The Understanding, Prevention and Control of Human Cancer
The Historic Work and Lives of Elizabeth Cavert Miller and James A. Miller
Published on 6. November 2015
Book
Hardback
212 pages
978-90-04-28679-5 (ISBN)
Description
The Understanding, Prevention and Control of Human Cancer is an account of how a married couple opened understanding of environmental carcinogenesis. Elizabeth Cavert and James A. Miller showed that enzymes of the human body activate and enable otherwise benign organic chemicals to combine with DNA in such a manner that cancer results. Their work is of particular note because cancer causes more loss of life-years than the sum of all other causes of death-and, as the President's (USA) Cancer Panel warned, environmental carcinogenesis is a form of cancer that has been previously "grossly underestimated". The Millers' cancer research led to tests that identify dangerous chemicals which in turn permits prevention and thus the control of human cancer.
Reviews / Votes
"A seminal paper authored in 1947 by Elizabeth C. Miller (1920-87) and James A. Miller (1915-2000) provided the first clue to an underlying common mechanism for the biological activities of chemical carcinogens. [...] Robert G. McKinnell has recently published an excellent biography of James and Elizabeth Miller, motivated in part by his desire 'that the Millers should be recognized by the myriads of ordinary people whose lives have been impacted for the better.'" - Norman Drinkwater, University of Wisconsin-Madison, in: Medical History 61.1 (January 2017)More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Leiden
Netherlands
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 241 mm
Width: 159 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
444 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-04-28679-5 (9789004286795)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Robert G. McKinnell, Ph.D. (1959), is a Morse/Alumni Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota. He has published scientific studies on animal cloning and herpesvirus cancer. He was a Royal Society of London Guest Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and he was awarded the Prince Hitachi Prize for basic cancer research by the Japanese Cancer Institute, Tokyo.
Content
Acknowledgements xi
Also by Robert G. McKinnell xiv
In Appreciation xv
List of Figures xvi
1. Cancer is the Most Important Disease of the 21st Century: A Reality Most Fail to Comprehend 1
That Reality is Why I Wrote This Book 1
Person Years of Life Lost 1
New Cases and Deaths 3
Chemical Carcinogenesis 3
Elizabeth C. and James A. Miller 5
A Lack of Recognition 7
Who Does Cancer Research? 9
Glazed Eyes Not Permitted 10
2. Cancer for Novices: An Introduction 12
Cancer Defined Sans Torture 12
The Antiquity of Malignancy 14
Metastasis 17
Chemotherapy 19
Radiation, Viruses, Bacteria, Heredity and/or Possibly "Bad Luck" 20
Factors that Give Rise to Cancer: Environment 23
Animal Experimentation 31
Chemical Structure of Carcinogens 35
Carcinogenesis is a Multistep Process 37
Concluding Remarks 39
3. The Millers and Chemical Carcinogenesis 41
Carcinogens and Metabolism 41
Occam's (Ockham) Sharp Razor 46
Cancer-Causing Dyes 48
Can Chemical Structure Predict Carcinogenicity? 55
Metabolic Studies of Other Chemicals 56
A Synopsis of Metabolic Activation 59
The Essential Material of Chemical Carcinogenesis 60
Metabolic Activation Requires Enzymes-What Enzymes? 61
The Paradox of Cancer-Causing Enzymes in Normal Humans 64
Direct Acting Chemical Carcinogens 67
Proto-Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes 68
The Significance of the Millers' Research 69
The Quest Continues 70
4. Serendipity: How the Millers Unintentionally Revolutionized Biology 71
A Note about Basic Research 71
Test Systems for Mutagens and Carcinogens 73
Person to Person Differences in Sensitivity to Environmental Carcinogens 78
Molecular Epidemiology: Formation of Macromolecular Adducts as Indicators of Cancer Risk 81
Laws Regulating Carcinogens 82
Teratogenesis and Drug Metabolism are Related to Metabolic Activation 83
5. The Family Origins of Elizabeth Cavert Miller: New York, Ireland and Scotland 85
Charlton, New York 86
An Early Cavert 87
Elizabeth's Heritage Includes a Castle in Scotland 89
Elizabeth Cavert's Father 91
Elizabeth Cavert's Mother 97
6 More about Elizabeth 99
Elizabeth as a Child Lived in Saint Paul, Minnesota 99
Elizabeth's Siblings 100
Early Years 104
Anoka, Minnesota 105
Summers at Fort Plain, New York 109
Winters in Anoka, Minnesota 110
Springfield, South Dakota 111
Elizabeth Cavert's Father Taught His Children about Agriculture 112
Return to Saint Paul and the University of Minnesota 113
Two of Elizabeth's Professors 115
Elizabeth as an Undergraduate in 1937 117
Graduate School, Biochemistry and Home Economics 119
7. James Alexander Miller-How He Became the Other Strand of the Miller Double Helix 123
James' Birth and Growing Up 124
University of Pittsburgh 128
James A. Miller at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 130
