The first guide to all surgical and nonsurgical options for women with a high risk for breast cancer.
Advances in genetic testing and risk assessment have changed the face of medicine, but with them has come a Pandora's box of dilemmas. Imagine discovering you had a significant risk for developing breast cancer. What would you do?
Through the incredible true stories of five young friends, as well as interviews with more than seventy top breast cancer experts, health writer Dina Roth Port addresses the universal questions of women everywhere who have watched family members suffer from the disease and wondered, "Am I next?" Full of practical information, Previvors is the first comprehensive book to guide women through the difficult process of determining their risk, weighing the options, and coping with the emotions of deciding to undergo surgery. Readers will learn:
The pros and cons of getting tested for the BRCA gene
How to decide between surgical or nonsurgical options
The latest research in breast cancer surveillance
The advanced new world of breast reconstruction
How to overcome body image and sex issues post-surgery, and more
From navigating health insurance coverage to finding the right medical team, Previvors is an invaluable resource for women facing decisions about their risk and future health.
Cancer psychologist Andrew Kneier has devoted his career to helping patients master the many challenges and dilemmas that come with a cancer diagnosis. From his work with thousands of people in therapy sessions and cancer support groups, Dr. Kneier has distilled the most common questions and concerns into ten free-standing essays that will help you work through whichever issues are most relevant to you, including:
Family Matters
Cancer as a Gift?
Learning from Your Emotions
Five Existential Dilemmas
Mastering Anxiety
Cancer and Your Life Story
Dr. Kneier has developed innovative ways of thinking and coping that have helped his clients and their families come to terms with personal issues and face them head-on. Whether you’re gathering the courage to communicate honestly with your significant other or children or having trouble determining what your prognosis actually means for you, Dr. Kneier will guide you through the questions and answers that have helped thousands of others who have also navigated this challenging journey.
Suzy and Nancy Goodman were more than sisters. They were best friends, confidantes, and partners in the grand adventure of life. For three decades, nothing could separate them. Not college, not marriage, not miles. Then Suzy got sick. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1977; three agonizing years later, at thirty-six, she died.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The Goodman girls were raised in postwar Peoria, Illinois, by parents who believed that small acts of charity could change the world. Suzy was the big sister—the homecoming queen with an infectious enthusiasm and a generous heart. Nancy was the little sister—the tomboy with an outsized sense of justice who wanted to right all wrongs. The sisters shared makeup tips, dating secrets, plans for glamorous fantasy careers. They spent one memorable summer in Europe discovering a big world far from Peoria. They imagined a long life together—one in which they’d grow old together surrounded by children and grandchildren.
Suzy’s diagnosis shattered that dream.
Promise Me is a deeply moving story of family and sisterhood, the dramatic “30,000-foot view” of the democratization of a disease, and a soaring affirmative to the question: Can one person truly make a difference?
Every year almost a quarter of a million confused and frightened American men are tossed into a prostate cancer cauldron stirred by salespeople representing a multibillion-dollar industry. In this flourishing business, the radical prostatectomy is still the most widely recommended treatment option. Yet a recent and definitive study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that out of the fifty thousand prostate operations performed annually, more than forty thousand are unjustified. But this is no surprise given that 99 percent of all doctors treating this disease are surgeons or radiation therapists. The appalling fact is that men are still being rushed into a major operation that rarely prolongs life and more than half the time leaves them impotent.
Invasion of the Prostate Snatchers is a report on the latest thinking in prostate cancer therapy: close monitoring–active surveillance rather than surgery or radiation–should be the initial treatment approach for many men. There are three stages of prostate cancer and this book will provide accurate information about how to distinguish between them: Low-Risk, which requires no immediate treatment; Intermediate-Risk, which will benefit from surgery, radiation, and/or hormonal therapy; and High-Risk, a type that does require immediate treatment with a combination of therapies. In a unique collaboration, doctor and patient provide a wholly new perspective on managing this disease. Ralph Blum’s account of his personal struggle, together with Dr.Mark Scholz’s presentation of newscientific advances, provides convincing evidence that this noninvasive approach can be crucial in preventing tens of thousands of men from being overtreated every year. Invasion of the Prostate Snatchers serves as an indispensable map through the medical minefield of prostate cancer.
Newly revised, with up-to-the-minute findings: the potentially lifesaving guide to prostate health by one of the world's foremost urologists
Although most men know little about their prostate glands, an overwhelming majority will be affected by prostate problems at some time in their lives. In this groundbreaking book, now updated to include the latest medical break-throughs, world-renowned urology expert Dr.Peter Scardino arms men with the information they need to battle prostate cancer, prostatitis, and benign prostate enlargement (BPH). This updated edition includes new information on the role genetics may play, hormone replacement therapy, new treatments for prostatitis, and more.
With clear illustrations and charts throughout, this book covers everything men should know about prostate health, helping concerned men and their loved ones to:
interpret complex and often confusing test results and research findings
adopt proven prevention strategies
choose among the many available treatment options
enjoy a satisfying sex life and good urinary function
Dr. Scardino brings his outstanding experience, expertise, and compassionate advice, combined with the latest medical breakthroughs and cutting-edge studies, to provide men with the knowledge and tools they need to live long, healthy lives.
