Less Radical

Less Radical

Stacy Wentworth, M.D.

Less Radical is the story of Dr. Bernie Fisher, the surgeon-scientist who not only revolutionized breast cancer treatment, but also fundamentally changed the way we understand all cancers. He was an unlikely hero-- a Jewish kid from Pittsburgh who had to make it past antisemitic quotas to get into med school. And the thanks he received for his discoveries? A performative, misguided Congressional hearing that destroyed his reputation and haunted him until his death. Over six episodes, radiation oncologist Dr. Stacy Wentworth will take you into operating rooms, through the halls of Congress, and into the labs where breakthrough cancer...

BONUS: What Could Be Better Than a Mammogram?

BONUS: What Could Be Better Than a Mammogram?

Mammograms were introduced fifty years ago. Recommendations for women to have annual screening mammograms began thirty years ago. The hope was that by finding breast cancer early, we could drastically reduce the number of women dying from breast cancer. And in some ways, we have been successful. The problem with annual screening mammograms is that it is based on the assumption that every breast cancer follows the pattern - progressing from a pre-cancerous lesion to a more aggressive tumor in a l

Dec 11, 2024 • 34:56

Episode 5: Bureaucrats, Administrators, and Politicians

Episode 5: Bureaucrats, Administrators, and Politicians

When a colleague’s misconduct is discovered, Fisher is forced to resign from the NSABP and becomes the subject of a Congressional investigation. As the walls close in, Fisher fights back. He spends the rest of his life trying to restore his reputation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cancerculture.substack.com

Oct 23, 2024 • 54:09

Episode 4: Immovable Objects and Unstoppable Forces

Episode 4: Immovable Objects and Unstoppable Forces

We return to Washington, D.C. In the fall of 1974, the results of Bernie’s clinical trials promise to change the treatment of breast cancer forever... if only it were that easy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cancerculture.substack.com

Oct 16, 2024 • 37:59

Episode 3: Microbe Hunters and Magic Bullets

Episode 3: Microbe Hunters and Magic Bullets

In 1958, Bernie Fisher participated in the first randomized clinical trial in patients with breast cancer. The trial was a disaster, leading most surgeons to abandon the idea of using chemotherapy to cure more patients. Bernie, however, noticed something different. This put him on a path that would change the course of cancer treatment forever. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cancerculture.substack.com

Oct 9, 2024 • 30:15

BONUS: The Other Side of the Knife

BONUS: The Other Side of the Knife

For most of history, the voices of women with breast cancer have been silent, including the daughter of an American president. Fifty years ago, they began to speak. While Bernie Fisher worked to change doctor’s minds, women demanded input into their care. Those whose lives are impacted by cancer continue to influence how doctors, including me, approach our patients and your treatment. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episo

Oct 5, 2024 • 33:57

Episode 2: The Knife is the Cure

Episode 2: The Knife is the Cure

At the end of the 19th century, a New York surgeon determined that the only way to cure breast cancer was with radical surgery. For the next hundred years, millions of breast cancer survivors bore the mark of his disfiguring approach. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cancerculture.substack.com

Oct 2, 2024 • 25:59

Episode 1: Who is Bernie Fisher?

Episode 1: Who is Bernie Fisher?

Our story begins exactly fifty years ago. On a fall weekend in late September 1974, a former dancer from Michigan and a young surgeon from Pittsburgh met just outside Washington, DC. The treatment of breast cancer would never be the same. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cancerculture.substack.com

Sep 25, 2024 • 26:56

Introducing: Less Radical (coming September 25th)

Introducing: Less Radical (coming September 25th)

Introducing Less Radical, the true story of Dr. Bernie Fisher, the surgeon-scientist who revolutionized the way we treat breast cancer. After generations of surgeons subjecting women to brutal, disfiguring surgeries, Bernie found a better way. And the thanks he got? A performative, misguided Congressional hearing that destroyed his reputation and haunted him until his death.Over six episodes, radiation oncologist Dr. Stacy Wentworth will take you into operating rooms, through the halls of Congre

Sep 10, 2024 • 2:26

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