Author discusses cancer at Tattered Cover
Kathryn Brisnehan, Staff Reporter
Issue date: 2/12/08 Section: News
Dr. Devra Davis lost both of her parents to cancer. In 1973, only five of 100,000 men aged 55-59 developed multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer. By 1983, this number doubled, and included Davis's father. Davis, director of the Center on Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, reveals these statistics in the introduction of her new book, The Secret History of the War on Cancer (Basic Books, 2007) which has taken her over 20 years to research and write.
On Monday, Feb. 4, Davis spoke to a small group of 15 people scattered in the large upstairs meeting room of LoDo Tattered Cover Bookstore.
Every week, the Tattered Cover offers the Denver community opportunities to hear both local and nationally known authors. The snowy and windy weather likely affected the attendance at this event, but Davis drew a small, interested group.
Sharon Williams, a graduate student in public health, had recently seen Davis on C-SPAN, and decided that she would like to hear Davis in person. Carmen Skeehan, who has had two family members affected by cancer, was invited to attend by a friend. Before she spoke, Davis asked attendees to gather together in the front of the room, in order to create a more intimate conversation.
When Davis began this book 20 years ago, she was "curious to see the history of when [we knew] and what we knew about the causes of cancer." While researching, Davis discovered a1938 report in Brussels, Belgium that discussed the different causes of cancer, including various chemicals, synthetic hormones, and tar found in cigarettes. Unfortunately, with the eruption of World War II, most of this information was lost or forgotten.
Davis claims that many cancer deaths could be prevented if our society begins to look at the underlying causes of cancer, instead of only ways to treat the disease.
The current administration insists that "the only real, solid proof that something causes cancer is when there are enough people in one place, with significant evidence that they have been exposed to a specific chemical that causes a specific cancer in their bodies, which is the cause of their cancer," Davis said.
On Monday, Feb. 4, Davis spoke to a small group of 15 people scattered in the large upstairs meeting room of LoDo Tattered Cover Bookstore.
Every week, the Tattered Cover offers the Denver community opportunities to hear both local and nationally known authors. The snowy and windy weather likely affected the attendance at this event, but Davis drew a small, interested group.
Sharon Williams, a graduate student in public health, had recently seen Davis on C-SPAN, and decided that she would like to hear Davis in person. Carmen Skeehan, who has had two family members affected by cancer, was invited to attend by a friend. Before she spoke, Davis asked attendees to gather together in the front of the room, in order to create a more intimate conversation.
When Davis began this book 20 years ago, she was "curious to see the history of when [we knew] and what we knew about the causes of cancer." While researching, Davis discovered a1938 report in Brussels, Belgium that discussed the different causes of cancer, including various chemicals, synthetic hormones, and tar found in cigarettes. Unfortunately, with the eruption of World War II, most of this information was lost or forgotten.
Davis claims that many cancer deaths could be prevented if our society begins to look at the underlying causes of cancer, instead of only ways to treat the disease.
The current administration insists that "the only real, solid proof that something causes cancer is when there are enough people in one place, with significant evidence that they have been exposed to a specific chemical that causes a specific cancer in their bodies, which is the cause of their cancer," Davis said.
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