The road to cancer prevention: one researcher's path to finding the answer

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Content

THE ROAD TO CANCER PREVENTION:
ONE RESEARCHER’S PATH TO FINDING THE ANSWER

by

Eric Alvarez

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(BROADCAST JOURNALISM)

August 2008

Copyright 2008 Eric Alvarez

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..iii
Script…………………………………………………………………………………....…1
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………..…16

ii

ABSTRACT

There are over 200 types of cancer known to medicine. Most involve tumors,
masses of replicated of cells in which the DNA has been damaged. Dr. Rafael Alvarez is
a cancer researcher who has been working with the P53 enzyme for 20 years. The
enzyme is responsible for eliminating cells in which the DNA has been damaged. His
research, along with the work of his colleagues, has revealed that the most common trait
in most types of cancer is mutation in P53.
His love of science has influenced every aspect of Dr. Alvarez’ life. It helped him
lift his family out of poverty. A complex chemistry equation introduced him to his future
wife and colleague. He drinks his morning coffee from a scientific beaker. His
profession is his life and through his research he hopes the scientific community will
learn more about what causes damages in P53.

iii

SCRIPT

CARD:
Black screen with white text:
“Dr. Rafael Alvarez is a medical
researcher. He and his wife have been at
the forefront of cancer research with the
University of North Texas Health Science
Center for the past 20 years.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 2523/ 02:21:38
Tape 0106
08:11:44-08:11:50
Dr. Rafael Alvarez is in his laboratory. He
is wearing a white lab coat and safety
goggles.
He calibrates a hand-held
instrument.08:09:05
Cut to a close-up of the instrument
Science has taken me from being an eager
young individual with a desire to learn to
a position where I feel better positioned in
humanity. And where every little thing
that I do, which is not much//
// is aiming at a better human life.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 0105/ 07:27:01-07:27:23

TAPE 2014
00:09:50-00:59:58
Alvarez is reading in his office. He is
sitting at his desk
Cancer is a very complex problem.
Cancer has existed for a long time and it’s
a paradigm that is very difficult
SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 0105
07:27:23-07:27:51
On camera
He is at his desk in his office. Behind him
is a computer, many post-it notes.
In my research, my main goal is not to
find a single cure for cancer which is a
combination of more than 200 different
types of diseases. My goal is to
understand biological processes in human
cells to the point that that knowledge can
be useful to develop new ways of
prevention.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:20:39
COMPUTER ANIMATION
Multiplication of diseased cells
CHYRON:
“Courtesy of cancerquest.org”
In cancer you have basically the
abundance of tumor cells. Tumor cells
are immortal cells. They are immortal
because they lose the ability to stop
growing when they are supposed to. In a
tumor cells grow and grow and don’t stop.

1

SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:23:03

COMPUTER ANIMATION

DNA double Helix: rung becomes bent
Photograph: P53 enzyme next to a 3-D
model of a DNA double helix
When the cell is damaged, what happens
is that a programmed cell death
mechanism is triggered. And the
programmed cell death which we call
apoptosis is regulated by P53, a tumor
suppressor protein whose primary
function is to eliminate cells where the
DNA has been severely damaged.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:21:44

VIDEO ANIMATION
Cells replicate
P53, when mutated, can no longer work
and cannot trigger the death of the cell so
we have these DNA damaged cells
reproducing themselves without control
and with no system to kill them via P53.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:25:30

PHOTOGRAPH:
Close-up of P53 enzyme
In 70 percent of breast cancer patients, 50
percent of lung cancer, which is the most
lethal, 40 percent of colorectal cancer,
prostate cancer, cervical cancer in
females, and pancreatic cancer, P53 is
mutated.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:25:53
On camera
Photograph
P53 Enzyme next to a 3-D model of a DNA
double helix
In cancer, a lot of biological things can go
wrong but so far, the most common
denominator among most types of human
cancer is mutations in P53.

