Henry Kaplan and the Story of Hodgkin's Disease PDF

Rating: (11 reviews) Author: Visit Amazon's Charlotte Jacobs Page ISBN : 9780804785051 New from $22.50 Format: PDF

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Review

"Very few biographies so fully chronicle an important period of medical history as this outstanding book by Jacobs. Clearly and concisely written, this is the life story of a 20th-century force of nature . . . Highly recommended."—D. R. Shanklin, CHOICE

"Dr. Jacobs' book is a riveting read, meticulously covering a time of dramatic creativity in American medicine while also revealing the personal infighting that took place behind the scenes."—William Rogoway, The Pharos

"[Henry Kaplan and the Story of Hodgkin's Disease is] a great read for those of us who trained in an era of evidencebased medicine, and want to learn what it was like to actually create the evidence, and for the first time make a difference in our patient's lives."—Mikkael Sekeres, Oncology Times

"In Dr. Jacobs's capable hands we experience the thrill of clinical research and the hard slogging of clinical trials, which are the only way to tell if treatment is beneficial . . . Most people know about Jonas Salk and the polio cure, but Kaplan and the Hodgkin's-disease tale is even more compelling—and wonderfully told in these pages . . . It's a great journey, and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat."—Abraham Verghese, Wall Street Journal

"This is an outstanding book. The story of Kaplan and Hodgkin's Disease is, indeed, the story of the transition from descriptive science and anecdotal care to evidence, trial-based clinical care and the scientific development of treatment. Dr. Jacobs has done medical history a huge service in capturing the people and the times, using a combination of interviews and experience in the field and at Stanford that would be impossible to duplicate."—C. Norman Coleman, National Cancer Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health

About the Author

Charlotte Jacobs, M.D., is Ben and A. Jess Shenson Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.

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• Product Details
• Table of Contents
• Reviews

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Stanford General Books (June 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804785058
• ISBN-13: 978-0804785051
• Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 5.8 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Henry Kaplan and the Story of Hodgkin's Disease PDF

Charlotte Jacobs has meticulously documented the life of Henry Kaplan, MD. After the death of his father when Henry was 16, he decided he would dedicate his life to curing cancer. After medical school, he focused his energy on curing Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Among the sources Dr. Jacobs tapped in writing this book were his talented wife Leah and their children, his sole sibling Richard, many colleagues, a few close friends, and a handful of carefully chosen patients.

Patient commentaries are presented chronologically and reflect the early use of radiation and its refinements, including dosing intensity, frequency and location. Next we learn about the advent of chemotherapy, new agents and the use of cocktails. Some patients survive and some do not. The diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes are presented along with the reactions of the patients and their families.

Henry Kaplan and his team began using staging laparoscopies and lymphangiograms to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of Hodgkins Lymphoma. He attempted to link cancer to viral causes. Before he died of lung cancer he conducted initial experiments to make monoclonal antibodies targeting cancers.

We learn about Dr Kaplan's significant influence on the evolution of Stanford University as a great clinical and scientific institution, which eventually rivals those established in the eastern US. He helped create the vision, and he was instrumental in recruiting Arthur Kornberg and others to Stanford.

Not all facets of this complex physician scientist were perfect. When Charlotte asked Henry's wife about writing this biography, Leah make it clear that she did not want hagiography, but a true picture of a complex man with many gifts and some flaws.

As a radiation oncologist, I think this is an excellent read for anyone who takes care of cancer patients. Dr. Jacobs did a wonderful job portraying a realistic profile of Dr. Kaplan, his many struggles, and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that scientists since Thomas Hodgkin came against in understanding such a lethal disease. The book not only helps us understand what it was like to try to be a doctor in the 19th and early 20th century, but also provided a nice American and world history lesson.

One truly appreciates what true academic medicine is all about and the dedication required at the level at which Dr. Kaplan and his colleagues practiced. For Dr. Kaplan, it was so much more than just clinic and research. He was a humanitarian, patient advocate (even having patients stay at his home), administrator, advisor, patron of the arts, and citizen of the world (even giving lectures in French). It is truly sad for humanity to have lost such a great scientist with such self discipline, who had so many projects and goals, with no plans for retirement, to have his life cut short by the same cancer that killed his father. We can only imagine what else he would have discovered if he just had more time.

It would have been nice to know how the HTLV viruses were eventually discovered and how the ability to produce human compatible monoclonal antibodies has now developed into many useful targeted therapies for various cancers. How excited Dr. Kaplan would be if could have been around to see the development of targeted agents like rituximab.

Although his life was not without controversy, and his family paid a price for his dedication, he touched the lives of patients, students, residents, and scientists all over the world.