryside when filming “The Great Escape”, was hopelessly condemned by cancer. Lance Armstrong, on the other hand, not only survived testicular cancer but went on to become France’s most famous two-wheeling tourist. He didn’t sing “Edelweiss” either, but he did date Sheryl Crowe for awhile.
We have gone from cancer being a certain death sentence to being “doable” in a moment of time.
The first designed chemotherapy drug, methotrexate, appeared exactly sixty years ago. The drug proved effective against childhood leukemia, but medical science as a whole was skeptical that childhood leukemia was even curable.
It’s not that humans haven’t known about cancer for a long time. The Greeks and Romans used their respective words for “crab” to also define cancer. Cancerous tumors resemble the appearance of a crab.
The Greek physician Hippocrates described cancer about 400 B. C. From this point, you can fast-forward to the start of the twentieth century because not much happened to expand man’s knowledge of cancer during that epoch. The year 1902 stands out, however, with Madame Curie’s discovery of radium and Thomas Edison’s growing manufacture of X-ray machines. It wasn’t long after until people learned about radiation and its consequences from overexposure.
Many of you remember wearing a lead apron while your dentist hid in a concrete bunker and pushed a button to X-ray your teeth. The apron protected your torso (and little else) from inadvertent overexposure. Unless you wore a tin foil hat, you can probably assume that some of your brain cells were fried. Today, however, radiation oncologists can aim pinpoint beams of radiation at the actual tumor site.
The gains that we have made in curing cancer during the last thirty years are due in large part to a greatly expanded National Cancer Institute and the advent of regional cancer centers such as MBRCC. As patients, we tend to focus on individual cancer treatment. While the cancer center provides state-of-the-art patient treatment, its role goes far beyond that.
The research laboratories at MBRCC and the Health Science Center have had notable success in making critical discoveries. For example, Dr. Laura Gibson’s team discovered that cancer cells can hide in the bone marrow where they cannot be reached by chemotherapy drugs. And Dr. Wei-Shau Hu discovered that two retroviruses can infect the same cell and swap DNA.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then kudos to Dr. Kimberly Horn and Dr. Geri Dino of WVU’s Health Science Center. In partnership with MBRCC, Drs. Horn and Dino developed the “Not On Tobacco” program which has been the model for teenage tobacco cessation programs across the nation. The Centers for Disease Control recently launched a website to promote the N-O-T program.
As part of its outreach mission, the MBRCC will be sending Bonnie’s Bus, a mobile mammogram unit, around the state. Women in rural areas will soon find much easier access to digital mammography.
The MBRCC opened its Blood and Marrow Transplantation program in 1992 and it remains the only accredited such program in West Virginia.
The MBRCC is a matrix cancer center and was designed to take advantage of not only the HSC’s elements but the WVU campus as a whole. It has been a success. This month, the MBRCC will double in size when it dedicates its expanded facility.
I do hope, however, that cancer is cured before the MBRCC celebrates forty years.
There is a good benchmark to show how far we have come in treating cancer. One of the drugs that cured Lance Armstrong was discovered in 1845 and named Peyrone’s salt after its discoverer. Now called cisplatin, its anticancer properties were discovered quite by accident in 1970. Cisplatin began clinical trials in 1978, just in time to save Lance Armstrong.
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Friday, April 3, 2009
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Graduation Remarks--WVU School of Journalism, May 2006
Dec 9, 2006
Graduation Remarks: Perley I. Reed School of Journalism at WVU
(Salutation, Acknowledgement: faculty, grads, guests.)
I was in this auditorium once before to hear Dr. Bruce Chabner, Chief of Oncology at Harvard Medical School, give a lecture on the status of cancer treatments. That was in June 2004.
Dr. Chabner told us that day that only one cancer drug, Gleevec, was a “magic bullet” when it came to curing cancer. Gleevec is very effective in treating a type of leukemia. While Gleevec is a true miracle drug, scientists have yet to match its success in treating any other type of cancer.
I remember standing in line nearly 50 years ago to take the first oral polio vaccine. The Sabin polio vaccine was the miracle drug of its day. Polio was still a scourge in the 1950’s. But then came the cure—a drop of red liquid on a sugar cube.
You cannot imagine how I felt as a young boy knowing that miracle cures were served on sugar cubes. Never again, I thought, would I hear my mother say, “It’s time to take your medicine.”, and then have to swallow a bitter tonic.
