Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies

Editor's Take

Adapted from Siddhartha Mukherjee's history, this PBS series treats cancer as an ancient adversary, tracing it from Egyptian papyri and Hippocrates to the modern clinic. It braids laboratory science with patient stories, so the long campaign against the disease stays human even as it grows technical. The scope is considerable, and the storytelling steady enough to carry it.

Based on Siddhartha Mukherjee's acclaimed book, this PBS series opens by tracing cancer back through thousands of years of human history, from ancient Egyptian scrolls to the crab-like tumors described by Hippocrates. It follows the long struggle to understand and treat the disease, weaving the science together with the stories of patients and the doctors who fought for them. The result is both a biography of an illness and a portrait of medical ambition. Thoughtful and moving, it makes a difficult subject genuinely absorbing. Free to watch in HD on Dr Documentary.

Courtesy of PBS on YouTube. Watch on YouTube ↗

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