Chemotherapy saves lives, but new studies—including research led by coauthor Dr. Dan Silverman—reveal that the agents used to kill cancer cells may also impair normal brain function. Even years after treatment people have reported problems with memory, concentration, multitasking, and word retrieval. Silverman and Idelle Davidson combine cutting-edge science and true stories to demonstrate that “chemo brain” is not a figment of your imagination. With its invaluable strategies and straightforward nine-step program specifically tailored to re-energizing the brain, Your Brain After Chemo gives patients the coping skills to move on with their lives.
This book is a unique resource on the influence cancer and cancer treatments have on cognition. The majority of cancer patients on active treatment experience cognitive impairments often referred to as 'chemobrain' or 'chemofog'. In addition, patients with primary or metastatic tumors of the brain often experience direct neurologic symptoms. This book helps health care professionals working with cancer patients who experience cognitive changes and provides practical information to help improve care by reviewing and describing brain-behavior relationships; research-based evidence on cognitive changes that occur with various cancers and cancer treatments; assessment techniques, including neurocognitive assessment and neuroimaging techniques; and intervention strategies for affected patients. In short, it will explain how to identify, assess and treat these conditions.
Handbook of Brain Tumor Chemotherapy, Molecular Therapeutics, and Immunotherapy, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular methodologies in the neuro-oncology field. There have been profound changes in the landscape of approaches to brain tumor therapy since the first edition—mainly in the areas of molecular biology and molecular therapeutics, as well as in the maturation of immunotherapy approaches (e.g., vaccines). This updated edition has a new, primary focus on multidisciplinary molecular methods, and is broadened to include the latest cutting-edge molecular biology, therapeutics, immunobiology and immunotherapy approaches. As the first comprehensive book to address the molecular research into these concepts, users will find it to be an invaluable resource on the topics discussed. - Provides the most up-to-date information regarding conventional forms of cytotoxic chemotherapy, as well as the basic science and clinical application of molecular therapeutics for the treatment of brain tumors - Broadly appeals to anyone interested in neuro-oncology and the treatment of brain tumors - Features updated chapters on molecular biology, molecular therapeutics, maturation of immunotherapy approaches, and a focus on multidisciplinary molecular methods - Includes a new section on the basic science of immunology, as well as thorough updates on the use of vaccine technology and immunotherapy for the treatment of brain tumors
This book was created to help young patients and their families understand about cancer, how it is treated, and ways to manage it. It shares stories and advice from children who have finished their treatments
Some people suffer from chronic, debilitating disorders for which no conventional treatment brings relief. Can marijuana ease their symptoms? Would it be breaking the law to turn to marijuana as a medication? There are few sources of objective, scientifically sound advice for people in this situation. Most books about marijuana and medicine attempt to promote the views of advocates or opponents. To fill the gap between these extremes, authors Alison Mack and Janet Joy have extracted critical findings from a recent Institute of Medicine study on this important issue, interpreting them for a general audience. Marijuana As Medicine? provides patientsâ€"as well as the people who care for themâ€"with a foundation for making decisions about their own health care. This empowering volume examines several key points, including: Whether marijuana can relieve a variety of symptoms, including pain, muscle spasticity, nausea, and appetite loss. The dangers of smoking marijuana, as well as the effects of its active chemical components on the immune system and on psychological health. The potential use of marijuana-based medications on symptoms of AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and several other specific disorders, in comparison with existing treatments. Marijuana As Medicine? introduces readers to the active compounds in marijuana. These include the principal ingredient in Marinol, a legal medication. The authors also discuss the prospects for developing other drugs derived from marijuana's active ingredients. In addition to providing an up-to-date review of the science behind the medical marijuana debate, Mack and Joy also answer common questions about the legal status of marijuana, explaining the conflict between state and federal law regarding its medical use. Intended primarily as an aid to patients and caregivers, this book objectively presents critical information so that it can be used to make responsible health care decisions. Marijuana As Medicine? will also be a valuable resource for policymakers, health care providers, patient counselors, medical faculty and studentsâ€"in short, anyone who wants to learn more about this important issue.
I had just turned twenty-one and was in my senior year of college when I was diagnosed with grade four brain cancer. The doctors gave me less than a year to live. I fought, and fought, and I fought hard for eleven years. I am still alive and living independently eighteen years later. I'm currently in my sixteenth year of teaching elementary school and plan on doing so for a long time. I attend Chicago's Cancer Survivor's Walk and Celebration every spring so I always remember how many of us have survived this difficult battle. I hate hearing about others who have been diagnosed with cancer. I wish I could just reach into the television and tell them all that I have been through and learned. That it is possible to beat this fight even when the doctors tell us otherwise. So this is my way of reaching out to you and your loved ones. This book is filled with everything I didthe traditional therapies as well as all of the alternative therapies I used. This is an inspirational story about my fight against cancer. A story filled with hope, perseverance, and miracles.
Whether you’re a newly diagnosed brain tumor patient, a survivor, or a friend or relative of either, this book offers help. Completely revised and updated, 100 Questions & Answers About Brain Tumors, Second Edition gives you authoritative, practical answers to your questions about treatment options, post-treatment quality of life, sources of support, and much more. The authors, a brain tumor survivor teamed with a neuro-oncologist specializing in brain tumors, provide a comprehensive, step-by-step discussion of what you can expect in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors, while providing a real-life understanding of what these steps might mean for your day-to-day life. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone coping with the physical and emotional turmoil of this frightening disease.
Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully provides valuable insight into the experience of patients and families living with advanced cancer and describes a novel psychotherapeutic approach to help them live meaningfully, while also facing the threat of mortality. Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully, also known by the acronym CALM, is a brief supportive-expressive intervention that can be delivered by a wide range of trained healthcare providers as part of cancer care or early palliative care. The authors provide an overview of the clinical experience and research that led to the development of CALM, a clear description of the intervention, and a manualized guide to aid in its delivery. Situated in the context of early palliative care, this text is destined to be become essential reading for healthcare professionals engaged in providing psychological support to patients and their families who face the practical and profound problems of advanced disease.
Despite the progress being made in cancer symptom management, many patients with cancer still experience distress in their symptom experience, whether from the disease or its treatment. Symptoms such as pain, nausea, and mucositis, often in combination with other symptoms, pose ongoing challenges to clinicians. Managing symptoms is essential to enhance patients' quality of life, and clinicians must stay up to date on effective, evidence-based interventions. This new edition of A Guide to Oncology Symptom Management provides revised and updated content on the management of common symptoms experienced by patients with cancer. Chapters detail incidence and prevalence of disease-and treatment-related symptoms, describe the pathophysiology related to the topic, and provide appropriate evidence-based assessment and treatment strategies. New chapters examine symptom management at the end of life, symptom distress, and caregiver burden. Featuring case studies and extensive tables and figures to illustrate key points, this accessible yet comprehensive text is an essential resource for oncology nurses and other cancer-care clinicians. Book jacket.