BENCH BELIEVE THAT THE
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IS NO LONGER
NECESSARY.
Debby: THE I.U. MEDICAL
CENTER IS LOSING ONE OF ITS
BIGGEST CANCER RESEARCHERS.
Eric: DR. GEORGE FLEDGE HAS A
GLOBAL REPUTATION, AND HE'S
KNOWN FOR HAVING A HUGE HEART
FOR HIS PATIENTS AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
IT'S SAD TO SAY THAT HE'S MOVING
WEST TO SANDFORD.
Debby: I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT
HIS LEAVE.
Reporter: IF YOU WERE AT THE
COLTS GAME YESTERDAY YOU MAY
HAVE SEEN THE CEREMONY HALFTIME
HONORING DR. GEORGE SLEDGE WHO
HAS TREATED THOUSANDS OF WOMEN
CANCER OVER HIS CAREER.
IT STARTED WITH CARMELITA STEELE
WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LEUKEMIA.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I
DIAGNOSED A PATIENT WITH
CORRESCANCER.I TOLD HER THAT SHA
DANGEROUS FORM OF LEUKEMIA.
I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HER WORDS
TO ME.
SHE SAID, WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF
MY CHILDREN?
Reporter: HE TOOK HER WORDS
TO HEART.
AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY HE DOVE
INTO THE GENETICS OF CANCER, THE
BASIC STRUCTURES OF THE KILLER.
HE SPECIALIZED IN BREAST CANCER
A COMPLEX JOB BUT HE HAS A
SIMPLE WAY OF LOOKING AT IT.
WHAT I TELL MY ONCOLOGY
FELLOWS IS THINK OF IT AS A
BBOARDING HOUSE WHERE A BUNCH OF
CRIMINALS HANG OUT.
SOME ARE PETTY THIEVES AND SOME
ARE KILLERS.
THEY NEED TO BE APPREHENDED
DIFFERENTLY AND JUDGED
DIFFERENTLY.
Reporter: HE DISCOVERED THAT
COMBINING TREATMENTS HE HAD AN
EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENT.
FOR HIM IT'S FINDING THE RIGHT
MEDICINE FOR THE RIGHT CANCER.
EVERY DRUG SHOULD BE
TARGETED.
WE SHOULD IDENTIFY WHO IS GOING
TO BENEFIT, WHO WILL HAVE
SIDE-EFFECT AND USE THAT IN THE
CLINIC.
Debby: THAT BRINGS US TO HIS
DECISION TO LEAVE I.U. FOR
STANFORD.
ESSENTIALLY HE'LL GET ACCESS TO
BIGGER COMPUTERS, AND EVEN MORE
DATA.
STANFORD, OF COURSE, IS IN
THE HEART OF SILICON VALLEY.
IT'S IN A PLACE WHERE THERE IS
PROBABLY MORE INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE THAN ANY
OTHER MACE ON THE PLANET.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO APPLY THIS
TO THE CANCER PROBLEM.
Debby: IT ALL COMES BACK TO
HIS PATIENTS.
NEWS CLIPPINGS OF CHILDREN OF
HIS PATIENTS, DRAWINGS FROM A
FIVE-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO'S MOTHER
WAS SICK.
Reporter: IN YOUR HEART WHAT
WAS HE SAYING?
HE WAS THANKING ME FOR HIS
MOTHER.
Debby: AND OF COURSE,
CARMELITA STEELES.
AS A DOCTOR I WANT THE CARME
STEELES OF THIS WORLD TO TAKE
CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN.
Debby: HE STARTS HIS NEW JOB
AT STANFORD THE 14TH OF JANUARY.
Eric: HE REMEMBERS THE FIRST
PATIENT HE DIAGNOSED, BUT HOW
DOES SOMEONE GET IN TO THIS
FIELD?
Debby: HE GREW UP IN MADISON,
WISCONSIN.
HE MAJORED IN ZOOLOGY, AND
INTERESTINGLY HE WORKED SUMMERS
ON HIS UNCLE'S NORTH CAROLINA
FARM HARVESTING TOBACCO.
HE BROUGHT THAT UP TO ME TODAY.
I SAID, DO YOU FEEL GUILTY?
HE SAID, I DO A LITTLE BIT.
I HOPE NONE OF THE TOBACCO THAT
