Breast Beating: A Personal Odyssey in the Quesst for an Understanding of Breast Cancer, the Meaning of Life and Other Easy Questions

by Michael Baum

Michael Baum is recognised as a world authority on breast cancer and surgery. In 2007 he was awarded the St Gallen prize, the most prestigious award worldwide for breast cancer research. This book is the story of his life, his work and his mission. Part autobiography, part anti-establishment polemic, part scientific empirical dialogue, Breast Beating recounts the story of Michael's extraordinarily gifted family, his attachment and adherence to the Jewish faith, and on a wider scale his profound love for human kind. He propounds his appreciation for the arts, music and the finer things of life. Michael is a man of science and medicine. Having qualified as a surgeon and reached the top of his profession, his career path also led him into battle against breast cancer wherein with colleagues he developed a number of clinical trials that changed the way breast cancer patients were treated. His research, operations and knowledge have contributed to the improvement in care for cancer sufferers worldwide, and have saved many lives. Michael's steadfastly scientific way of thinking with his knowledge firmly grounded in fact and not hypothesis has recently led him into confrontation with Prince Charles and other proponents of homeopathy and alternative medicine. In this book he explains just how and why he holds such strong opinions and beliefs both from a professional and personal point of view. Anshan Publishers is a publisher of fine medical, scientific, and technical books. We find the best titles from our worldwide publishing partners and bring them to the global marketplace. We publish in a wide range of fields, Anatomy
Anesthesia
Cardiology
Dermatology
Hospital Acquired Infections/Epidemiology
Obstetrics & Gynecology
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Pathology
Pediatrics
Pharmacy
Radiology
Surgery
Ultrasound, ECG, and Echo

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Prof. Michael Baum MB, ChB, FRCS, ChM,
Hon MD Gothenburg Sweden, Hon FRCR
Professor Emeritus of Surgery, and visiting Prof. of Medical Humanities, University College London.

Previous appointments
Professor of Surgery Kings College London 1980-1990
Professor of Surgery Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research 1990-1996
Professor of Surgery University College London (UCL) 1996-2002
Editor in Chief, International Journal of Surgery 2004-2006
Awards
• Skinner Medal – Royal College Radiologists
• Gold Medal- International College of Surgeons
• Ernest Miles Medal – Royal College of Surgeons
• Celebrating Survival Award – San Antonio Breast Cancer Conference 2000
• The William McGuire award, San Antonio, Texas 2002 (Annual award for a life-time achievement in breast cancer research)
• St. Gallen award 2007 (biennial prize for life time achievements in breast cancer research and treatment)
• The Gold medal for therapeutics, the Worshipful Company of Apothecaries, London 2008

Publications
• Over 500 papers on cancer in general, cancer screening, breast cancer, philosophy and medical humanities
• Wrote or edited 7 books on similar subjects
• Published memoirs; “Breast beating: one man’s odyssey in the search for the understanding of breast cancer, the meaning of life and other easy questions.” Anshan publishers 2010, short listed for the People’s book prize 2011
• Published novel, “The Third Tablet of the Holy Covenant”, Troubadour Press, Leicester
• Published collection of essays, “The Scepticaemic Surgeon”, NOVA publishers, New York, 2015