Watch Ken Burns: Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies

2015
1 Season

Ken Burns: Cancer - The Emperor of All Maladies from PBS is a six-hour documentary series that delves deep into the history, impact, and future of cancer. This thought-provoking series is based on Siddhartha Mukherjeeâs Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.

The documentary follows the history of cancer, which dates back to ancient times, and how it has transformed from a death sentence to a treatable disease. The film tells the story of cancer through the eyes of cancer specialists, oncologists, patients, and their families, and it explores the science, politics, and ethics surrounding the disease.

The series is divided into three parts. The first episode, entitled âMagic Bulletsâ, begins with the life of Dr. Sidney Farber, who pioneered chemotherapy in the early 1940s. The episode highlights the challenges of treating cancer and the unintended consequences of chemotherapy as a treatment. The episode also discusses the battle to find a cure for childhood leukemia, a disease that was once considered incurable.

The second episode, âThe Blind Men and the Elephant,â delves deeper into the history of cancer and how different approaches were taken to treat it. The episode focuses on the work of surgeons and the development of radiation therapy. It also highlights controversies surrounding treatments, such as the use of radiation after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In the third and final episode, âFinding an Achilles Heel,â the series introduces new developments in cancer research, including immunotherapy and targeted therapies. The documentary also covers the controversies surrounding cancer screening and the ethical considerations of clinical trials.

Throughout the series, the show covers various types of cancer, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and childhood leukemia. It also sheds light on the emotional and physical struggles that cancer patients and their families undergo during treatment and explores the financial burden that cancer places on individuals and society as a whole.

The documentary is narrated by actor Edward Herrmann, who himself died of brain cancer shortly after the series aired. The series features interviews with cancer survivors, oncologists, researchers, and caregivers, woven together seamlessly to tell the story of cancer from a wide range of perspectives.

One of the strengths of the documentary is its ability to break down complex scientific concepts into easy-to-understand language. The series uses illustrations, animations, and other visuals to help explain how cancer develops and how various treatments work.

Ken Burns: Cancer - The Emperor of All Maladies has been praised for its balanced presentation of the history and science of cancer. It acknowledges the progress that has been made in treating cancer, while also recognizing the challenges that still lie ahead. At the same time, it celebrates the courage, resilience, and hope of cancer patients and their families.

In conclusion, Ken Burns: Cancer - The Emperor of All Maladies is a must-watch for anyone who wants to learn about the history, impact, and future of cancer. The documentary skillfully weaves together science, history, and personal stories to create a moving and thought-provoking series that will leave you with a deeper understanding of this complex and devastating disease.

Ken Burns: Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (3 episodes). The series first aired on March 30, 2015.

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Seasons

3. Finding the Achilles Heel

April 1, 2015

This episode picks up the story at another moment of buoyant optimism in the cancer world: Scientists believe they have cracked the essential mystery of the malignant cell and the first targeted therapies have been developed, with the promise of many more to follow. But very quickly cancer reveals new layers of complexity and a formidable array of unforeseen defenses. In the disappointment that follows, many call for a new focus on prevention and early detection as the most promising fronts in the war on cancer. But other scientists are undeterred, and by the second decade of the 2000s their work pays off. The bewildering complexity of the cancer cell, so recently considered unassailable, yields to a more ordered picture, revealing new vulnerabilities and avenues of attack. Perhaps most exciting of all is the prospect of harnessing the human immune system to defeat cancer. This episode includes patients Doug Rogers, a 60-year-old NASCAR mechanic with melanoma, and Emily Whitehead, a six-year-old child afflicted with leukemia. Each is a pioneer in new immunotherapy treatments, which the documentary follows as their stories unfold. Both see their advanced cancers recede and are able to resume normal lives.

2. The Blind Men and the Elephant

March 31, 2015

This episode picks up the story in the wake of the declaration of a "war on cancer" by Richard Nixon in 1971. Flush with optimism and awash with federal dollars, the cancer field plunges forward in search of a cure. In the lab, rapid progress is made in understanding the essential nature of the cancer cell, leading to the revolutionary discovery of the genetic basis of cancer. But at the bedside, where patients are treated, few new therapies become available, and a sense of disillusionment takes hold, leading some patients and doctors to take desperate measures. It is not until the late 1990s that the advances in research begin to translate into more precise targeted therapies with the breakthrough drugs Gleevec and Herceptin. Following the history during these fraught decades, the film intertwines the contemporary story of Dr. Lori Wilson, a surgical oncologist who is diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in both breasts in 2013. Her emotional and physical struggles with the disease provide a bracing counterpoint to the historical narrative.

1. Magic Bullets

March 30, 2015

The search for a "cure" for cancer is the greatest epic in the history of science. It spans centuries and continents and is full of its share of heroes, villains, and sudden vertiginous twists. This episode follows that centuries-long search, but centers on the story of Sidney Farber, who, defying conventional wisdom in the late 1940s, introduces the modern era of chemotherapy, eventually galvanizing a full-scale national "war on cancer." Interwoven with Farber's narrative is the contemporary story of little Olivia Blair, who at 14-months old is diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which spreads to her brain and spinal column. The film follows her as she and her parents struggle with the many hardships and decisions foisted upon a cancer patient. She remains in full remission a year after her diagnosis, but is still on her journey to finish her three-year treatment plan.

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Where to Watch Ken Burns: Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies

Ken Burns: Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies is available for streaming on the PBS website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Ken Burns: Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies on demand at Hoopla.