Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies — Season 1, Episode 1: Magic Bullets
Documentary • 120 min • 1 season, 3 episodes • ★ 7.7/10
Episode synopsis
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. Sidney Farber defied conventional wisdom in the late 1940s, introducing the modern era of chemotherapy, eventually galvanizing a full-scale national “war on cancer.” Little Olivia Blair was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia at 14-months old, which spreads to her brain and spinal column.
About Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies
The documentary series aims to reshape the way the public sees cancer and strip away some of the fear and misunderstanding that has long surrounded it. The story of cancer is a story of human ingenuity, resilience, and perseverance but also of hubris, paternalism and misperception.