Chiefly Caused by Cytokine Cascades…

Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope into Action

By: David Fajgenbaum Published: 2019 256 Pages

Briefly, what is this book about?

Right as Fajgenbaum was finishing up the exams for his third year of medical school, he was struck by his first attack of idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease. It nearly killed him (last rites were administered). He went on to have four more attacks, each of which also nearly killed him, but somehow in between attacks he was able to research the disease enough that he eventually found something (rapamycin) which has (so far) kept additional attacks from happening. As an outgrowth of his own research he founded the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network.

What's the author's angle?

This is one of those cases where the author has a large “angle”, Fajgenbaum has Castleman disease, and is very much advocating (in the course of the book) for more research and more funding for the treatment of the disease he has. This is not a bad angle, but there is a lot of advocacy in the book.

On the other hand the fact that he has the disease is also one of the book’s great strengths. It creates a compelling story, and a fascinating approach to the research and cure of the disease.

Who should read this book?

I think it’s most interesting for those who want to understand how medical research is done. Its failure points, but also its potential for life-altering outcomes. Fajgenbaum’s personal story is also very interesting, and people who just like good biographical stories will also enjoy it.

Specific thoughts: How much should this story be read as an example of broken science?