One Renegade Cell: How Cancer Begins

by Robert A. Weinberg

Cancer research has reached a major turning point. The quality and quantity of information gathered about this disease in the past twenty years has revolutionized our understanding of its origins and behavior. No one is better qualified to comment on these dramatic leaps forward than molecular biologist Robert A. Weinberg, director of one of the leading cancer research centers in the world. In One Renegade Cell , Weinberg presents an accessible and state-of-the-art account of how the disease begins and how, one day, it will be cured. Weinberg tells how the roots of cancer were uncovered in 1909 and when the first cancer-causing virus was discovered. He then moves forward to the discovery of the role of chemical carcinogens and radiation in triggering cancer, and relates the remarkable story of the discoveries of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, the master controllers of normal and malignant cell proliferation. This book, which presumes little prior knowledge of biology, describes the revolution in biomedical research that has finally uncovered the forces driving malignant growth. Drawing on insights that simply were not available until recently, the discoveries presented in One Renegade Cell have already begun to profoundly alter the way that we diagnose and treat human cancers.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Biology, Medicine, Medical, Health, Popular Science

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Robert Allan Weinberg (born November 11, 1942) is a biologist, Daniel K. Ludwig Professor for Cancer Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), director of the Ludwig Center of the MIT, and American Cancer Society Research Professor. His research is in the area of oncogenes and the genetic basis of human cancer.

(wikipedia)

Reviews

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Renegade Cell is a classic by now in terms of pop science books which explain cancer for an interested but non-specialist audience. It’s a little out of date, and some of the hopes Weinberg talks about in terms of treatments to come haven’t come to pass at all. But the basics are still true, and you can get a good basic understanding of how cancer works by reading it. It’s clear and accessible, and I didn’t find it prone to fear-mongoring either — sometimes when someone is writing about cancer, it seems like they can’t help but try to scare the reader silly.

One Renegade Cell doesn’t try to mystify cancer or play up its impact; the impact of cancer pretty much speaks for itself. It’s a solid read, even though it’s out of date now.

Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book aches to draw in readers--we've become so immune to the word "cancer" that the author (or more likely, his publisher) needs to convey that cancer is about "renegade" cells, and that human beings are on a "quest" to find its mysterious "origin." Although the title may be overly dramatic for a book that is really about cell biology, cancer, borne from a "renegade cell" does originate and then proliferate in devious ways.

For many years, humans thought that viruses caused cancer--that something got into the cell and caused it to replicate without restraint. In the mid-20th century, we discovered that the blueprint of cancer lies within the the very nature of our cells--no virus needed. Cells contain genes that regulate cell growth, but over time, and through exposure to environmental hazards like asbestos, cigarettes (red meat?) and god knows what else, these genes may mutate and lose their ability to regulate the very important cell-replication process. Once the proto-oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes of a cell mutate, it begins to divide, divide, divide. Over many years, the cell becomes so numerous that a tumor forms; eventually, the cell breaks free from its isolated area in the body and spreads everywhere.

Weinberg describes this and a whole lot more in great detail. I became a bit bogged down in the middle of the book as he describes the mechanisms of cancer in greater and greater detail. But Weinberg shouldn't be faulted for detailing the complexities of cancer in a widely published paperback--it's up to the reader to make the effort to understand the challenging details. At times, I was not up for the challenge, but enjoyed the book on the whole.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cross-posting my warning from Amazon:

The content was great; I thought that it ranked among the best science writing that I've encountered in terms of making a complicated topic understandable and readable. I also appreciated how concise the book was (just 160 or so pages).

However, the publishing was awful. All of the text looks like it came from a 25-year-old dot matrix printer. I'm not sure if this is specific to my copy of the book; even if so, it suggests a serious lack of quality control on the publisher's part.

So, five stars for Robert Weinberg but one star for Basic Books. Buy an e-book edition instead if possible.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this ahead of starting my second year of Biochemistry.

[Emily Jacobson · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was one of the most boring books I have ever read. I comprehended very little.

[Lefterisbax · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good primer on the science of cancer genesis

Overall, a good presentation of the most complicated biology of cancer, by a biochemist. The writing style is average, I would prefer more structure and development of the theses. Targeted obviously to the layman, avoiding every mention of technical terms. Missing several issues, but since the book is over 20 years old, it's unfair to judge on that.

[Elliot Ensink · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyable, informative, and a quick read. It covered all the important background information but due to its brevity I felt it over simplified many of the concepts. In my opinion the writing felt largely technical without enough connection to the human element to the disease to truly draw me into words.

[goopycarb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great refresher on cancer, almost like reading a Robbins chapter in one go (luckily only for leisure and not part of a cram fest for exam lol). Some facts on cancer still don’t fail to evoke extreme fascination and delight, I enjoyed that.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine primer on genetic cell biology discoveries to understand basic interactions of gene mutation and molecular signals, to ask "how do cancer cells manage to beat the odds and control systems to reproduce indiscriminately as a tumor?" But brief and starting to feel dated.

[Simon Cleveland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appeals largely to DNA researchers (80%), statisticians (10%) and a specific set of non-fiction readers. The writing is rather dry. No attempts are made to use metaphors or analogies to make the reading applicable to people without cellular biology background. Also outdated (about 25 years).

[Madhav Nallani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and Fantastic.

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was really insightful - it was extremely interesting to read about cancer developments of the 80’s and 90’s and how far we have progressed since then. Overall, I loved it.

[Ava Stoddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love robert weinberg !!!

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say that I know much about cancer, or biology in general, but this really is the beginner's guide to cancer.

