O'Reilly Media | Lung Cancer: Making Sense of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Options

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Lung Cancer: Making Sense of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Options Making Sense of Diagnosis, Treatment, & Options

By Lorraine Johnston
First Edition May 2001
Pages: 530
ISBN 10: 0-596-50002-5 | ISBN 13: 9780596500023

Book description

Straightforward language and the words of patients and their families are the hallmarks of this book on the number one cancer killer in the U.S. Written by a widely respected author and patient advocate, Lung Cancer: Making Sense of Diagnosis, Treatment & Options has been meticulously reviewed by top medical experts and physicians. Readers will find medical facts simply explained, advice to ease their daily life, and tools to be strong advocates for themselves or a family member.
Full Description

Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the U.S., with over 170,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Despite this, it receives little attention from the media and little sympathy from the public. Those with lung cancer suffer more blame and stigma than other cancer patients, even though 50 percent of them are former smokers or have never smoked. Treatments for lung cancer can significantly impact quality of life, and the prognosis for some types and stages of lung cancer, using standard treatments, can be daunting. In straightforward language, Lung Cancer: Making Sense of Diagnosis, Treatment & Options addresses medical, emotional, and support needs, often in the words of patients and families themselves. Topics include:

Diagnosis and medical tests
Characteristics of the lung cancers, factors in prognosis, and the various subtypes and staging systems for the disease
Treatments, including standard treatments for the subtypes, as well as emerging research and promising treatments now in clinical trials
Side effects and long-term effects of treatment, including how to cope and how to improve quality of life
Emotional responses to diagnosis, treatment, remission, possible recurrence, and other aspects of dealing with the condition, including stories from dozens of families living with lung cancer
Getting support from family, friends, employers, and the broader community
Comprehensive list of lung cancer resources: organizations, print, online sites
Other resources, including a pull-out Cancer Survivor's Treatment Record, glossary, bibliography, and technical appendices

Author and patient advocate Lorraine Johnston, with her background in life sciences, emphasizes using knowledge to dispel fear. The content has been reviewed by top medical experts and physicians in the field. Those who read this book will encounter medical facts simply explained, advice to ease their daily life, and tools to be strong advocates for themselves or a family member.

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Media reviews

"All aspects of lung cancer are covered in depth including symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, recurrence, clinical trials, coping, and end-of-life issues. The style is clear and objective. The book strives to be the consumer reference for lung cancer, and succeeds rather well. Like all O'Reilly's Patient-Centered Guides, Lung Cancercontains personal stories from patients and their families alternating within the text with practical and medical information about the disease." --CAPHIS newsletter (consumer health section of the Medical Library Association)

"This publication is a comprehensive text on lung cancer, written in layman's terms. It reviews the entire spectrum of the disease process from prevention and diagnosis through the treatment trajectory, symptom management, disease recurrence, and terminal care. Multiple healthcare providers (e.g., oncologists, oncology nurses, medical social workers) have reviewed medically intensive chapters and contributed their clinical expertise to ensure the text's accuracy. [V]ery reader friendly." --Oncology Nursing Society

"A highly readable guide to diagnosis and staging, finding the right treatment team, prognosis, treatment of non-small cell and small cell cancers, experiencing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, adverse effects of treatment, recurrence of disease, and clinical trials. Other topics covered include sexuality and fertility, reduction of stress, finance and employment issues, "If All Treatments Have Failed," and how to research your illness. Resources listed include organizations, print publications, and online sites." --Alan Rees, "Alan Rees on Consumer Health," A MAJOR Report

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