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This First-Year Seminar examines how our understanding of cancer has evolved over the fifty years since Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act, often described as a declaration of a “war on cancer.” How has our understanding of what cancer is changed over time? What are the implications of these changes for how we understand its causes, prevention, and control? Students will consider how scientific discoveries translate into public health strategies, and how evolving knowledge shapes approaches to prevention, screening, and treatment. Through discussion, reflection, and analysis, the seminar invites students to think broadly about what it means to “control” cancer in the 21st century and how scientific, social, and policy perspectives intersect in this ongoing effort.