Abstract

There are countless academic books on the subject of childhood leukemia. The idea behind this book, however, is very different. Here, we look at the extraordinary story of childhood leukemia from very distinct and unique perspectives: a distinguished physician who has lived through the transition of the disease from despair to success (and who played a key role in the latter); a distinguished laboratory scientist who has helped breach the barrenness of biological ignorance of the disease to reveal its nature; a patient who has been confronted with the tough realities of the illness and has been cured; and parents who have been given the worst possible news — that their child is diagnosed with leukemia — and who have endured the prolonged treatment, hope, and despair or relief that follows.These individuals recount their personal experiences, challenges, and “interactions” with the disease in ways that complement and contrast with each other. Thus, not only does the book contain extraordinary stories involving the very best of biomedical research and clinical advances, but it also embodies very human tales of resilience, optimism and courage.