A childhood question can shape an entire life.
Before Cancer Begins
Cancer rarely begins the day it is diagnosed. Its roots are often planted quietly—years, sometimes decades—earlier.
In Before Cancer Begins, renowned scientist A. K. Rajasekaran, PhD, traces the journey that led him to this understanding. From a childhood shaped by curiosity and observation, sometimes amidst doubt, to a career dedicated to investigating the biology of disease, Rajasekaran reflects on the experiences that guided his path into cancer research and drug discovery.
Through stories of early challenges, inspiring mentors, scientific setbacks, and unexpected breakthroughs, he uncovers a deeper truth: the search for answers often begins long before a scientist steps into a laboratory. Combining personal reflection with scientific insight, Rajasekaran encourages readers to reconsider when and how disease truly starts, and whether our greatest opportunity lies not only in curing illness but also in preventing it.
Thoughtful, inspiring, and deeply human, Before Cancer Begins is more than a memoir of a life in science. It is a reflection on how curiosity turns into inquiry, inquiry into discovery, and how the questions we ask early in life can shape a lifelong mission.
For students, young scientists, and curious readers alike, this book offers a powerful reminder: the future of health may depend on the questions we ask long before disease appears.
It is the story of how foresight, compassion, and curiosity can quietly grow into a lifelong mission.
Prevention begins in childhood
Purpose begins with a question.
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A.K. Rajasekaran, PhD
A.K. Rajasekaran, PhD, is a cancer biologist, inventor, author, and entrepreneur with more than three decades of leadership in academic medicine and biotechnology. He is a former tenured professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the founding director of a pediatric cancer research center, where his work advanced understanding of cell adhesion, metastasis, drug delivery, and targeted cancer therapies.
Dr. Rajasekaran has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, holds multiple U.S. and international patents, and has founded cancer-focused biotechnology companies, including Therapy Architects and ALLCRON Pharma. His research bridges fundamental biology and translational medicine, contributing to drug discovery efforts to halt cancer progression and improve patient outcomes.
He is also the author of the science-philosophical work Afterlife: A Cosmic Reckoning, which explores consciousness, science, and the deeper questions of existence beyond biology.
Beyond the laboratory, Dr. Rajasekaran is the founder of the Cancer Vision Foundation, an organization dedicated to cancer-prevention education for children and young adults worldwide. Through school programs, lectures, and global outreach, he advocates prevention-first thinking—teaching how lifestyle, environment, and early awareness shape long-term health.
In Before Cancer Begins, he reflects on a life shaped by curiosity, adaptation, and a single childhood question that evolved into a lifelong mission. He lives in the United States and continues to work at the intersection of science, education, prevention, and reflection.
