Surviving Cancer At Both Ends

Powerful poetry from the killing fields of cancer about the nature of mouth cancer and prostate cancer and how one survivor has survived these diseases for eleven years.

Neil Vickers, Lecturer in Literature and Medicine at King's College, University of London: 'Cancer at Both Ends has tremendous value. It is rare to find real poetry on these subjects. This is subtle and powerful verse. Really terrific. I admire the strength of character, the humour and the willingness to embrace the very uncomfortable truth that there is no reason why we should not get cancer. Wonderful poetry.'

Michael Lee, 2003 Editor of Poems in the Waiting Room: 'Cancer at Both Ends is a remarkable collection - an impressive, stirring record. Medicine has been classically defined as the study of the progress of disease through the morbid anatomy. Bob Crew's work is a healthy response. It is exceptionally strong and moving with a life-giving touch of humour.

Professor Michael Baum, Cancer Surgeon and former Professor of Surgery at Kings College Hospital, Royal Marsden Hospital and University College Hospital. 'Wonderful and deeply moving.'

Nicholas Kalavrezos, Head & Neck Cancer and Reconstructive Maxillofacial Surgeon, University College London: 'Bob Crew's poetry is very precise and sweet.'

James Poole, BA Natural Sciences (Cambridge): 'It's kind of awesome that the Big C creates opportunities for such savage humour and irony. Bob Crew's humour is not just mischievous, it's contagious. He has also put his finger on a very interesting area of intellectual debate - Complexity Theory. The wonder is not why things go wrong, but that they do not. But why does it take only one molecule going awl, or wrong, to cause big bad cancer?'