In the 1950's, survival rates from cancer of any kind were low. Damaging surgery and unsophisticated radiotherapy were the main treatments, assuming the disease was detected in time for anything to be done. Cervical cancer was often asymptomatic until it was well advanced, and by that time, it was often a death sentence. This dramatic story of the fight against cervical cancer revolves around three main characters: Dr. Papanicolaou, a Greek immigrant whose single-minded pursuit of the development of a diagnostic test saved hundreds of thousands of women; Hashime Murayama, the exquisitely talented artist who became National Geographic's first inhouse illustrator, but because of his Japanese heritage, was fired, interned in a WWII camp, then released to work on the project; and Helen Dickens, a groundbreaking Black female surgeon, who overcame deep distrust between the Black community and medical professionals to save the lives of thousands of women. The work of these three true life savers slashed death rates of this previously unfightable cancer by more than 60 percent.
Episode Duration: 56 minutes and 46 seconds
Episode Number: 3603
No future air times were found for this episode.
As television's longest-running, most-watched history series, American Experience brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that helped form this nation.
Sat, Apr 27 | 3:00 P.M. | Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal NH World (11.3) |
Wed, May 1 | 1:00 P.M. | Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal NH Explore (11.2) |
Wed, May 1 | 3:00 P.M. | Plague at the Golden Gate NH Explore (11.2) |
Thu, May 2 | 3:00 A.M. | Plague at the Golden Gate NH Explore (11.2) |
Tue, May 21 | 9:00 P.M. | The Riot Report NHPBS (11.1) |
Wed, May 22 | 1:00 A.M. | The Riot Report NHPBS (11.1) |
Thu, May 23 | 3:00 A.M. | The Riot Report NHPBS (11.1) |
Fri, May 24 | 8:00 P.M. | The Riot Report NH World (11.3) |
Sat, May 25 | 1:00 A.M. | The Riot Report NH World (11.3) |
Sat, May 25 | 9:00 A.M. | The Riot Report NH World (11.3) |
Mon, May 27 | 4:00 A.M. | The Sun Queen NH World (11.3) |
Tue, May 28 | 2:00 P.M. | Riveted: The History of Jeans NH World (11.3) |
Tue, May 28 | 3:00 P.M. | The Lie Detector NH World (11.3) |
Tue, May 28 | 4:00 P.M. | Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History NH World (11.3) |
Wed, May 29 | 1:00 P.M. | The Riot Report NH Explore (11.2) |
Wed, May 29 | 2:00 P.M. | Fatal Flood NH World (11.3) |
WENH-TV Ch. 11 Durham
WLED-TV Ch. 48 Littleton
WEKW-TV Ch. 18 Keene
W50DP-D Ch. 50 Hanover
W34DQ-D Ch. 34 Pittsburg