SMOLDERING - 3/14/07

According to my quarterly serum electrophoresis test, my monoclonal protein level remains at 1.9 g/dl with total protein of 7.4 g/dl. My white blood cell count was somewhat higher which may have contributed to the 60% neutrophil, 30% lymphocyte relationship which means I was not neutropenic this time. I continue to count my blessings every day.

Here is a very interesting book I've been reading:

The War on Cancer: An Anatomy of Failure, a Blueprint for the Future (Hardcover)

http://www.amazon.com/War-Cancer-Anatomy-Failure-Blueprint/dp/1402036183/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7868638-8472604?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173921713&sr=1-1

It is too expensive in my opinion ($169 new) but if you can get a "like new" copy ($50) it is close to reasonably priced. There is a lot of good historical information in this book which makes it worthwhile.

The first two thirds of the book deal with the failure aspects of the "war" on cancer and historical perspectives. The last third of the book deals with the blueprint for the future. Actually, the last chapter outlines what is needed for the future.

Basically, Dr. Faguet indicates that the current cancer industry is so laden with procedural and conceptual inadequacies, inefficiencies, and fallacies that it will take a new generation or two to develop more accurate genetic targeted tests, procedures, and treatments which should produce significant improvement in cancer prevention and survival. Furthermore, he indicates the scientific understanding of the genetic nature of cancer has already undergone an exponential increase which will begin to emerge as the aforementioned changes are made.