Dr. Otis Brawley and Dr. Robert Winn. Photo by UIC.

August 28, 2019, University of Illinois Cancer Center’s Distinguished Lecture Series continued with Dr. Otis Brawley, the former head of the American Cancer Society. Now the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University he discussed how cancer can be controlled in the 21st Century. He started his talk by tracing cancer from it’s first first written reference to current innovations. During his presentation, Brawley examined the benefits and detriments of cancer screenings, and reflected on the ever-evolving cancer field; mortality trends; economics of healthcare and the future of healthcare. He also discussed race and disparities, among other topics. One of the biggest takeaways from his lecture was the statistic that a person’s level of education was a big factor in surviving cancer. A better education leads to better employment and increases the availability of better healthcare.