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About the Author

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Last Modified: November 1, 2001

My name is Angela Thomas and I am a 15 year old junior attending the J.R. Masterman School. I was born in the University of Pennsylvania Hospital on December 4, 1980. For the past 16 years I have resided in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. Some of my hobbies include candy striping, collecting classic CD's, and playing solitaire.

I have been interested in working as an OB/GYN for the past three years. Acting on this interest I participated in a program called Medical Explorers where I heard doctors describe their fields and show pictures of their research. After completing this program I had interest lying in every field from obstetrics to pulmonary medicine. I was then afforded the opportunity to work with a doctor studying his/her field of medicine. Working through the Minority High School Student Research Apprenticeship program and with Joel Goldwein, M.D., I devised An Introduction to Cancer: A Primer for High School Students.

Having done research for several projects, I noticed that while there is an array of information, few sources present it in a way that is amusing and engaging to anyone. I have also found that reference materials geared toward teenagers are so infantile that they are not even employable for the level of research required. In writing An Introduction to Cancer... I kept all of these considerations in mind. I added pictures, animations, and diagrams to captivate readers. I also included facts from several sources to make sure that it would not be beneath a teenager's level of intelligence. Cancer and oncology have proven to be two very interesting research topics. I hope that An Introduction to Cancer: A Primer for High School Students has been of some assistance to those seeking general information about cancer, causes, treatments and therapies.