In this newly updated and revised edition of Navigating Breast Cancer: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed, Second Edition, author Lillie Shockney empowers breast cancer patients and their families by providing authoritative, easy-to-follow information about each step of treatment, helping women to make informed decisions about their care. Armed with this invaluable book, breast cancer patients will be well prepared for each phase of therapy, and perhaps most importantly, will learn how to continue to work and live life while receiving treatment. This outstanding resource provides breast cancer patients with the essential tools they need to cope with symptoms and to navigate the maze of modern treatment options.
From an expert in the field comes the definitive guide to managing breast cancer in the information age—a comprehensive resource for diagnosis, treatment, and peace of mind. The breast cancer cure rate is at an all-time high, and so is the information, to say nothing of the misinformation, available to patients and their families. Online searches can lead to unreliable sources, leaving even the most resilient patient feeling uneasy and uncertain about her diagnosis, treatment options, doctors, side effects, and recovery. Adding to a patient’s anxiety is input from well-meaning friends and family, with stories, worries, and opinions to share, sometimes without knowing the details of her particular case, when in reality breast cancer treatment has gone well beyond a “one size fits all” approach. Elisa Port, MD, FACS, chief of breast surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital and co-director of the Dubin Breast Center in Manhattan, offers an optimistic antidote to the ocean of Web data on screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Inside you’ll discover • the various scenarios when mammograms indicate the need for a biopsy • the questions to ask about surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and breast reconstruction • the important things to look for when deciding where to get care • the key to deciphering complicated pathology reports and avoiding confusion • the facts on genetic testing and the breast cancer genes: BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 • the best resources and advice for those supporting someone with breast cancer From innovations in breast cancer screening and evaluating results to post-treatment medications and living as a breast cancer survivor, Dr. Elisa Port describes every possible test and every type of doctor visit, providing a comprehensive, empathetic guide that every newly diagnosed woman (and her family) will want to have at her side. Praise for The New Generation Breast Cancer Book “One book you need . . . If you’re considering your options for treatment or know someone who is, this step-by-step guide, The New Generation Breast Cancer Book, is essential reading.”—InStyle “Elisa Port, M.D., is the doctor every patient deserves: brilliant and compassionate. Her book will be a sanity saver and, quite possibly, a life saver.”—Geralyn Lucas, author of Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy “As up-to-date as one can get, with lots to offer people facing a cancer diagnosis or hoping to support someone with the disease.”—Library Journal (starred review) “The New Generation Breast Cancer Book helps you sort through all the information you’ve gathered, clarify the terminology, consider the options, and make the right decisions for your unique case.”—Edie Falco “A lifeline for many women in need of today’s most up-to-date choices for treatment . . . Everyone should read this book for themselves, their mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and friends.”—Kara DioGuardi, Grammy-nominated songwriter, music executive, and Arthouse Entertainment co-founder “The book is teeming with easy-to-understand medical explanations, tips, takeaways, and pro-and-con discussions of various courses of action. Port also includes two extremely useful appendices that respectively take on common myths and answer questions frequently asked by friends and family. This is a vital read that will empower men and women alike.”—Publishers Weekly
"Providing comprehensive, current, and reliable information on breast cancer, this book, written by an experienced oncologist, a surgeon, and a breast cancer survivor, informs and inspires readers, wherever they are in the breast cancer experience. Patient stories, essays from medical specialists, and illustrations add clarity and insight"--
No one should have to face cancer alone. Each year, 1.8 million people are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Upon learning this difficult news, individuals also have a minefield of complex information to navigate regarding treatment plans, insurance coverage, clinical trials, and more. Your Cancer Road Map: Navigating Life with Resilience is a compassionate, comprehensive guide for cancer patients, their families, and caregivers, designed to take the guesswork out of these crucial decisions every step of the way. For more than 35 years, the Cancer Support Community (CSC) has been a trusted resource, demystifying the emotional, physical, financial, and logistical challenges related to cancer. From CSC CEO Kim Thiboldeaux, Your Cancer Road Map is a comprehensive guidebook, providing advice and comfort at every point on the cancer journey, from the moment of diagnosis to survivorship and beyond. Your Cancer Road Map covers hard-to-talk-about topics such as treatment options, finances, how cancer can affect your fertility or sexuality, survivor care, hospice care, and end-of-life planning. In the CSC tradition, the book ensures that people impacted by cancer can live their lives to the fullest and enables them to gain a sense of control during what can be an overwhelming and chaotic time. Now more than ever, patients need the tools to participate fully in their healthcare, and communicate their preferences and priorities to their healthcare team so that they can make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones while living with the highest possible quality of life. Filled with incredible personal stories from people who could be your friends or neighbors, as well as celebrities and influencers, plus workbook pages, checklists, recommended resources, and more, Your Cancer Road Map will be a powerful companion for anyone with questions about cancer.
