from a scientific perspective, it's known that polycythemia vera is an acquiuired cancer, meaning ththat it's lilikely ofe environment. you're not born with it. so now we're looking at this very complex mystery of the environment and its potential link in causing p. vera. >> the search for answers began here, at the now silent home of betty and lester kester. >> whatat is happening here is t beautiful. it's not a pretty story. as beautiful as my parents' life was, and as many wonderful things they had in it, the e p. vera, it t really affed their life in a dramatic way. both passed away in 2008. the p. vera took their lives within about 5 years from the time that t they were diagnosed with it. >> ground zero for polycythemia vera in ththe free world, or in the world in n general, was bety and lester kester. when betty kester died, she had decided to donate her body to science for the invnvestigation. >> her body tissues eventually found their way here to dr. ronald hoffman's lab in mt. sinai hospital in new york city. he has spent nearly 40 years s studying pv. >> there were too many pat