On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti Siddhartha Mukherjee on understanding cancer now
Dec 16, 2025
Siddhartha Mukherjee, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and cancer expert, revisits the advances in cancer research since his renowned book. He reveals how cancer is now understood as part of the body's physiology rather than just a collection of mutated cells. Mukherjee discusses AI's role in mapping cancer's complexities and critiques the historical focus on genetics. He highlights the importance of targeted screening and funding for environmental carcinogens, advocating for managing cancer as a chronic disease to improve patient lives.
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Cancer As A Body Within The Body
- Cancer is not just mutated cells; it's a physiology interacting with the body.
- Viewing tumors as an organ within the body reveals new therapeutic targets.
AI Reveals Hidden Cancer Mechanisms
- AI helps map cancer metabolism and immune-evasion mechanisms previously hidden.
- These AI-driven maps can suggest interventions that spare normal cells while targeting tumors.
Hostile Retreat Questions Spark New Thinking
- At a wellness retreat Mukherjee faced angry patients asking why cancer hit them despite healthy lives.
- That encounter prompted exploration of non-mutational carcinogens like inflammation from pollution or asbestos.