The same day that I took the polio cure, one of the grown-ups said, “It won’t be long until there’s a cure for cancer.” How wrong he was.
I suppose it was that day when I started thinking about cancer and about waiting for its cure.
Six years ago, I proposed that West Vrginia University should publish a report called “100 Lives.” The book would consist of interviews with 100 cancer patients being treated here at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. I believed that these interviews should be conducted by journalists so that they would be objective write-ups. I also believed strongly that journalism students would be the best candidates for the jobs. Here’s what I proposed:
The Student-Reporter
At the outset, one might conclude that only an experienced reporter need apply for this assignment. In this case, however, the novice might actually have an edge because of bias. Demographics being what they are, a college student is far less likely to have experienced the effects of cancer than would have a seasoned reporter. When I say, “experienced”, I also mean to include knowing family members or friends who have been through the ordeal. To know where the patient is headed, or worse, to think you know where the patient is headed based on one case, is a form of bias that will detract from the objectivity of One Hundred Lives. …
Not long after I submitted the proposal to President David Hardesty’s office, I received a call from the Cancer Center saying that the project was being considered. Then came the first meeting with the Journalism faculty. Dean Christine Martin chaired the informal get-together and George Esper, the veteran reporter and professor, sat in as chief inquisitor.
At the time, I never gave it much thought that the Journalism school might be skeptical of the plan. I came to realize, however, that Dean Martin probably thought I intended for her students to create some sort of PR-piece for the Cancer Center. That’s when George Esper asked me directly if “100 Lives” was to be a puff-piece or a true, journalistic endeavor.
I answered his question correctly.
I had hoped for an accurate reporting of the havoc that cancer plays in a person’s life and, beyond that, the effect it has on family members. The journalism students who worked on the project, which became known as “Cancer Stories”, certainly delivered a product that exceeded all expectations.
Going back to Dr. Chabner’s visit, then-professor Maryanne Reed was able to meet with him briefly and give him a galley proof of “Cancer Stories” and the accompanying video. He was most gracious in his review of the project and wrote to her:
"I, along with my wife, had the great privilege of watching “Cancer Stories: Lessons in Love, Loss, and Hope” and found it to be an extraordinary window into the personal experience of cancer patients. I have never seen anything as personal and revealing about this experience. The subjects are not patients; they come to us as family members, parents, friends and their lives are like ours. Their stories are so gripping and so wrenching.
"You and your students have made a remarkable contribution."
I believe that “Cancer Stories” is genuine and holds its integrity for one reason—its lack of bias.
Because this project was such a novel concept, nobody went into it with his or her mind made up. No one—not the doctors, not the patients, not the students—knew what to expect.
In most every medical report, comments from the experts permeate the text. In most every medical documentary, there is endless footage of static medical equipment or test tubes.
In “Cancer Stories”, the words and the images of the patients carry the report. And the reporters were never intrusive. If anything, the reporters allowed the reader and the viewer to accompany the patients and their families as if they were there themselves.
In the closing chapter of “Cancer Stories”, I wrote:
"That our young reporters blended into the fabric of this tapestry so completely as to be unnoticed and yet captured the realism of each day in the life of a cancer patient is a testament to this university, its faculty and staff, and its students….
"To this end, the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism students were faithful and unbiased reporters and they have delivered a remarkable and honest catalogue of the facets of life as well as the range of emotions that we call the human spirit."
Dean Maryanne Reed suggested that I also talk to you about the importance of journalists in our society. Since I am a contributing writer of opinion columns, let me confess my bias in favor of unfettered journalism at the start.
If I were a good communist (instead of a good columnist), then I’d be condemning journalists to the work farms.
Having worked in both the private and public sectors has given me the insight that the people in charge are not very fond of criticism. Part of that attitude is plain, old-fashioned human nature. From time-to-time, we all wear our pride on our sleeve.
But part of it is that leaders and their press officers hope to control information. Control of information has always equaled power. And that applies to everything from backyard gossip to the press releases at the highest levels of government.
Our Founding Fathers knew of this peril. Perhaps their wisest decision was guaranteeing freedom of speech. Were it not for the 1st Amendment, “truth” would be a relative term that changes from day to day.
George Orwell’s “1984” is, of course, a work of fiction. But his fictional tale of Oceania is rooted firmly in reality. When there is no free press, the Minister of Information decides what is true and what is false.
