Description
Book SynopsisEach year, more than 1 million people get treated for cancer, and most of these will undergo chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both. This reassuring, optimistic guide helps people get a handle on treatment options and explains in plain English how chemotherapy and radiation therapy really work.
Trade Review"...spiced with humour ... succeeds in demystofying cancer therapy ... a compassionate and practical book ... a welcome addition to cancer patient literature..." (
Cancer World, April 2006)
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You Don’t Have to Read 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
How This Book Is Organized 3
Part I: Your Journey Through Cancer Treatments: Preparing for the Trip 3
Part II: Your Choices along the Way: Making Good Ones 3
Part III: Chemotherapy: What to Expect and How to Deal with Side Effects 4
Part IV: Radiation: What to Expect and How to Deal with Side Effects 4
Part V: Your Success Strategies: Assembling Your Support Team 4
Part VI: Your Future after Cancer Treatments: Looking Ahead 4
Part VII: The Part of Tens 5
Glossary 5
Icons Used in This Book 5
Where to Go from Here 6
Part I: Your Journey Through Cancer Treatments: Preparing for the Trip 7
Chapter 1: Recognizing the Realities of Chemotherapy and Radiation 9
Making Peace with Your Diagnosis 10
Registering your emotions 10
Taking time to process the news 10
Experiencing a range of emotions 11
Telling family and friends 11
Gathering Information 12
Shopping for Cancer Specialists 12
Finding good doctors 13
Preparing to embrace a new culture 14
Considering Options 15
Understanding chemotherapy and radiation 15
Looking into clinical trials 16
Taking a chance on a transplant 16
Exploring Virtual Chemotherapy 17
Getting started on chemo 17
Taking care of your immune system 17
Signing up for side effects 17
Trying on Radiation Therapy for Size 18
Getting set up for the first treatment 18
Managing side effects 19
Sending for Help 19
Making room on the team bus 20
Practicing good nutrition 20
Tending to your spirit 21
Finding support from strangers 21
Looking Beyond Cancer Treatments 22
Beginning anew 22
Returning to square one 23
Making peace with a new you 23
Chapter 2: The Mutants Take Over: A Primer on Cancer 25
Demystifying the “C” Word 26
Understanding how cancer develops 27
What causes cancer? 28
Listing the types of cancer 29
Differentiating among tumors 30
Watching the Immune System in Action 30
Discovering How Treatments Fight Back 32
Considering Risk Factors 34
Blaming your genes 34
Looking for other causes 35
Looking to the Future: Ongoing Research 37
Targeting genetic culprits 38
Developing fortified antibodies 38
Speaking of the “C” Word 39
Practicing saying the word 39
Scheduling pity parties 40
Comforting the people around you 41
Playing the blame game 42
Keeping Your Sense of Humor 43
Chapter 3: You Will Be Tested: What All Those Tests Show 45
Passing a Battery of Tests 46
Having blood drawn 46
Stretching out on a table 47
Undergoing a biopsy 51
Playing the Waiting Game 52
Setting the Stage for Treatment 53
Hearing your numbers 55
Ignoring your numbers 55
Recognizing Symptoms of Cancer 56
Resisting the urge to self-diagnose 57
Analyzing pain 57
Appreciating Early Detection 58
Knowing the types of screening tests 59
Redirecting anger about tests 60
Part II: Your Choices along the Way: Making Good Ones 63
Chapter 4: Defining Chemotherapy: The Anticancer Drugs 65
Getting Some Chemotherapy Basics 66
Sorting out the different drugs 67
Taking heart from new developments 68
Investigating Different Delivery Systems 69
Having intravenous chemotherapy 70
Wearing a pump 73
Taking chemotherapy by mouth 74
Looking at lesser-known forms of chemotherapy 74
Evaluating Your Oncologist’s Recommendation 75
Setting up a treatment plan 75
Determining the dose 76
Getting a second opinion 77