SOT Hilda Mendoza
Tape 2520/ 03:23:30
CHYRON:
Hilda Mendoza,
Wife and colleague
On Camera, she is in her home
It is a very exciting field. And we got to
do some of the finest discoveries in the
field.

SOT Hilda Mendoza
Tape 2519/ 04:12:32
Mendoza looks at posters and presentations
in the convention

On Camera, home interview.
Most of us are related to someone if not in
the family at least a friend who has died
from cancer. We all have suffered this and
all efforts done or going through solving
this problem are worth thinking about
them.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 2011/ 00:04:02

Tape 2014/ :00:01:43
Mendoza at the convention reading a
scientific journal
My wife has not been only my partner in
life but she has been a significant
contributor to the development of
scientific ideas that tackle meaningful
problems that have potential to alleviate
pain of people suffering from cancer.

2

SOT Hilda Mendoza
Tape 2519/ 04:06:00

On camera
Home interview
I thought I would give it my best because
I saw a lot of people suffering. At this
time I had already seen people dying form
it. Not so much in my family but my
friends. It’s a very, very devastating
disease. I think that all of us who are a
little bit interested should fight against.
So I am really glad that I got involved in
at least that very small part in fighting
this.
CHYRON:
Alvarez Residence
Fort Worth, Texas

SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 0106/
08:25:55
Fade in: Sunrise in Fort Worth, Texas. The
pale sky is turning orange. Filtered
through branches in the distance

Alarm clock

Natural Sound
SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 0105/ 07:03:19

08:22:22
Exterior of the Alvarez residence. Large,
two story, brick house with driveway and
yellowed, winter grass in the front yard.
My thinking can really come up at any
time but the best time is in the morning
when I wake up.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:02:42

Tape 0107
06:15:57
Alvarez gets coffee grinds from a paper
bag.
06:17:02
Pours water into the coffee pot.
06:17:26
Pours water into the coffee maker
I always drink coffee from my hometown
in Mexico. The smell is very unique. It’s
not just the caffeine, it’s like a ritual for
me because I am sitting down and
drinking coffee and reading and important
headlines of scientific issues.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
06:21:48
He pours coffee into a beaker

This coffee is cultivated in Uruapan, my
hometown. The flavor of the coffee is
unique. I’ve had the privilege of tasting
coffee from many different parts of the
world but there is no comparison to the
coffee coming from my hometown.

3

06:19:20
Close-up of boiling coffee

Tape 0096
00:32:20
00:36:34
Tape 0093/ 01:07:03
Dissolve from coffee to the waters of the
river
CHRYON:
Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico

NAT SOUND: boiling coffee

Coffee plants grow by the shores of
Cupatitzio River. Every time I have a cup
of Uruapan coffee, I feel rejuvenated and
ready to go back to the lab to continue my
research. It’s my close connection to
nature and the biodiversity at the national
park along the shores of the Cupatitzio
River.

01:13:02
Shots of the river and waterfalls

Tape 0096
00:38:04
Waterfall

NAT SOUND
SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 0096:

Tape 0096/ 00:32:58
Close-up of flowers on the riverbed

11:15:00Waterfall
Growing up in this area was like growing
up in paradise. Waterfalls, running
streams, clear water, flowers, green
scenery. I have had the chance to see
many places in the world. Very few if
any compare to this one, this is just
beautiful
SOT Ana Luisa Alvarez (mother)
13:03:10
13:06:09
SUBTITLES, from Spanish
On camera. She is cooking. She stands
over a steaming pot as she talks. She looks
intently at her creation.

Close-up of the pot

My son is almost fifty. // I still see him
like a child.
He has always been a good son, really.
He never gave me any problems. I am
very proud of him.

SOT Rafael Alvarez Sr. (father)
13:18:41
SUBTITLES

On camera. He is sitting in a small patio.
He is wearing a green polo. His hair is
white and his face is tan and weathered.
He was always a very smart child.