If we understand what happens when there is no free press, we must also consider what happens when the press itself is derelict or corrupt. Ayn Rand’s fictional newspaperman in “The Fountainhead”, Ellsworth Toohey, is the best example of a failed press that I know of.
Ellsworth Toohey famously said, “Don’t set out to raze all shrines – you’ll frighten men. Enshrine mediocrity, and the shrines are razed.”
In modern society, I believe that we have enshrined mediocrity. And I believe that we have enshrined mediocrity to a dangerous degree.
But I still have hope that this generation of young people will reverse this course.
At West Virginia University, greatness is learned. There is no better proof of that motto than the accomplishments of the students and recent graduates of the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism.
From “Cancer Stories” to “Starting Over” (the Katrina project), journalism students at WVU have produced reports of exceptional quality. They have learned that facts speak for themselves and that the truth, however painful, always wins the day.
We owe these youngsters much more than our applause. We also owe them the professional respect that they have earned.
Thank you.
* * * * * * *
From: WVU Journalism School Magazine Summer 2007
Graduation
Allen Delivers Convocation Address for December Grads
By Kate Grosel
David G. Allen, a Clarksburg, W.Va. native, delivered the School of Journalism's December convocation address on Dec. 9, 2006.
Allen is a frequent contributor to The State Journal. He writes about West Virginia politics and economics.
"David Allen has a truly original voice," said Dean Maryanne Reed. "As a writer and a journalist, he calls them like he sees them. His commitment to honest and accurate reporting is an inspiration to our students and graduates."
In his remarks, Allen urged students to seek truth in all future journalistic endeavors. He reminded students of the First Amendment's protections for press freedom.
"If we understand what happens when there is no free press, we must also consider what happens when the press itself is derelict or corrupt," Allen said.
In his address, Allen focused on the School's groundbreaking convergence project, "Cancer Stories."
In 2000, Allen was asked to serve on the WVU Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center's Advisory Board. Subsequently, he proposed that SOJ students interview cancer patients, following their progress throughout all treatment stages.
His vision and support led to the project, "Cancer Stories: Lessons in Love, Loss and Hope," an Emmy Award-winning documentary and a book published by WVU Press.
Allen lauded the School's special projects that give the students real-world experience.
"From 'Cancer Stories' to 'Starting Over' [the School's innovative project on Hurricane Katrina]' journalism students at WVU have produced reports of exceptional quality," Allen told graduates and their families.
"They have learned that facts speak for themselves and that the truth, however painful, always wins the day."
Graduation Remarks: Perley I. Reed School of Journalism at WVU
(Salutation, Acknowledgement: faculty, grads, guests.)
I was in this auditorium once before to hear Dr. Bruce Chabner, Chief of Oncology at Harvard Medical School, give a lecture on the status of cancer treatments. That was in June 2004.
Dr. Chabner told us that day that only one cancer drug, Gleevec, was a “magic bullet” when it came to curing cancer. Gleevec is very effective in treating a type of leukemia. While Gleevec is a true miracle drug, scientists have yet to match its success in treating any other type of cancer.
I remember standing in line nearly 50 years ago to take the first oral polio vaccine. The Sabin polio vaccine was the miracle drug of its day. Polio was still a scourge in the 1950’s. But then came the cure—a drop of red liquid on a sugar cube.
You cannot imagine how I felt as a young boy knowing that miracle cures were served on sugar cubes. Never again, I thought, would I hear my mother say, “It’s time to take your medicine.”, and then have to swallow a bitter tonic.
The same day that I took the polio cure, one of the grown-ups said, “It won’t be long until there’s a cure for cancer.” How wrong he was.
I suppose it was that day when I started thinking about cancer and about waiting for its cure.
Six years ago, I proposed that West Vrginia University should publish a report called “100 Lives.” The book would consist of interviews with 100 cancer patients being treated here at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. I believed that these interviews should be conducted by journalists so that they would be objective write-ups. I also believed strongly that journalism students would be the best candidates for the jobs. Here’s what I proposed:
The Student-Reporter
At the outset, one might conclude that only an experienced reporter need apply for this assignment. In this case, however, the novice might actually have an edge because of bias. Demographics being what they are, a college student is far less likely to have experienced the effects of cancer than would have a seasoned reporter. When I say, “experienced”, I also mean to include knowing family members or friends who have been through the ordeal. To know where the patient is headed, or worse, to think you know where the patient is headed based on one case, is a form of bias that will detract from the objectivity of One Hundred Lives. …
Not long after I submitted the proposal to President David Hardesty’s office, I received a call from the Cancer Center saying that the project was being considered. Then came the first meeting with the Journalism faculty. Dean Christine Martin chaired the informal get-together and George Esper, the veteran reporter and professor, sat in as chief inquisitor.
