Outliers

Academic cancer researchers are now using recent advances in genomic sequencing technology to try to figure out why a relative handful of patients-- so-called “outliers” or “super-responders”-- have experienced seemingly miraculous results from certain cancer treatments while most patients received little or no benefit. This science stuff flies over the head of a recovering attorney to whom basic high school chemistry and biology were magic, but I think the idea is to identify the specific gene mutations in a super-responder patient’s tumor sample that explain why that patient staged a remarkable recovery after receiving a particular treatment, when most others receiving the same treatment did not. The hope is that by identifying those ’aha!’ gene mutations, oncologists will someday be able to select the most appropriate treatment drug for a patient whose tumor displays those same mutations. And it’s entirely possible that drugs that ‘failed’ in clinical trials that included a few super-responders may be resurrected. Read all about it here .

There are lots of outliers still living at The Hotel Melanoma, and I seem to be one of them. And my oncologist has confessed that nobody has a clue why biochemotherapy worked so well for me but not everybody. So I hope some brilliant researcher will someday visit the super-responder wing of The Hotel Melanoma and figure out if we have some gene mutations in common that would explain why we’re all still living there. If I win the lottery, which would first require that I actually buy a ticket like making a putt requires that I get the ball to the hole, I’ll gladly fund the research. Whether of scientific or divine origin, we could sure use all the miracle cures we can get around here.

Hoping that I truly have experienced one of those miracle cures, and praying that we’ll soon have to enlarge the super-responder wing, I’ll sign off with an ode to miracles to the tune of “All I Need Is a Miracle” from Mike & The Mechanics…

I said "show that you gonna show
Pray that you gonna stay"
I did so care if you hung around me
I sure would care if you went away
And I know U was never right
I'll admit I was UV-wrong
I would never ‘screen up my hide
I braised it up as I went along

And so I plead for you like a child
I'm gonna wish you for the rest of my life

All I need is a miracle, and I plead it’s true
All I need is a miracle, and I plead it’s true
All I need is a miracle, and I plead it’s true

I ever had manly pride
And I ever had manly gall
‘Cuz I went out of my way just to flirt U
The sun I shouldn't flirt at all
I thought I was being cool
Yeah, I thought I was being bronze
But it's always the same old story
You never know what you've got 'til skin’s gone

If I ever catch up with you
I'm gonna hug you for the rest of my life

All I need is a miracle, and I plead it’s true (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, and I plead it’s true (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, and I plead it’s true

And if I ever catch up with you
I'm gonna hug you for the rest of your life

All I need is a miracle, and I plead it’s true (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, and I plead it’s true (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, and I plead it’s true (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a, all I need is a,
And I plead (all I need is a miracle)