Cancer: The Emperor of all Maladies

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and now a documentary from Ken Burns on PBS. The book  is a magnificent, profoundly humane “biography” of cancer—from its first documented appearances thousands of years ago through the epic battles in the twentieth century to cure, control, and conquer it to a radical new understanding of its essence. Spurred by a personal tragedy, America’s foremost documentarian is tackling cancer. According to the Associated Press, Burns collaborated with Dr. Mukherjee to bring the historical work to PBS in spring 2015.

Stand Up to Cancer co-founder and legendary film producer Laura Ziskin envision creating a documentary about cancer for years. In 2010 she came across The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee. From the first time she laid eyes on the book, Laura knew it should be the basis of the documentary she still wanted to make. She was the driving force behind the film’s production and her spirit is very much part of the completed product.