At the time, I never gave it much thought that the Journalism school might be skeptical of the plan. I came to realize, however, that Dean Martin probably thought I intended for her students to create some sort of PR-piece for the Cancer Center. That’s when George Esper asked me directly if “100 Lives” was to be a puff-piece or a true, journalistic endeavor.
I answered his question correctly.
I had hoped for an accurate reporting of the havoc that cancer plays in a person’s life and, beyond that, the effect it has on family members. The journalism students who worked on the project, which became known as “Cancer Stories”, certainly delivered a product that exceeded all expectations.
Going back to Dr. Chabner’s visit, then-professor Maryanne Reed was able to meet with him briefly and give him a galley proof of “Cancer Stories” and the accompanying video. He was most gracious in his review of the project and wrote to her:
"I, along with my wife, had the great privilege of watching “Cancer Stories: Lessons in Love, Loss, and Hope” and found it to be an extraordinary window into the personal experience of cancer patients. I have never seen anything as personal and revealing about this experience. The subjects are not patients; they come to us as family members, parents, friends and their lives are like ours. Their stories are so gripping and so wrenching.
"You and your students have made a remarkable contribution."
I believe that “Cancer Stories” is genuine and holds its integrity for one reason—its lack of bias.
Because this project was such a novel concept, nobody went into it with his or her mind made up. No one—not the doctors, not the patients, not the students—knew what to expect.
In most every medical report, comments from the experts permeate the text. In most every medical documentary, there is endless footage of static medical equipment or test tubes.
In “Cancer Stories”, the words and the images of the patients carry the report. And the reporters were never intrusive. If anything, the reporters allowed the reader and the viewer to accompany the patients and their families as if they were there themselves.
In the closing chapter of “Cancer Stories”, I wrote:
"That our young reporters blended into the fabric of this tapestry so completely as to be unnoticed and yet captured the realism of each day in the life of a cancer patient is a testament to this university, its faculty and staff, and its students….
"To this end, the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism students were faithful and unbiased reporters and they have delivered a remarkable and honest catalogue of the facets of life as well as the range of emotions that we call the human spirit."
Dean Maryanne Reed suggested that I also talk to you about the importance of journalists in our society. Since I am a contributing writer of opinion columns, let me confess my bias in favor of unfettered journalism at the start.
If I were a good communist (instead of a good columnist), then I’d be condemning journalists to the work farms.
Having worked in both the private and public sectors has given me the insight that the people in charge are not very fond of criticism. Part of that attitude is plain, old-fashioned human nature. From time-to-time, we all wear our pride on our sleeve.
But part of it is that leaders and their press officers hope to control information. Control of information has always equaled power. And that applies to everything from backyard gossip to the press releases at the highest levels of government.
Our Founding Fathers knew of this peril. Perhaps their wisest decision was guaranteeing freedom of speech. Were it not for the 1st Amendment, “truth” would be a relative term that changes from day to day.
George Orwell’s “1984” is, of course, a work of fiction. But his fictional tale of Oceania is rooted firmly in reality. When there is no free press, the Minister of Information decides what is true and what is false.
If we understand what happens when there is no free press, we must also consider what happens when the press itself is derelict or corrupt. Ayn Rand’s fictional newspaperman in “The Fountainhead”, Ellsworth Toohey, is the best example of a failed press that I know of.
Ellsworth Toohey famously said, “Don’t set out to raze all shrines – you’ll frighten men. Enshrine mediocrity, and the shrines are razed.”
In modern society, I believe that we have enshrined mediocrity. And I believe that we have enshrined mediocrity to a dangerous degree.
But I still have hope that this generation of young people will reverse this course.
At West Virginia University, greatness is learned. There is no better proof of that motto than the accomplishments of the students and recent graduates of the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism.
From “Cancer Stories” to “Starting Over” (the Katrina project), journalism students at WVU have produced reports of exceptional quality. They have learned that facts speak for themselves and that the truth, however painful, always wins the day.