Making the Best Choice for You 78
Asking the right questions 79
Getting the right answers 79
Moving forward with confidence 80
Chapter 5: Defining Radiation: A Burning Issue 81
Understanding Radiation Therapy 82
Defining external radiation therapy 83
Defining internal radiation therapy 85
Exploring ways to improve radiation therapy treatments 89
Evaluating Your Radiation Oncologist’s Recommendation 89
Setting up a treatment plan 89
Determining the dose 90
Meeting the team 91
Getting a second opinion 91
Making the Best Choice for You 91
Chapter 6: Setting New Standards: The Role of Clinical Trials 93
Grasping the Importance of Clinical Trials 94
Realizing the scope of cancer trials 94
Understanding the development of clinical trials 94
Deciding Whether to Participate 96
Considering the benefits 97
Considering the risks 97
Asking questions 98
Seeking more information 99
Taking Part in a Clinical Trial 100
Meeting eligibility guidelines 100
Knowing your rights 101
Feeling Good About Taking Part 101
Hearing what participants have to say 102
Banishing the notion of guinea pigs 103
Chapter 7: Getting a Second Chance: Bone Marrow Transplants 105
Demystifying Bone Marrow Transplants 106
Defining bone marrow 106
Identifying the purpose of a transplant 107
Recognizing the source of stem cells 108
Exploring the Types of Transplants 108
Looking at autologous transplants 109
Looking at syngeneic transplants 110
Looking at allogeneic transplants 110
Looking at an alternative 110
Searching for a Donor 111
Preparing for a Bone Marrow Transplant 112
Acknowledging your emotions 112
Appointing a caregiver 113
Comparing Retrieval Methods 114
Harvesting the bone marrow 114
Obtaining peripheral blood stem cells 114
Undergoing the Rescue Process 115
Experiencing external changes 115
Experiencing internal changes 116
Keeping an Eye Out for Post-Rescue Problems 116
Part III: Chemotherapy: What to Expect and How to Deal with Side Effects 119
Chapter 8: What to Expect During Chemotherapy: A Head-to-Toe Mouthwash 121
Your First Appointment: Getting the Toughest One Out of the Way 122
Assessing your feelings 123
Preparing for your first treatment 123
Arriving for your treatment 125
Undergoing your first treatment 125
Heading for home 126
Continuing with Chemo 127
Keeping your appointments 128
Reporting changes in your health 128
Protecting your health 129
Asking for the Support You Need 129
Delegating responsibilities to your family 130
Appointing a “Chemo Buddy” 131
Allowing friends to help 131
Giving Yourself a Break 133
Keeping everything in perspective 133
Keeping an eye on the future 134
Chapter 9: Gimme a Boost: Immune and Bone Marrow Stimulants 135
Boning Up on Bone Marrow 136
Boosting the Immune System 137
White blood cells 137
Red blood cells 139
Platelets 141
An additional complication 142
Recognizing an Infection 143
Considering Supplements 143
Chapter 10: Coping with Serious Side Effects of Chemotherapy 145
Considering What’s to Come 146
Reading a firsthand report 147
Predicting your experience 147
Keeping an Eye on Kidney and Bladder Function 148
Combating Nausea 149
Eating smart 149
Drinking smart 150
Comforting yourself 150
Facing Fatigue 151
Checking for anemia 152
Conserving energy 152
Fighting Pain 154
Nailing neuropathy 154
Watching out for mouth sores 155
Dealing with dry mouth 156
Demystifying Depression 157
Facing your fear 157
Identifying other causes of depression 157
Getting the help you need 158
Confronting Infertility 159
Being proactive 159
Planning to wait 160
Losing Your Hair 160
Caring for your hair before it goes 161
Planning ahead for hair loss 162
Growing new hair 165
Chapter 11: Coping with Less Serious Side Effects of Chemotherapy 167
Considering What’s to Come 168
Battling Intestinal Disarray 168
Dealing with diarrhea 169
Dealing with constipation 170
Retaining Fluids 170
Experiencing Vision Problems 171
Fighting Fuzzy Thinking 171
