For the first time since a fifth-century Greek physician gave the name "cancer" (karkinos) to a deadly disease first described in Egyptian texts, a remarkable series of events has brought us to the brink of a cure, thanks in large part to a new ability to more efficiently harness the power of the human immune system. Tracing the connections between cancer and viruses, researcher Michael Kinch explains the vaccines being deployed to eliminate cervical cancer and the development of cancer-specific "smart bombs" in the form of monoclonal antibodies, cellular therapies, and checkpoint inhibitors.