通过任何癌症诊断，患者玩统计游戏。在初次诊断和通过治疗后，他们听到survival rate以及他们击败这些赔率的机会。革命进化生物学家和古生物学家斯蒂芬·杰伊·古尔德（Stephen Jay Gould）被诊断出患有peritoneal mesothelioma, he learned the median survival was just 8 months after diagnosis.
在他的核心上，古尔德是一名研究人员，热爱统计。在仔细研究了最新的医学期刊和研究之后，他发现了这些数字的缓解。尽管中位生存时间却很短，但他意识到赔率偏爱中位数的另一端，并可能生活了多年。
古尔德（Gould）在最初的诊断后20年生活了多产的科学生涯。他曾在哈佛大学和纽约大学任教。与同事Niles Eldredge一起，古尔德（Gould）发展了他的点状平衡理论，这意味着进化具有长期的稳定性，随着标点的变化和发展时期。他还因在专栏中的300篇有关各种主题的文章而公开闻名自然历史magazine, as well as his books and various television appearances including辛普森一家1997年。
In 2000, the Library of Congress named him a Living Legend for his activism and contributions to evolutionary biology. In addition to his major scientific contributions, Gould became a beacon of hope for万博专业版间皮瘤患者还有其他癌症患者，他们可以以适当的态度击败赔率。
Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Treatment
万博专业版间皮瘤是由exposure to asbestos。Asbestos is a mineral that was widely used for centuries because of its fire resistance and durability. The mineral could be found in everything from建筑材料like roofing shingles to protective clothing andautomotive parts。如果这些材料中的任何一个被损坏，危险的石棉纤维can easily be inhaled or ingested.
古尔德（Gould）在哈佛大学的比较动物学博物馆（MCZ）中首次接触石棉。人们认为，古尔德（Gould）与MCZ地下室研究标本的毒素接触。持有标本的橱柜被石棉衬里保护。
After exposure to asbestos, it can take 20 – 50 years forsymptoms出现。石棉纤维首先被放在肺部，腹部或心脏的衬里中。由于它们是如此耐用，因此人体无法有效地排出毒素，随着时间的流逝，纤维会导致最终形成肿瘤的疤痕。
While万博专业版间皮瘤本身很少见，每年只有大约3,000次诊断, peritoneal mesothelioma is a rarer form of the disease that only accounts for 15 – 20% of these cases. Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs when the asbestos fibers become trapped in the peritoneum, the membrane surrounding the stomach and various abdominal organs.
Gould was diagnosed in July 1982. He underwent an experimentalmesothelioma treatment planfor the time, which entailed a combination of multiplesurgeries,化学疗法， 和radiation。The chemotherapy was especially difficult to handle. To cope with the nausea, Gould sought relief with医用大麻and became an advocate for its use. He believed the marijuana helped him fight his cancer with a positive attitude, which in turn helped him become a survivor.
An Important Discovery
During his two-year recovery from treatment, Gould authored an important article forDiscover杂志称“中间不是信息”。古尔德讲述了他从手术中复活的时刻，并向他的肿瘤学家询问有关他疾病的最佳技术文献。尽管她惯常的坦率天性，但他的医生坚持认为，确实没有什么值得阅读的。
But as soon as he was well enough, Gould went directly to the Harvard medical library and pulled all the literature he could on peritoneal mesothelioma. He quickly realized his oncologist was trying to offer “humane advice” and spare him the brutal reality. Mesothelioma is not a curable disease and has a rathergrim prognosis不管是什么类型。
坐了一会儿后，古尔德忍不住微笑了。尽管他的研究给了他苛刻的消息，但古尔德意识到态度是与癌症作斗争的一切。古尔德相信大多数人没有接受任何培训统计数据将这些数据解释为“我将在8个月内死亡”。但是古尔德认识到中位数实际上告诉他，一半的患者的寿命比这更长，他只需要确定自己这样做的几率。
The combination of early detection, his age, and the较少的常规治疗方法he underwent suggested to Gould that he would be on the right side of the median and could surely live beyond the grave odds.
Gould also realized much of the data concerned patients from years before him. He thought in the field of oncology, patients could surely count on continued research and more advanced treatment methods emerging over time to hopefully continue improving these statistics.
长期间皮瘤幸存者万博专业版
Gould survived mesothelioma for 20 years, thirty times longer than the median suggested. There are relatively fewlong-term mesothelioma survivorsbecause of the aggressive nature of the disease. Gould’s survival, as well as his uplifting article penned shortly after he began treatment, remain a source of hope for mesothelioma patients today.
不幸的是，古尔德后来屈服于另一个无关的癌症。2002年，他被诊断出患有转移性腺癌的肺部，这些肺癌已传播到大脑，肝脏和脾脏。仅10周后，他在他的亲人和最喜欢的文学所包围的公寓里去世。
尽管他过去只有60岁，但古尔德一生都取得了很多成就。他将永远被人们铭记为革命性的科学思维，也是许多癌症患者的灵感。
