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Half Human

Further reading

References from the talk

If you heard a claim from the stage and want to check it, the sources are below. Each carries a note on what the study actually establishes, which is usually narrower than how it gets quoted.

  1. Gut microbiome modulates response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in melanoma patients

    Gopalakrishnan V, et al. Science 2018

    Response to checkpoint blockade tracked with gut microbial composition in this cohort. Observational — association, not proof of cause.

    doi:10.1126/science.aan4236

  2. Estimates of global chemotherapy demands and corresponding physician workforce requirements

    Wilson BE, et al. The Lancet Oncology 2020

    Used for the scale of the treated population, not for any microbiome claim.

    doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30675-6

  3. Impact of precision medicine in diverse cancers: a meta-analysis of phase II clinical trials

    Schwaederle M, et al. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2015

    Source for the response-rate figures behind the precision-oncology numbers quoted in the talk.

    doi:10.1200/JCO.2014.59.4812

  4. Gut microbiome influences efficacy of PD-1-based immunotherapy against epithelial tumors

    Routy B, et al. Science 2018

    Antibiotic exposure around the start of checkpoint therapy was associated with worse outcomes. Human cohort plus mouse work — the mouse arm is mechanistic, not clinical evidence.

    doi:10.1126/science.aan3706

The longer version

A talk has twenty-five minutes. The book has 361 pages, and it works through the evidence claim by claim, including the parts that undercut a good story.

Half Human on AmazonAbout the book