4

SOT Rafael Alvarez
09:04:58
Photograph of the family

Tape 0104/ 09:37:55
09:39:15
Aerial view of the room. It has exposed
concrete and there is no roof. The walls
and floor are stained and cracked.

Shot of the room
09:34:01
I was the first child of my parents. //
There were four sisters and then one more
brother and one more sister. All of us
lived together in this room of 15 by 12
feet.

SOT Rafael Alvarez Sr.
Tape 0104/ 09:32:44
SUBTITLES

A green bucket sits in front of the exposed
brick wall in what used to be the family’s
home.
With my pay, I couldn’t even pay the rent.
My in-laws did me the favor of lending
me the corner there to live because we
never had enough. I was jobless very
frequently.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 0104/ 09:05:21

09:35:53
Corner of the room. It is concrete walls
and floors. Rusted sheet metal and strewn
clothes.
09:38:20
Aerial zoom into the corner where he had
his bed.
It was too small for a family of nine to say
the least.

SOT Rafael Alvarez Sr.
13:21:38
SUBTITLES
On camera
I tell you the world kept closing in on me.
I had to move to the border to work to
help the family survive here. And the
years just kept passing by.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
09:09:15
Photograph
I decided that I had to do something. The
only thing I could do at the time was study
hard and stay in school.
CARD:
In Mexican culture, children ask for gifts
from the Biblical Three Wise Men in
February. Children write the kings letters
and receive their gifts the next morning.

5

SOT Rafael Alvarez Sr.
13:22:18
On camera
SUBTITLES
Photograph of the family in those times

We couldn’t even save change. //
When the Three Kings Day arrived, I
would only have enough to buy them a
little something. A little trinket because
we didn’t have enough for anything else.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
09:24:15

Photo of Rafael as a child

Reyes
Tape 0104/ 09:39:53
Child’s letter to the Three kings sits under
a modest Christmas shrine/display.
Because I had so many siblings it was not
very common that there would be money
to buy shoes for everyone. I had to write
a letter for the three wise men. So I wrote
a letter requesting to have a new pair of
shoes.
I couldn’t wait to go under the covers to
wait for my gift

SOT Rafael Alvarez
09:25:32

Tape 0104/ 09:40:00
More holiday decorations

Photograph of Alvarez as a boy

On Camera
And the next morning I woke up and I see
a shoe box at the other end of the room
and I jump up very excited, thinking that I
would have a new pair of shoes. I go to
the box and open it and I pull out a little
car.
And it remained in my memory because
usually a boy of seven years of age would
be very happy to see a car but I was
disappointed. I wanted shoes.
SOT Rafael Alvarez Sr.
13:38:19
SUBTITLES
On Camera
I would tell him, “look, son, do your best
in school because it’s going to be your
ticket. Just look how we live. We don’t
have anything.”
SOT Rafael Alvarez
09:14:23
On camera
I definitely cherish my experiences here.
Without the love and protection of my
parents and the company of my sisters or
my brother it would be extremely hard for
me, almost impossible to move forward.
When I come back to this place, it’s
always very important to me because it
gave me the foundation to be what I am
today.
CARD:
“Today, Alvarez is a world renowned
cancer researcher. He and his wife have
spent decades uncovering the roles of the
P53 enzyme and the protein PARP play on
cancer cells.

6

SOT Rafael Alvarez
08:10:23

Actuality interview. He is looking into a
tube in his laboratory
Typically about 30-40% of my time that I
spend in the lab doing experiments.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
08:13:38

He continues to perform an experiment.
My favorite part of the laboratory is to be
able to work with biomolecules. //
It’s exciting and it can keep us busy for a
few months until we answer the questions
that we want to answer. It still keeps me
very excited to know that we can work
with cells and tissues from normal organs
and tumors, to separate those proteins
individually so that we can go back to the
lab and work with them.

