Malignant: How Cancer Becomes Us

Malignant: How Cancer Becomes Us is a 2013 book by S. Lochlann Jain, published by University of California Press. Jain writes about their experience with an advanced form of breast cancer at the age of 36.

Malignant: How Cancer Becomes Us
AuthorS. Lochlann Jain
Subjectcancer
PublisherUniversity of California Press
Publication date
2013
ISBN978-0-520-27657-4

Summary

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The book consists of nine chapters, in which each chapter talks about an important part of Jain's life with cancer. After being previously misdiagnosed three times, Jain discovers that they have an advanced form of breast cancer. They decide to treat their breast cancer by undergoing a double mastectomy, radiation, and chemotherapy. Throughout the recovery process of each course of treatment, Jain emotionally heals by joining recovery groups and researching the statistics and background of cancer, including attending oncology conferences. This leads them to question the medicine and culture behind cancer.

Reception

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The book was reviewed in the journals Literature and Medicine[1] and Nature Medicine,[2] as well as Kirkus Magazine[3] and the Times Literary Supplement.[4]

It won a number of prizes, including the Society for the History of Technology's 2014 Edelstein Prize, the Society of Humanistic Anthropology's 2014 Victor Turner Prize, the American Anthropological Association's 2014 Diana Forsythe Prize, the Society for Social Studies of Science's 2015 Ludwik Fleck Prize, and the 2016 J. I. Staley Prize.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Diedrich, Lisa (2015). "Malignant: How Cancer Becomes Us by S. Lochlann Jain (review)". Literature and Medicine. 33 (2): 419–421. doi:10.1353/lm.2015.0019. ISSN 1080-6571. S2CID 146970366.
  2. ^ Roberts, Charles (2014). "Cancer, anthropology and anger". Nature Medicine. 20 (9): 983. doi:10.1038/nm.3674. ISSN 1546-170X.
  3. ^ MALIGNANT by S. Lochlann Jain | Kirkus Reviews.
  4. ^ Scull, Andrew (August 15, 2014). "Chronic Profitability" (PDF). Times Literary Supplement.
  5. ^ News, Stanford. "Lochlann Jain recognized for Malignant: How Cancer Becomes Us | The Dish". news.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2019-04-27. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)