Losing Interest in Food 172
Mistrusting your sense of taste 172
Boosting your appetite 173
Cutting back on drinking 174
Troubleshooting Skin and Nail Problems 174
Itching to scratch 175
Knowing how to treat nails 176
Attacking acne 176
Suffering from sunburn 176
Reacting to radiation 177
Part IV: Radiation: What to Expect and How to Deal with Side Effects 179
Chapter 12: What to Expect During Radiation: Tattoos and Moisturizer 181
Your First Appointments: Getting the Toughest Ones Out of the Way 182
Knowing what to expect 182
Mapping the area to be treated 183
Determining the dose to use 185
Getting tattoos 185
Setting up your schedule 186
Experiencing the Real Thing 187
Assessing your feelings 187
Arriving on the first day 188
Soothing Your Skin 189
Making Wardrobe Adjustments 190
Seeking the Support You Need 190
Giving Yourself a Break 191
Keeping your appointments 192
Keeping everything in perspective 192
Keeping an eye on the future 193
Chapter 13: Coping with Side Effects of Radiation Therapy 195
Considering What’s to Come 196
Identifying your type of therapy 197
Predicting your experience 197
Fending Off Fatigue 198
Learning an important word 198
Getting your timing right 199
Caring for Your Skin 200
Using protective strategies 200
Watching for warning signs 200
Soothing Inflamed Mucous Membranes 201
Experiencing Diarrhea 201
Saying “No” to Nausea 202
Making wise food choices 202
Making wise drink choices 203
Finding comfort 204
Living with Lymphedema 204
Looking Out for Pneumonitis 205
Running to the Restroom 205
Watching Your White Blood Count 206
Dealing with Hair Loss 207
Pampering your hair while you have it 207
Making plans in advance 208
Recognizing Depression 210
Asking for help 210
Working through fear and grief 211
Part V: Your Success Strategies: Assembling Your Support Team 213
Chapter 14: Your Health Professionals: Your Friends and Guides 215
Communicating with Your Doctors 216
Building a good relationship 216
Considering less-than-ideal situations 219
Seeking Help from a Psychologist 220
Allowing yourself to accept help 221
Knowing what kind of help to expect 222
Meeting Other Health Professionals 222
Making time for massage 223
Yearning for yoga 225
Renewing with reiki 227
Taking up tai chi 228
Trying meditation 229
Fitting in fitness 231
Chapter 15: Good Nutrition: Eating Right No Matter How You Feel 235
Welcoming New Members to the Team 236
Knowing When You Need Help 236
Catching Up on the Food Fights 237
Boning Up on the Benefits 238
Acknowledging the “A” List 239
Finding time for fluids 239
Pumping up with protein 239
Embracing carbohydrates and fats 240
Mulling over vitamins and minerals 242
Plumbing the Pitfalls of Poor Eating 242
Considering Problems that May Develop 242
Realizing how tumors impact nutrients 243
Seeing how surgery affects eating habits 243
Knowing how chemotherapy influences nutrition 244
Acknowledging problems caused by radiation therapy 245
Assessing effects of bone marrow and stem cell transplants 245
Chapter 16: Meeting Spiritual Needs: Turning to Prayer and Meditation 247
Defining Distress 248
Tallying Up the Benefits of Faith 248
Talking about Spirituality with Your Doctors 251
Examining Prayer Practices 252
Personalizing prayers 252
Praying in free verse 252
Meditating in a prayerful manner 253
Accepting Prayers from Others 254
Assessing the Healing Power of Prayer 254
Listening to a Doctor on Spirituality 255
Squaring Faith with Cancer 256
Chapter 17: Finding a Support Group: Realizing You Are Not Alone 257
Determining Your Level of Interest 258
Defining “Group” 258
Locating a Group 259
Asking the Right Questions 261
Seeking One-on-One Support 262
Looking at the Benefits 262
Assessing the Risks 263
Handling the hard stuff 264
Protecting yourself emotionally 264
Helping Newcomers 265
Part VI: Your Future after Cancer Treatments: Looking Ahead 267
Chapter 18: Finishing Therapy: An End and a Beginning 269
