On Thursday, February 19th, the Young Adult Cancer Connection was invited to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America 30-minute screening of Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies hosted at the Free Library of Philadelphia Culinary Literacy Center.
The film, directed by Barack Goodman and produced by Ken Burns, is based off of the book The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by American oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee. It is a six-hour, three part documentary that will be broadcasted on PBS television network on March 30th, March 31st, and April 1st.
The presentation began with opening remarks provided by John McNeil, President and CEO of CTCA Eastern Regional Medical Center in Philadelphia. Surgical Oncologist Steven Standiford, Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at CTCA Eastern Regional, followed with a general synopsis of the film.
“The Film skillfully chronicles the greatest medical detective story,” said Standiford, “the one that’s led us to the very moment and tremendous story of hope and promise today.”
Standiford also gave his own personal thoughts about the film and how important it may potentially be to the medical field, to those uneducated about the disease, and to everyone who has ever been affected by it.
“I can tell you this is going to be one of the most comprehensive films ever made about the disease, its past, its present, and more importantly, why we’re all here tonight, the hope of its defeat in the future.”
Pam Cromwell, a current young adult CTCA patient and representative, Stand Up To Cancer Ambassador, and founder of Pink for Pam, was next on this list to speak during the event. Cromwell not only spoke of her battle with cancer, but also agreed with Standiford on how this film will effectively educate the public about this disease. She discussed her interesting experience at a CVS checkout when purchasing a magazine that featured her story.
“We went to the checkout guy and were like ‘hey look it’s me!’” she said. “He asked me ‘Is cancer contagious?’ That was two months ago, and that was not the first time I had been asked that question. This documentary is about hope, it’s about education, it’s about starting conversations we don’t have.”
YACC’s Co-Founders YACCing to others and helping start the young adult cancer conversation
After the screening of the film, the room was filled with excitement as the audience applauded in admiration.
YACC member and attendee Becky Wallis was impressed with the amount of history and background provided by the film, and believed the film did a good job showcasing how far cancer research and treatment has come.
“What I took away from the movie was the idea that we have come so far” said Wallis. “Even in just the past 50 years we’ve just come so far. There are so many great doctors out there who are just going to push the boundaries even further, and that was very inspiring to see.”
Some of the YACC members present showcase YACC’s first exhibit table
In addition to YACC, other cancer organizations, including Susan G. Komen and the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, were invited to this informative event. Together, CTCA and the cancer organizations that were invited helped to not only bring more awareness to this devastating disease, but also to foster a community in which we can learn and connect to others through our personal knowledge and experiences.
–By Kayla Oatneal