A definitive and approachable guide to life during, and after, breast cancer The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is simply being a woman. Madhulika Sikka's A Breast Cancer Alphabet offers a new way to live with and plan past the hardest diagnosis that most women will ever receive: a personal, practical, and deeply informative look at the road from diagnosis to treatment and beyond. What Madhulika Sikka didn't foresee when initially diagnosed, and what this book brings to life so vividly, are the unexpected and minute challenges that make navigating the world of breast cancer all the trickier. A Breast Cancer Alphabet is an inspired reaction to what started as a personal predicament. This A-Z guide to living with breast cancer goes where so many fear to tread: sex (S is for Sex - really?), sentimentality (J is for Journey - it's a cliché we need to dispense with), hair (H is for Hair - yes, you can make a federal case of it) and work (Q is for Quitting - there'll be days when you feel like it). She draws an easy-to-follow, and quite memorable, map of her travels from breast cancer neophyte to seasoned veteran. As a prominent news executive, Madhulika had access to the most cutting edge data on the disease's reach and impact. At the same time, she craved the community of frank talk and personal insight that we rely on in life's toughest moments. This wonderfully inventive book navigates the world of science and story, bringing readers into Madhulika's mind and experience in a way that demystifies breast cancer and offers new hope for those living with it.
This contributed book covers all aspects concerning the clinical scenario of breast cancer in young women, providing physicians with the latest information on the topic. Young women are a special subset of patients whose care requires dedicated expertise. The book, written and edited by internationally recognized experts who have been directly involved in the international consensus guidelines for breast cancer in young women, pays particular attention to how the disease and its planned treatment can be effectively communicated to young patients. Highly informative and carefully structured, it provides both theoretical and practice-oriented insight for practitioners and professionals involved in the different phases of treatment, from diagnosis to intervention, to follow-up – without neglecting the important role played by prevention.
'Alison, I've got bad news.' The voice of the pathologist at the other end of the telephone confirmed for Alison Tucker the news no woman ever wants to hear: she had breast cancer. Once the shock had settled, Alison decided that she would take charge. Not only would she take ownership of the dreaded disease, but she would do so with a positive mindset and prepare herself as best she could for what was to come. She did detailed research and paid close heed to what she was told by others who had walked the path before her. As she navigated her way through surgery and the chemotherapy and radiotherapy that followed, Alison's determination paid off. Not only did she make new friends, but she learnt valuable life lessons too: acceptance of the illness for what it was, the amazing impact of ongoing advances in medical science, and the importance of being able to ask for – and receive – help. In My Best Worst Year – A Breast Cancer Story Alison gives us an authentic account of her experience, offering insights and advice for others who might one day face the same diagnosis. You will accompany her on her highs, empathise with her lows, and be amused by humorous anecdotes along the way. Through the generous support of family and friends, she has amassed a collection of practical tips for both patients and supporters which she shares with open-hearted honesty. What to take to chemotherapy sessions. What to look for when choosing a wig. What side effects a person can expect when having the various types of cancer treatment. What to say, and what not to say, to a cancer patient. How to remove stress from a cancer patient's life. What kind of gifts and gestures are most appreciated. Contrary to Alison's expectations, her year of treatment turned out to be her best worst year. By telling her story, she underlines the importance of a positive attitude and hopes to show that a person can still lead a productive and enjoyable life even after being diagnosed with cancer. 'I learnt the power of gratitude, a learning that I will cherish forever and that I will draw on in no small measure in the good times and the bad.'
Delivering high-quality cancer care to all patients presents numerous challenges, including difficulties with care coordination and access. Patient navigation is a community-based service delivery intervention designed to promote access to timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases by eliminating barriers to care, and has often been proposed and implemented to address these challenges. However, unresolved questions include where patient navigation programs should be deployed, and which patients should be prioritized to receive navigation services when resources are limited. To address these issues and facilitate discussion on how to improve navigation services for patients with cancer, the National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop on November 13 and 14, 2017. At this workshop, a broad range of experts and stakeholders, including clinicians, navigators, researchers, and patients, explored which patients need navigation and who should serve as navigators, and the benefits of navigation and current gaps in the evidence base.
Whether facing mastectomy and breast reconstruction due to a cancer diagnosis or a genetic predisposition to the disease, the process is filled with uncertainty, difficult questions, intense emotions, and life-altering decisions that must be made in quick order. In Life Reconstructed, Kim Harms details her own experience, the experiences of others, plus extensive research, delving into the physical, emotional, psychological, and relational aspects of mastectomy and breast reconstruction, featuring: - input from medical professionals, - a detailed look at the distinct differences between breast reconstruction and breast augmentation (It's not a boob job!) - practical advice for decision-making, self-advocacy, recovery, talking with your children, a return to intimacy, and more. "Harms' journalistic skills and storytelling ability to share her own personal struggles with breast cancer make this book ex- ceptional." -Susan L. Beck, DO, MPH, Breast Surgeon and Medical Director, Katzmann Breast Center KIM HARMS is a two-time breast cancer survivor with a BA in English from Iowa State University. She has more than twenty years of experience as a freelance writer and spends her weekday afternoons working in her local library. A lifelong Midwestern girl, she lives in Central Iowa with her husband, the youngest of their three sons, and a rambunctious dog who takes her on walks twice a day.