Fame
Here are some famous people: Justin Bieber. Kourtney Kardashian. The Olsen Twins. Mario Lopez. The Hulk.
What do they all have in common? None of them have ever cured cancer―although we think Bruce Banner could get pretty close.
Now, how about Linda Buck, Gertrude Elien, or Lee Hartwell? Ever heard of those people? We didn't think so. We'd like to think their work is at least as important to the world as Believe.
Most of the anti-cancer warriors these days have to be satisfied with a community-level amount of fame. While cable news spends its time promoting the latest flash in the pan, you're going to have to settle for seeing your name in medical journals (if you can even read that tiny print).
The general public may not know that you were the winner who discovered the molecular nature of telomeres and the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase (go you), but your peers, your family, the medical industry, cancer research facilities worldwide, and even the government most certainly will.