We owe these youngsters much more than our applause. We also owe them the professional respect that they have earned.
Thank you.
* * * * * * *
From: WVU Journalism School Magazine Summer 2007
Graduation
Allen Delivers Convocation Address for December Grads
By Kate Grosel
David G. Allen, a Clarksburg, W.Va. native, delivered the School of Journalism's December convocation address on Dec. 9, 2006.
Allen is a frequent contributor to The State Journal. He writes about West Virginia politics and economics.
"David Allen has a truly original voice," said Dean Maryanne Reed. "As a writer and a journalist, he calls them like he sees them. His commitment to honest and accurate reporting is an inspiration to our students and graduates."
In his remarks, Allen urged students to seek truth in all future journalistic endeavors. He reminded students of the First Amendment's protections for press freedom.
"If we understand what happens when there is no free press, we must also consider what happens when the press itself is derelict or corrupt," Allen said.
In his address, Allen focused on the School's groundbreaking convergence project, "Cancer Stories."
In 2000, Allen was asked to serve on the WVU Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center's Advisory Board. Subsequently, he proposed that SOJ students interview cancer patients, following their progress throughout all treatment stages.
His vision and support led to the project, "Cancer Stories: Lessons in Love, Loss and Hope," an Emmy Award-winning documentary and a book published by WVU Press.
Allen lauded the School's special projects that give the students real-world experience.
"From 'Cancer Stories' to 'Starting Over' [the School's innovative project on Hurricane Katrina]' journalism students at WVU have produced reports of exceptional quality," Allen told graduates and their families.
"They have learned that facts speak for themselves and that the truth, however painful, always wins the day."
Friday, February 4, 2005
WVU Offers Lessons in "Cancer Stories"
The men and women you will meet in "Cancer Stories" are the bravest of the brave; they personify courage and integrity better than any model that I know. Please cherish the moments that you spend with them for they and their families have made great personal sacrifices to bring you their stories.
David G. Allen, "Cancer Stories"
If I sent you a one-hour video documentary about cancer, I doubt that you’d bother to watch it.
If I attached a note saying Ken Burns gave it his "Thumbs up!", then maybe you might.
If I pasted a flashy, "Emmy Winner!" sticker on the video, then maybe you’d put it in the "When I get time." pile.
What would you do, though, if I sent you a one-hour video and told you that it will help you answer the age-old question, "What is the meaning of life?"
The video and its companion book are "Cancer Stories: Lessons in Love, Loss and Hope." Some of you have already seen it. "Cancer Stories" premiered on WVPBS in December 2003 and has been re-broadcast. The four stations owned by WV Media, which also owns the State Journal, also aired "Cancer Stories" (2004), uncut and commercial-free.
Most of you, and nearly all of America, are not aware of "Cancer Stories." It is my intent here to change that.
Cancer remains the most dreaded diagnosis. As soon as the doctor utters the word, the patient’s mind starts asking, "How long do I have?" Not only does cancer instantly confront us with our mortality but it also makes us realize that the treatment will be a long and grueling ordeal.
I have long wanted to record the impact of the cancer diagnosis and the early days of the patient’s treatment. Too often, we read only the testimonials written by cancer survivors. We need these testimonials-for inspiration, and for science. But testimonials do not tell the whole story.
As we age, we lose loved ones to cancer. In subtle ways, we harden, or perhaps callous, our emotions to protect us from the next loss. It’s perfectly natural that we react this way. But it is precisely for this reason that older, experienced reporters cannot truly report the cancer story. So it came into my mind that the ideal reporter for this story should be the young, curious, and unjaded, journalism student.
I was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center 2000. From that vantage, I felt I had the standing to propose this project to West Virginia University President, David C. Hardesty, Jr. The concept was simple enough. Students from the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism would interview patients being treated at the MBRCC and WVU Press would publish their stories.
The "Cancer Project", as it was first called, was embraced across the WVU campus. But it could not have happened without the support of eight wonderful cancer patients. They are the men and women who have completely opened their lives to you and to the rest of the world. They sacrificed their privacy so that you might have less of an ordeal when cancer comes knocking on your door.
When I say the patients sacrificed their privacy, I mean exactly that. The student reporters were not only invited into the exam room but they were also invited into the patient’s home. It is this unique, fly-on-the-wall perspective that allows you the audience to share each cancer story as if you were a member of the family.