SOT Hilda Mendoza
04:13:52
On camera
Science makes me feel alive. I love
science because every single thing I do is
going to be new. And every final result
after an experiment is an answer and it’s
not always the answer I was waiting for.

SOT Hilda Mendoza
03:22:10

Photograph of her in the laboratory with
Alvarez
working together in the same lab//
It has been one of the most beautiful
experiences that I’ve had. He helped me
grow to my potential and he supported
that in the best way possible.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 2011/ 00:05:02
00:18:28
Close-up of the poster’s title card. Card
features Alvarez and Mendoza as authors.

Mendoza is observing other posters in the
convention center.
For the 2008 cancer convention in San
Diego my wife and I have a scientific
presentation that touches on two specific
aspects of cancer. She has been very
important in generating the information
that we are going to share with our
colleagues.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:17:25

On camera
Cancer is, broadly speaking, a biological
anomaly where organs in the human body
grow without control. Typically, cells
grow under control. When that control is
lost, we have the creation of tumors.

7

SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:18:00

Actuality interview. Alvarez illustrates the
protein’s function on a graphic. The
graphic appears on one of his recent
publications.
When the cell loses control that means
specific genes and specific enzymes in the
nucleus of the cell are no longer working
under tight regulation. PARP is a protein,
an enzyme that regulates how all many
other proteins in the order of 3-5,000
other proteins interact with the genetic
material.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:19:22

Photograph:
3-D graphic representation of the Poly
ADP Ribose protein
Understanding PARP is important to
develop new ways of not just treating
people with cancer but to develop new
biomarkers that can tell us when people
are at risk.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:20:05

On camera
Eventually, understanding how PARP
works will not only be important in
treating cancer and for generating
biomarkers of cancer but to also hopefully
develop a protocol to change a little bit
more our diet so that we can avoid the
formation of tumors altogether.

CARD:
“Alvarez began his road to research after
high school. Heft the small town of
Uruapan at age 15 to pursue a college
degree in Chemistry in the capital city of
Morelia.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
01:15:58

Photograph of Alvarez as a teen.

He is climbing a statue by the beach
Going away at the age of 15 may seem
like most kids are a little immature.
However for many years, I was as the
only man leading my siblings. To me an
opportunity to look for other horizons, to
open doors not just for me but for my
family.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
01:13:20
On camera

Establishing shot of the city of Morelia.
The landmark cathedral
Sign with the City shield
Traffic through downtown

At the time that I was finishing high
school and I was ready to go to college

What I really needed to do was to go into
a program where they had chemical
laboratories and the only place was
Morelia, the capital of the state.

8

SOT Ana Luisa Alvarez
13:06:31
SUBTITLES
On camera

At the time he asked, “are you going to be
able to help me, mother? Because I want
to go to school.”//
I told him I would try for him. I started
making dresses and from there I could
help him pay his expenses.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
01:14:13

Leaving home was not easy. My father
didn’t have a stable job. My mother was
helping, contributing for weekly needs by
working as a seamstress,
SOT Rafael Alvarez Sr.
13:26:16
On camera

Shot of the busy streets of Morelia
He said, “don’t worry, father. I will find a
way to get you out of here.”
SOT Rafael Alvarez
01:16:27//01:16:38

More shots of the city

Photograph of Alvarez as a teen
I felt like the whole future of my sisters
and my parents were on my shoulders //
So when I was traveling, I was not afraid,
I was not thinking about failure. Failure
was not an option for me. It was you
succeed or succeed. There is no other
outcome.

SOT Rafael Alvarez Sr.
13:27:20

Photograph of Alvarez as a teen

On camera
He sacrificed his scholarship money and
took us out of that room. He took us out
and brought us here to Morelia.
He used part of his scholarship Money to
pay the rent in this house. He paid for our
transportation and moving expenses.
That’s how we got here to this house.
CARD:
Dr. Alvarez began dating Hilda Mendoza,
while he was in college. She grew up in
Uruapan two blocks from Alvarez’
childhood home.