Carl August Baumann: Chemist, Hero and Major Professor 132
James Meets Elizabeth 135
The Wedding 137
They Became Like the Two Strands of DNA 137
James' Ph.D. Research 139
Elizabeth's Ph.D. Research 140
James and Elizabeth at the McArdle 143
8. Elizabeth and James, Beyond the Lab 146
Like the Two Strands of DNA-But with Differences 146
"They Seemed Normal to Us" 146
Elizabeth and James' Daughters 148
Elizabeth Cavert Miller as "Mom" 149
The Millers at Home 150
The Millers Away from Home 155
Was Elizabeth a Feminist? 157
James A. Miller from His Daughters' View 159
Family Gatherings in Madison 161
Trips to Minnesota 161
Trips to Other Places 163
Higher Education for Linda and Helen 166
An Observant Grandmother 167
Elizabeth's Terminal Illness 167
Barbara Butler Miller 168
Jim's Last Illnesses 172
Appendices:
1. Awards, Honors and Professional Activities: Elizabeth Cavert Miller (ECM) and James Alexander Miller (JAM), Individually or Jointly 175
2. Scientific Publications of Elizabeth Cavert Miller and James Alexander Miller 179
3. A Gallery of Cancer Research Covers 180
4. Substances Listed in the Thirteenth Report on Carcinogens 186
Index 193
Also by Robert G. McKinnell xiv
In Appreciation xv
List of Figures xvi
1. Cancer is the Most Important Disease of the 21st Century: A Reality Most Fail to Comprehend 1
That Reality is Why I Wrote This Book 1
Person Years of Life Lost 1
New Cases and Deaths 3
Chemical Carcinogenesis 3
Elizabeth C. and James A. Miller 5
A Lack of Recognition 7
Who Does Cancer Research? 9
Glazed Eyes Not Permitted 10
2. Cancer for Novices: An Introduction 12
Cancer Defined Sans Torture 12
The Antiquity of Malignancy 14
Metastasis 17
Chemotherapy 19
Radiation, Viruses, Bacteria, Heredity and/or Possibly "Bad Luck" 20
Factors that Give Rise to Cancer: Environment 23
Animal Experimentation 31
Chemical Structure of Carcinogens 35
Carcinogenesis is a Multistep Process 37
Concluding Remarks 39
3. The Millers and Chemical Carcinogenesis 41
Carcinogens and Metabolism 41
Occam's (Ockham) Sharp Razor 46
Cancer-Causing Dyes 48
Can Chemical Structure Predict Carcinogenicity? 55
Metabolic Studies of Other Chemicals 56
A Synopsis of Metabolic Activation 59
The Essential Material of Chemical Carcinogenesis 60
Metabolic Activation Requires Enzymes-What Enzymes? 61
The Paradox of Cancer-Causing Enzymes in Normal Humans 64
Direct Acting Chemical Carcinogens 67
Proto-Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes 68
The Significance of the Millers' Research 69
The Quest Continues 70
4. Serendipity: How the Millers Unintentionally Revolutionized Biology 71
A Note about Basic Research 71
Test Systems for Mutagens and Carcinogens 73
Person to Person Differences in Sensitivity to Environmental Carcinogens 78
Molecular Epidemiology: Formation of Macromolecular Adducts as Indicators of Cancer Risk 81
Laws Regulating Carcinogens 82
Teratogenesis and Drug Metabolism are Related to Metabolic Activation 83
5. The Family Origins of Elizabeth Cavert Miller: New York, Ireland and Scotland 85
Charlton, New York 86
An Early Cavert 87
Elizabeth's Heritage Includes a Castle in Scotland 89
Elizabeth Cavert's Father 91
Elizabeth Cavert's Mother 97
6 More about Elizabeth 99
Elizabeth as a Child Lived in Saint Paul, Minnesota 99
Elizabeth's Siblings 100
Early Years 104
Anoka, Minnesota 105
Summers at Fort Plain, New York 109
Winters in Anoka, Minnesota 110
Springfield, South Dakota 111
Elizabeth Cavert's Father Taught His Children about Agriculture 112
Return to Saint Paul and the University of Minnesota 113
Two of Elizabeth's Professors 115
Elizabeth as an Undergraduate in 1937 117
Graduate School, Biochemistry and Home Economics 119
7. James Alexander Miller-How He Became the Other Strand of the Miller Double Helix 123
James' Birth and Growing Up 124
University of Pittsburgh 128
James A. Miller at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 130
Carl August Baumann: Chemist, Hero and Major Professor 132
James Meets Elizabeth 135
The Wedding 137
They Became Like the Two Strands of DNA 137
James' Ph.D. Research 139
Elizabeth's Ph.D. Research 140
James and Elizabeth at the McArdle 143
8. Elizabeth and James, Beyond the Lab 146
Like the Two Strands of DNA-But with Differences 146
"They Seemed Normal to Us" 146
Elizabeth and James' Daughters 148
Elizabeth Cavert Miller as "Mom" 149
The Millers at Home 150
The Millers Away from Home 155
Was Elizabeth a Feminist? 157
James A. Miller from His Daughters' View 159
Family Gatherings in Madison 161
Trips to Minnesota 161
Trips to Other Places 163
Higher Education for Linda and Helen 166
An Observant Grandmother 167
Elizabeth's Terminal Illness 167
Barbara Butler Miller 168
Jim's Last Illnesses 172
Appendices:
1. Awards, Honors and Professional Activities: Elizabeth Cavert Miller (ECM) and James Alexander Miller (JAM), Individually or Jointly 175
2. Scientific Publications of Elizabeth Cavert Miller and James Alexander Miller 179
3. A Gallery of Cancer Research Covers 180
4. Substances Listed in the Thirteenth Report on Carcinogens 186
Index 193