Monitoring Your Health after Cancer 270
Expecting a recovery period 270
Scheduling follow-up care 271
Keeping appointments 271
Telling the truth 272
Worrying about recurrence 273
Coping with Long-Term Side Effects 273
Fighting fatigue 273
Putting up with pain 274
Managing lymphedema 274
Making the best of mouth problems 274
Facing bladder or bowel problems 275
Accepting early menopause 275
Sorting out sexual issues 276
Reducing Your Hormone Level 277
Hearing arguments for hormone therapy 277
Considering different approaches 278
Sizing up the side effects 278
Deciding what’s best for you 279
Working Out a Wellness Plan 279
Chapter 19: Dealing with Recurrence: Here We Go Again 281
Defining Recurrence 282
Recognizing signs of recurrence 282
Getting up to speed on semantics 283
Redefining Survivor 283
Riding the Emotional Roller Coaster 284
Questioning everything 284
Moving on 285
Establishing a Treatment Plan 286
Understanding your options 286
Making the most of past experiences 287
Setting treatment goals when a cure isn’t possible 288
Considering Unconventional Treatments 288
Facing the Future, Whatever Comes 289
Finding comfort in hospice care 290
Debunking the myths of hospice 291
Traveling on 292
Chapter 20: Defining Yourself after Cancer: The New Normal 293
Looking at Life Through New Eyes 294
Reaping the benefits 294
Getting a physical boost from positive thinking? 295
Making Semantic Decisions 296
Allowing for Negativity 296
Finding Inspiration in Amazing Recoveries 297
Looking at Time Differently 298
Hearing the wakeup call 298
Living in gratitude 299
Spending time on yourself 299
Protecting Yourself Emotionally 301
Looking out for number one 301
Making friends with lingering fear 302
Defining Your Boundaries at Home and Work 302
Lightening Up 303
Part VII: The Part of Tens 305
Chapter 21: Ten Myths about Cancer 307
Myth #1: When You Get Cancer, You Die 307
Myth #2: If the Cancer Doesn’t Kill You, the Treatments Will 308
Myth #3: Cancer Treatments Are One-Size-Fits-All 308
Myth #4: You Can’t Work while You’re Having Cancer Treatments 309
Myth #5: It Takes Forever to Get Over Cancer Treatments 309
Myth #6: It’s Your Fault You Got Cancer 309
Myth #7: The Medical Community Suppresses Alternative Healing Methods 310
Myth #8: Now Your Family Will All Get Cancer 310
Myth #9: Cancer Always Comes Back 310
Myth #10: Nothing Is Ever the Same after Cancer 311
Chapter 22: Ten Ways for Family and Friends to Help You 313
Acknowledging That You Have Cancer 313
Giving You Time to Accept the Diagnosis 314
Holding You While You Cry 314
Making You Laugh 315
Seeking Help Coping from Someone Else 315
Asking for Specific Ways to Help You 315
Carrying Out Your Requests 316
Offering What You Are Reluctant to Ask For 316
Helping to Protect You 317
Celebrating with You 317
Chapter 23: Ten Things Beyond Your Control 319
Turning Back the Clock 319
Keeping the Diagnosis a Secret 320
Encountering an Alien Culture 320
Making New Friends 320
Experiencing Mood Swings 321
Facing Your Own Mortality 321
Suffering Power Outages 321
Missing Some Good Times 322
Choosing the Texture of Your New Hair 322
Receiving Help from Many Sources 322
Chapter 24: Ten Ways Life Will Be Better after Cancer 323
Cancer Goes Away 323
Treatments End 324
Fear Recedes 324
A Sense of Adventure Grows 324
Inner Strength Builds 325
People Matter More 325
Forgiveness Gains in Importance 325
Support Comes Naturally 326
The Tongue Loosens 326
Time Flies 326
Chapter 25: Ten Sources for More Information 329
Searching the Web 329
National Cancer Institute 330
American Cancer Society 330
National Comprehensive Cancer Network 330
American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology 331
People Living With Cancer 331
OncoLink 331
Planet Cancer 331
Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups 332
National Marrow Donor Program 332
Coping with Cancer Magazine 332
Glossary 333
Index 339