The doctors and medical staff at MBRCC are to be commended for the important roles they played in this project. Before work began, the journalism students attended lectures on cancer, medical terminology, and treatment options. Their extensive preparation allowed the students to be professionals on assignment.
You will, of course, see the doctors in their role as doctors. But perhaps, for the first time, you will also see the emotional rollercoaster that cancer doctors also ride.
Thirty journalism students recorded "Cancer Stories" in print, photographs, and video. The 220-page book comes with a DVD of the documentary. In June 2004, the video documentary won the Midwestern Regional Emmy award in the Informational Programming category. All of us who have worked on the project believe that the book will be heralded just as prominently.
West Virginia University has garnered high praise from its peers in academia and healthcare. "Cancer Stories" is being considered nationally as a teaching medium for medical students. And Journalism schools across the country are now considering similar "real life" reporting classes for their curricula.
To order your copy of "Cancer Stories", please visit www.wvupress.com or dial 1-866-WVUPRESS. [1-866-988-7737]
David G. Allen, "Cancer Stories"
If I sent you a one-hour video documentary about cancer, I doubt that you’d bother to watch it.
If I attached a note saying Ken Burns gave it his "Thumbs up!", then maybe you might.
If I pasted a flashy, "Emmy Winner!" sticker on the video, then maybe you’d put it in the "When I get time." pile.
What would you do, though, if I sent you a one-hour video and told you that it will help you answer the age-old question, "What is the meaning of life?"
The video and its companion book are "Cancer Stories: Lessons in Love, Loss and Hope." Some of you have already seen it. "Cancer Stories" premiered on WVPBS in December 2003 and has been re-broadcast. The four stations owned by WV Media, which also owns the State Journal, also aired "Cancer Stories" (2004), uncut and commercial-free.
Most of you, and nearly all of America, are not aware of "Cancer Stories." It is my intent here to change that.
Cancer remains the most dreaded diagnosis. As soon as the doctor utters the word, the patient’s mind starts asking, "How long do I have?" Not only does cancer instantly confront us with our mortality but it also makes us realize that the treatment will be a long and grueling ordeal.
I have long wanted to record the impact of the cancer diagnosis and the early days of the patient’s treatment. Too often, we read only the testimonials written by cancer survivors. We need these testimonials-for inspiration, and for science. But testimonials do not tell the whole story.
As we age, we lose loved ones to cancer. In subtle ways, we harden, or perhaps callous, our emotions to protect us from the next loss. It’s perfectly natural that we react this way. But it is precisely for this reason that older, experienced reporters cannot truly report the cancer story. So it came into my mind that the ideal reporter for this story should be the young, curious, and unjaded, journalism student.
I was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center 2000. From that vantage, I felt I had the standing to propose this project to West Virginia University President, David C. Hardesty, Jr. The concept was simple enough. Students from the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism would interview patients being treated at the MBRCC and WVU Press would publish their stories.
The "Cancer Project", as it was first called, was embraced across the WVU campus. But it could not have happened without the support of eight wonderful cancer patients. They are the men and women who have completely opened their lives to you and to the rest of the world. They sacrificed their privacy so that you might have less of an ordeal when cancer comes knocking on your door.
When I say the patients sacrificed their privacy, I mean exactly that. The student reporters were not only invited into the exam room but they were also invited into the patient’s home. It is this unique, fly-on-the-wall perspective that allows you the audience to share each cancer story as if you were a member of the family.
The doctors and medical staff at MBRCC are to be commended for the important roles they played in this project. Before work began, the journalism students attended lectures on cancer, medical terminology, and treatment options. Their extensive preparation allowed the students to be professionals on assignment.
You will, of course, see the doctors in their role as doctors. But perhaps, for the first time, you will also see the emotional rollercoaster that cancer doctors also ride.
Thirty journalism students recorded "Cancer Stories" in print, photographs, and video. The 220-page book comes with a DVD of the documentary. In June 2004, the video documentary won the Midwestern Regional Emmy award in the Informational Programming category. All of us who have worked on the project believe that the book will be heralded just as prominently.
West Virginia University has garnered high praise from its peers in academia and healthcare. "Cancer Stories" is being considered nationally as a teaching medium for medical students. And Journalism schools across the country are now considering similar "real life" reporting classes for their curricula.
To order your copy of "Cancer Stories", please visit www.wvupress.com or dial 1-866-WVUPRESS. [1-866-988-7737]
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