SOT Hilda Mendoza
Tape 2520: 03:02:48
On camera

Photograph of Mendoza as a teenager.
I met him when I was a child. And he
was a very good friend of one of my
brothers. My brothers’ friends were not
my kind of guys because they were my
brothers' friends.

9

SOT Raul Mendoza
11:02:38
SUBTITLES

On camera, young-looking man
Rafael Alvarez is a childhood friend.
He’s a man I admire because of his
professional achievements, his
achievements as a father and as a person
important for humanity.

SOT Raul Mendoza
11:05:25
SUBTITLES
Photograph
Alvarez with Raul as teenagers
But when Rafael started dating my sister,
Hilda, there was animosity toward him.
Speaking about it honestly, why not?//

Raul Mendoza
On camera
We had no say in the matter. I saw it as a
betrayal of trust. That’s how I saw it
because he got to her by being close to us.
SOT Hilda Mendoza
03:05:56
On camera

Alvarez and his wife together in their home
He was just my brother’s friend. Your
brothers’ friend are not supposed to mean
anything to you they are just your
brother’s friend!
So he was out of my list. But he was a
nice young man and he found a way to get
to me that was very different, very
strange.

SOT Hilda Mendoza
03:04:14

Photograph
Mendoza as a young woman

I was working and I was doing chemistry
homework and I was going to have a test.
It was going to be a very difficult test in
organic chemistry and then he came with
my brother and he saw me struggling to
get something done, you know some
problems solved.

SOT Hilda Mendoza And then he sat there with me and he
solved this problem and he taught me how
and I thought it was so easy.
//And that’s how it all started
SOT Ana Luisa Alvarez
13:07:38
On camera

Photograph of Alvarez and his wife
dancing.
He got married at 20. He married Hilda
Mendoza. They had been dating for some
time and loved each other very much.

10

SOT Rafael Alvarez
02:37:59
On camera

Photograph of the baby
When I was one year and a half away
from finishing my college education my
wife got pregnant and we were in school.
We had a beautiful daughter that instead
of being an obstacle became an additional
motivation to continue studying and to
finish college.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
02:38:40
More Photographs of the baby
It was a very hectic schedule because we
had classes in the morning and labs in the
afternoon.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
02:39:22

Photographs of the young family
If I was walking home from school, my
wife would be coming out of home with
the baby in her arms, ready to go to one of
the exams and we would cross in the path
with her, I would take the baby and my
wife would continue to school. And vise
versa later in the day.
SOT Hilda Mendoza
03:11:17
On camera

Photographs of Alvarez in Denton, Texas
He wanted to get a PhD and the
possibilities of doing that in Mexico were
good but it was going to take a long time
and he wanted to finish in four years
because we were already married and we
had a baby.
SOT Hilda Mendoza So he wanted to finish soon and then work
on his career. I didn’t want to come to the
United States. He wanted to be with me
and with the little one so I came. I
followed him.
SOT Ana Luisa Alvarez
13:08:12//13:08:59
SUBTITLES
Photograph in front of the library

On camera
He left to get his Master’s or doctorate
He told me, “don’t worry, I’ll be back in
two years. Of course that didn’t happen.//
How many years has it been? He’s been
over there for 25 years now.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 2523/ 02:29:11

The country that has probably helped me
the most in terms of my profession is the
United States of America. I remember the
very first time I came to Texas
SOT Rafael Alvarez
02:32:55

Photographs of the Library in Denton
When I went into the science library at the
University of North Texas, I felt like I was
in heaven

11

SOT Rafael Alvarez
02:33:15

On camera
He is sitting in front of books
All of a sudden in that library, the Journal
of Biological Chemistry was at least one
of more than 100 journals dedicated to
biochemistry. The same for microbiology
and cell biology and genetics.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
02:33:31

