Among these scientists are Bert Vogelstein, the brilliant researcher whose Baltimore lab discovered the "tumor-suppressing" power of the p53 gene, advancing the theory that cancer first arises in a single cell and grows unchecked when "guardian" genes such as p53 are somehow damaged. Personal passion fuels the work of Mary-Claire King, a crusading scientist whose conviction that cancers are inherited changed the direction of breast cancer research. Mark Skolnick's Salt Lake City lab found the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that may account for one of every ten breast cancers and that may point the way to further discoveries in early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Curing Cancer takes us behind the scenes with the scientific detectives uncovering cancer-causing genes. At the same time, it shows the real-life impact these new insights about genes are already having on people.