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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In _________, Percival Pott began to notice a shocking increase in the number of patients that suffered from scrotal cancer.

2. The theory showed how soot, radiation, cigarette smoke and other outside insults could cause cancer by doing what?

3. Einar produced the __________ uniform he had been given and had worn to every treatment.

4. By 1953, the average annual consumption of cigarettes had reached ________________ per person.

5. Mukherjee visited Carla to check in on her. He asked how she survived. What was her response?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the role of a clinician? What type of people are suited for this work?

2. What are the similarities between AIDS and cancer? Is this important? Why or why not?

3. How did the discovery of scrotal cancer help children?

4. Why did doctors dismiss the cancer found in chimney sweeps? How did cancer continue to be dismissed by others throughout time?

5. What is James Watson's quote? How is this significant?

6. What was STAMP? How did this bring hope to those who suffered from cancer?

7. What is Genentech? How is this company important?

8. Who was George Papanicolaou? How was his work important?

9. Why was the battle to attack pre-cancer versus full blown cancer significant?

10. Who were epidemiologists?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In 1969, the New York Times published a letter to Richard Nixon.

Part 1) What did this letter say? Why did they write this open letter? How did Nixon respond? Why did he respond in this way? Would he have responded in this way if it had been a private letter sent to him? Why or why not?

Part 2) What does this letter reveal about the American public at the time it was written? What was their view of cancer? How had this changed from the importance, or lack thereof, of cancer research in previous years? Why?

Part 3) How important is cancer research today? Does the American public feel about cancer and cancer research the same as they did in 1969? Why or why not? How might Americans today use an open letter format to attract the attention of our president? What issues are important today? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Mukherjee decides to be a clinician.

Part 1) What leads him to be a clinician rather than a laboratory scientist? How does this decision link him to Sidney Farber? What other similarities exist between these two men?

Part 2) What role have each of these men played in the study of and battle against cancer? How have they each influenced the lives of those suffering from cancer?

Part 3) What type of person might be suited for work as a clinician? What strengths must someone have? Why? What type of person would be better suited for laboratory work? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Mukherjee explains that biology is based on two fundamental tenets.

Part 1) What are those tenets? What leads him to discuss these tenets? How are they important to biology as well as to the study of and battle against cancer?

Part 2) For how long have these tenets been an important focus in the study of cancer? How has cancer research changed over time based on these tenets? Has the fight against cancer been more successful with the knowledge of these tenets? Why or why not?

Part 3) If these tenets are true, how does one get cancer? Why has a cure for all cancers not been found? Why do not all treatments for a type of cancer work 100 percent of the time? What does this say about cancer?

(see the answer keys)

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