Photograph of Alvarez in front of the
library in Denton
And so on in many other biomedical
disciplines. And it was to me like I was
drowning in books but I was happily
drowning because I was learning and
learning and learning and many times, it
was 3 o’clock in the morning and they had
to kick me out because they were closing.
SOT Hilda Mendoza
03:19:05 // TAPE 2519/ 04:02:40
On camera

I lost a lot of confidence when I first came
to the United States because there was a
cultural shock for me and it was going to
take a long time for me to recover from
that.//
But I love this country too you know? I
do.
CARD:
Alvarez graduated with a PhD in Molecular
Biology from the University of North
Texas in 1985. The research for his
doctoral dissertation earned him a job at the
University of Zurich.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
01:28:45

Photograph
Alvarez presenting his first poster in
Switzerland.
Going to Europe for me was very
important because when I was a student in
high school they once gave me an
assignment to work on any place I wanted
to talk about.

SOT Rafael Alvarez

On camera
Photograph of Alvarez as a young man in
Europe.
I remember that I chose to talk about
Zurich//. And in doing so, I thought that
Zurich was a city that belonged out of this
world, not in my environment, not
something reachable for me.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
01:29:24

Photograph of Alvarez at commencement
in Denton, Texas
Then when I was 25, 26 when I was
finishing graduate school that they invited
me to Switzerland, I remember very
vividly that it had to do with Zurich.

12

SOT Rafael Alvarez
01:29:52

On camera

Photograph of Switzerland
The first time that I entered Switzerland, I
realized that nature and beauty were a lot
more than I ever dreamed of. The Swiss
Alps, the colors, the environment, the
standard of living was so impressive that
everything left me in awe. It was
incredible.
SOT Hilda Mendoza
03:18:39

Photograph a lake with the Swiss Alps in
the background.
On camera
I thought it was beautiful, beautiful. I
imagined that a place like that only in
fairy tales. There were castles!
SOT Rafael Alvarez
02:19:00

On camera
One of the things I remember very vividly
is because when I was a college student, I
took five semesters of microbiology, I
became very motivated by the work of
Louis Pasteur.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
02:17:54

Photograph:
Painting of Louis Pasteur
Louie Pasteur as we know, in France did a
lot of very important work in
microbiology. And when I was a college
student I remember the story when he first
presented his first observations to the
French academy of sciences and
everybody laughed at him.
SOT Rafael Alvarez

Photograph
The Arc de Triomphe
And nobody believed him. When I first
went to Paris, //, one of the first places I
went to was // where he gave his speech.
And just being there is really a thrill for
me because just walking those hallways
it’s like I was there when he was
experiencing his presentations.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
02:16:30

Photograph
Japan

Photograph
Spain

Photograph
Greece
Science has taken me to more than 20
countries and I have listened to 10
different languages. When I went into
science it was because I love the specialty,
I love my profession but I never dreamed
it would be like this.
And just the opportunity to go to all these
places turned out to be a plus. I didn’t
look for it but certainly when the
opportunity presented itself I appreciated
it and accepted it.

13

CARD:
“Today, Dr. Alvarez is a professor and
researcher at the UNT Health Science
Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
Tape 0106 08:13:15

CHRYON:
University of North Texas
Lecture Hall

Alvarez stands in a lecture hall. Seen
through the glass window of the door that
leads into the lecture hall
My favorite part of teaching is the ability
to have a meeting of the minds with
young, bright energetic students and
collaborate as a team in establishing new
concepts in scientific research.

SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:15:10
Shot of empty desks at the University

Wide shot from the top row of the lecture
hall of Alvarez setting up for a lecture.
When I really, I’m in front of students, I
enjoy it and try to do the best that I can
because it allows an interactive experience
with them where I am teaching them but
they also by asking me questions, keep me
abreast and up do date on specific topics.
SOT Rafael Alvarez
07:04:59
Exterior of the school.