[Abhilesh Dhawanjewar · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Cancer breaks havoc in almost every part of the human body” – The opening line of Robert Allan Weinberg’s ‘One Renegade Cell: How Cancer Begins’ aptly describes the complexity of the most intriguing disease in the history of mankind. In this particular offering, Dr. Robert Weinberg, a Daniel K. Ludwig Professor for Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has beautifully captured the excitements and frustrations associated with cancer research over the past century. The author, himself being a part of this exciting journey, builds a wonderful picture of the scientific practice where insights from seemingly unrelated fields often provide breakthroughs in research. Introducing the layman to fundamental cellular biology, Weinberg instills a sense of wonder by describing how trillions of cells come and work together to make up the human body as if controlled by a single master plan and how this perfect order is disrupted by cancer, which comes about as a result of a single cell, ‘The One Renegade Cell’, not conforming to the master plan. The discovery of a cancer-causing virus in the early 20th cancer development. Soon after, it was believed that cancer was a spontaneous breakdown of the body’s tissues caused by a variety of external factors. Building up a historical perspective, Weinberg guides us through the discovery of oncogenes, tumor suppressing genes and the host of other barriers that the human body places in the way of cancer development, yet never leaving out the description of the methodological and technological advancements that made these discoveries possible.

The development of cancer is perfectly understood by Weinberg’s analogy of cancer to an automobile. Just as pressing the accelerator pedal puts the car into high speed increasing the risk of losing control, mutated oncogenes lead to an overall increase in the mutation rate which might lead to instabilities causing a cell to become cancerous. Also, the tumor suppressing genes in the cell can be compared to brakes in an automobile, the malfunctioning of which could lead to accidents. Touching upon the various other ways involved in cancer development like damage inflicted by external agents, mistakes made during the copying of DNA and defects in the cell’s DNA repair machinery, the author through the use of case studies, provides us with a rich and comprehensive account of the development of cancer with minimum use of jargon.
Weinberg ends the book on an optimistic note, arguing that even though cancer can never be
completely eradicated, the deep insight gained by understanding the cellular processes associated with the development of cancer, will lead to sophisticated methods of detecting and treating cancer. Though some readers may find the use of biological terminology a little technical, the book offers a concise and easy understanding into the complexities associated with cancer.

[Alli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a science elective my first year at the University of Arizona, and both the class as well as the book made a very big impression on me.

The ability to take such a complex subject as cancer biology and put it in layman's terms is no small feat. I've studied text book after text book, and spent semesters going over molecular and cellular biology, but One Renegade Cell remains one of my favorite and most helpful tomes on the subject

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good information in here about cancer and how it works. It was written in 1998, though, so it is outdated and contains many statements like "in the next decade we will learn how ____ actually works." However as a starting point for understanding cancer I think it's very good. The style is engaging and easy to understand, even when Weinberg is explaining the complex processes that occur within a cell.

[Bill Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

finished it this year as some background for bio class. Well, well done. A little technical for the lay reader, but not too much. In the 70's, in a class at Berkeley, I was lead to believe we would have completely figured out this crazy disease. Here we are in the 21st century and although we have unlocked many of the cellular secrets of cancer, we still don't have an understanding of how to prevent it or cure it. So the battle rages on. I wish more science writing was like this.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great way to introduce yourself to how normally functioning cells go haywire and result in cancer. For those in science, it serves as a good reminder of the basic principles and discoveries that are the foundation of cancer research. In addition, it can be used to remind scientists and non-scientists about the "why" of studying cancer, and the importance of basic science research.

[T.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's be straight forward. I dont' do science. It bores me. I took a science for non-science majors class at UCSD as an undergrad on cancer, and this was our book. It's a bit condescending, but nonetheless engaging and very well done, particularly for us non-science minded types. Fabulous, quick, engaging read. I've kept six years later, if that says anything. :)

[Ruchira Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, well-paced, well-written, and accessible. Somewhat dated (e.g., he predicted, as was common then, that humans would carry 70,000 to 100,000 genes, when in fact it's less than 25,000), and I don't know the state of the art so I don't know what else has changed. But it was a short, compelling introduction--I highly recommend it.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to cancer. I find it amazingly interesting the way Robert Weinberg describes the effects of chemical carcinogens, cancer, and the functionality of oncogenes. The down side to this book is that by the end I found myself believing that we all live, love, read, and sooner or later die of cancer.

[Paul De Belder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sat in my library a long time. Finally picked it up. Soemwhat dated (it's from 1998) but still a good introduction for the lay person about what cancer is, how we found out what causes it and what the different strategies are which normal and cancer cells use in the "battle for our bodies".

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to read a compact account of the foundations of cancer research and how this renegade cell interacts with your body, Dr. Weinberg's book is a wonderful book. The last chapter is speculations for the future (which is now the present), so yes that part is outdated, but worth it.

[Elliedakota · Rating 4 out of 5]

Requires some prior knowledge of biology - dense vocabulary (and not just the bio vocab). Good basic information on early cancer research but outdated now regarding predictions of things like the Human Genome Project results.

[Rakesh M · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Renegade Cell gives a great insight on the deadly disease. Robert Weinberg discusses most aspects of Cancer and what new directions of research are needed. It is a short book, written without any jargons, so easy to read through.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awsome book on the molecular origins of cancer

[Monica Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction on cancer for the non-scientist. The book needs updating given recent advances, but a worthwhile reading nonetheless.

[Leon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best scientific book I've read on the subject. An excellent, compelling book for everyone, who is interested in understanding cancer.

[Manar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting way of describing the advance of cancer research. I enjoyed reading the book so much