For award-winning science writer Margie Pitlak, exploring the unique nature of the Maine coast opens a door to deeper ties and insights. Watching a striped monarch caterpillar transform into a chartreuse pendant dabbed with gold, she realizes the limits of life and what passes between generations. She explores the violent geologic collisions that thrust up and fractured Maine’s mountains; digs into the latest scientific thinking on how animals navigate; reflects on the dizzy dance of plankton under the microscope and the dogfish heart that continued to beat while held in the palm of her hand. She looks at moose, fox, fishers, and the tides as well, and shares a chapter about cleaning up the Maine coast by kayak. These facets of the natural world speak a hidden language that is translated by scientific knowledge and reflection. Nature begins to speak about the nature of life.

For award-winning science writer and photographer Margie Patlak, exploring the unique nature of the Maine coast opens a door to deeper ties and insights. This collection of photographs conveys the sublime sense of wonder she feels every time she visits the shore. Tides show how fleeting time is, and clouds and weather reveal greater forces that take away all illusions of control. These facets of the natural world speak a hidden language of light and color that Patlak translates with her lens.

In recent years, the field of oncology has witnessed a number of technological advances, including more precise radiation therapy and minimally invasive surgical techniques. Three-dimensional (3D), stereotactic, and proton-beam radiation therapy, as well as laparoscopy and robotic surgery, can enhance clinician's ability to treat conditions that were clinically challenging with conventional technologies, and may improve clinical outcomes or reduce treatment-related problems for some patients. Both patients and physicians seek access to these new technologies, which are rapidly being adopted into standard clinical practice. Such demand is often propelled by marketing that portrays the new technologies as the "latest and greatest" treatments available. However, evidence is often lacking to support these claims, and these novel technologies usually come with higher price tags and are often used to treat patients who might have achieved similar benefits from less expensive, conventional treatment. The increased cost of novel treatments without adequate assessment of how they affect patient outcomes is a pressing concern given that inappropriate use of expensive technologies is one of the key factors that threaten the affordability of cancer care in the United States. To explore these issues further, the National Cancer Policy Forum (NCPF) of the Institute of Medicine organized a workshop in July 2015. This is the third NCPF workshop in a series examining the affordability of cancer care. Participants explored clinical benefits and comparative effectiveness of emerging advanced technologies for cancer treatment in radiation therapy and surgery and potential strategies to assess the value and promote optimal use of new technologies in cancer treatment. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop. Table of Contents Front Matter Workshop Summary Appendix A: Statement of Task Appendix B: Workshop Agenda