When my mom was being treated for cancer, I learned a whole lot about how both the disease and the treatments affect people. What I didn’t focus on—and truly didn’t have the time or energy to focus on—was the disease itself. I knew the basics, of course. But I didn’t stop to think about how or why cancer is triggered. Nor did I consider if any of the research that’s been done reveals any solid patterns, or if we’re still basically in the dark (especially about prevention).
One of my dear friends was diagnosed with breast cancer just before Christmas. She is only 37, lives what is supposedly a healthy lifestyle, and there’s no history of the disease in her family. How does that happen? And why does it have to happen to someone who is already amidst the challenges of being a first-time mother (her adorable son was born last summer)? There is probably no answer to the latter question, but I wonder what science would say about the former.
Maybe it’s time I picked up The Emperor of All Maladies. But not until my friend is through her treatment, is fully healed, and all of us who care about her breath a collective sigh of relief.




