[Gerri]

I read it (twice) when I began my journey into the world of BC. The name of the book is HER-2: The making of Herceptin, a revolutionary treatment for Breast Cancer, written by Robert Bazell. I found it at my public library. Now with chemo brain in full mode it is hard for me to remember all the specifics but I will try to give a brief summary.

Lily Tartikoff was instrumental in securing the initial funding for Dr. Slamon’s research. He had treated her husband Brandon Tartikoff for Hodgkin’s disease and she was so grateful, that she made it her mission to get him the money he needed to move his research forward (he was having trouble getting funding). She approached the CEO of REVLON and challenged him to do more for women than just make lipstick. The fundraising “Fire & Ice Ball” and the Revlon Run/Walk for Women were a result of this challenge.

The book details the many years of research that went into the discovery of the HER-2 protein and the making of Herceptin. It also tells of how the pharmaceutical companies finally came on board. Most of all, it shows the relentless dedication and passion that Dr. Slamon put into this research, not to mention the brave women who participated in the initial trials.