A lesson from the Iron Man
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As we enter the fall season, baseball fans are excited for the World Series.
My family has always been fans of the New York Yankees, and I can’t help thinking about Lou Gehrig, who was called the Iron Man.
Gehrig is considered by many to be the best first baseman in the history of baseball. He was called the Iron Man because he played in 2,130 consecutive games.
Some baseball fans and historians credit Baltimore Orioles’ outstanding shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. with breaking the record, but Gehrig never missed a game from June 1, 1925, to May 2, 1939, whereas Ripken missed 50 games in 1994 when replacement players were used during a strike.
Gehrig was forced to retire after developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It was July 4, 1939, when the long-time Yankees first baseman uttered his famous words at home plate at a packed Yankee Stadium.
It is written that Babe Ruth was moved to tears by Gehrig’s 277-word speech, especially this portion: “When you have a mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter — that’s something. When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so you can have an education — it’s a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed – that’s the finest I know.”
However, the most famous quote in the speech is: “Fans, for the past 2 weeks, you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS on his 36th birthday, and he died only 2 years later. He rests in the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York, and Babe Ruth rests nearby.
I chose the Iron Man and his famous quote because I am sure there are many patients with cancer also consider themselves the luckiest individuals on the face of the earth. They do so because of the tremendous progress that has been made in the last 10 years in cancer care. Because of improvements in immunotherapies, patients with advanced melanoma and lung cancer are living longer than ever.
The progress made over the past decade in immunotherapy, targeted therapy, gene editing and gene profiling has led to increased survival and better quality of life for many patients with cancer. Translational cancer research involving the collaboration of scientists and clinicians and new technologies have led to these improvements.
Even in the noncancer environment, we should be reminded that because of rapidly developing technology a vaccine was produced in less than a year to combat the deadliest virus we have all faced in our lifetime.
Like Lou Gehrig, who said he got “a bad break” with his diagnosis of ALS, many patients with cancer feel the same during their initial diagnosis. However, patients with cancer today have multidisciplinary teams that care for them with an emphasis on quality of life, financial and social support when needed, and treatment options that in many cases lead to long-term survival.
Gehrig ended his speech by saying, “I have an awful lot to live for.” I say the same to our patients with cancer. Our job as physicians, legislators, health care systems and cancer organizations is to end the disparities in cancer care so everyone, no matter where they live or where they come from, can receive the care they need.
Finally, as a New York Yankees fan who loves the pinstripes, I can say there never was and there never will be another Lou Gehrig. His final words were from a man who likely knew he was dying from a horrifying degenerative disease, but they expressed optimism and gratitude.
His speech endures as the most iconic in sports history. A lesson from the Iron Man. Please stay safe.
For more information:
Nicholas J. Petrelli, MD, FACS, is Bank of America endowed medical director of ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute and associate director of translational research at Wistar Cancer Institute. He also serves as Associate Editor of Surgical Oncology for HemOnc Today. He can be reached at npetrelli@christianacare.org.
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