Photograph of Alvarez lecturing.
“The Texas College of Osteopathic
Medical School was not a very old
medical school with traditions but if it
would ever become an important
institution in the State of Texas and in the
United States of America, rather than
rubbing off some of the success and
traditions on me, I would like to leave a
footprint in developing this institution to
something good.
SOT Rafael Alvarez

Wide shot of the school campus
Stone sign that reads UNT Health Science
Center
Now 18 years later when the school has
grown tremendously, I feel I have
contributed to the development of what it
is now, the University of North Texas
Health Science Center at Fort Worth
SOT Rafael Alvarez
02:23:23
Alvarez is explaining his research to a
fellow scientist at the convention. There is
a crowd of people looking at the poster.
CLOSE
More than being accomplished, I feel like
I have been given a wonderful opportunity
to mature as a human being and to learn
from other people.
SOT Ana Luisa Alvarez
13:11:37
SUBTITLES
On Camera
I always told him he had to do well. And
thank God, he has done it…he has done it.

14

SOT Rafael Alvarez Sr.
13:28:29 // 13:38:05
SUBTITLES
On Camera

Alvarez continues to explain his research at
the convention center.
I congratulate him and I am happy for him
because he got to where he is today on his
own terms//
I always told him, “Try your best. The
World is for those who prepare
themselves.” I thank God he actually
listened to me.

SOT Hilda Mendoza
04:15:14
I am very proud of him…
SOT Hilda Mendoza
04:10:29

On Camera
I hope that sometime all the things that
he’s accomplished will be applied to
actually help people suffering from
cancer.
Hilda Mendoza
04:10:39

Alvarez in his laboratory.
I really hope that what he has discovered
really helps. It has a lot of potential as far
as I know. He worked on the mechanisms
about how this enzyme works and that’s
the basis of everything.
Rafael Alvarez
Tape 0105/ 07:12:52

Alvarez in his laboratory performing an
experiment
I anticipate that for the next five to ten
years we will unveil more information //
and perhaps we should be able to prevent
some types of cancer.

15

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alvarez, Luisa. Personal Interview. 13 January 2008.
Alvarez, Rafael. Personal Interview. 24 November 2007.
Alvarez, Rafael. Personal Interview. 25 November 2007
Alvarez, Rafael. Personal Interview. 7 January 2008.
Alvarez., Rafael. Personal Interview. 11 January 2008.
Alvarez, Rafael. Personal Interview. 12 January 2008.
Alvarez Sr., Rafael. Personal Interview. 12 January 2008.
Cancerquest. “Apoptosis.” Ccancerquest.org. 3 June 2008.
Mendoza, Hilda. Personal Interview. 24 November 2007.
Mendoza, Raul. Personal Interview. 7 January 2008.
Orloff, Greg. Email Interview.

16

Abstract (if available)

Abstract There are over 200 types of cancer known to medicine. Most involve tumors, masses of replicated of cells in which the DNA has been damaged. Dr. Rafael Alvarez is a cancer researcher who has been working with the P53 enzyme for 20 years. The enzyme is responsible for eliminating cells in which the DNA has been damaged. His research, along with the work of his colleagues, has revealed that the most common trait in most types of cancer is mutation in P53.

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Conceptually similar

PDF

Using chemical biology approaches to investigate the consequences of protein concentration and activity in cancer cells

Asset Metadata

Creator Alvarez, Eric (author)

Core Title The road to cancer prevention: one researcher's path to finding the answer

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Journalism (Broadcast Journalism)

Publication Date 08/07/2008

Defense Date 07/02/2008

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag broadcast profile,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Saltzman, Joseph (committee chair), Birman, Daniel H. (committee member), Silva-Corvalan, Carmen (committee member)

Creator Email eric.m.alvarez@gmail.com,erica@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m1558

Unique identifier UC1281896

Identifier etd-Alvarez-2332 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-104881 (legacy record id),usctheses-m1558 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Alvarez-2332.pdf

Dmrecord 104881

Document Type Thesis

Rights Alvarez, Eric

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu