After Breast Cancer: Answers to the Questions You're Afraid to Ask (Patient Centered Guides) [Paperback]

Musa Mayer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0596507836 | ISBN-13: 978-0596507831 | Publication Date: March 10, 2003 | Edition: 1

Each year, around the world, over one million women will be told they have breast cancer. All will face surgery, and most will undergo radiation, chemotherapy and hormonal treatment. But the worry isn't over when treatment ends. In the months and years that follow, women are left with nagging questions, questions they often are afraid to ask:

• When will I know for sure that I am cured?


• Shouldn't my doctor be doing more follow-up testing?
• What are the real figures on breast cancer survival for women treated today?
• How would I know if I had a recurrence?
• How do I answer family and friends who think I worry too much?
• Do other women ever feel the way I do, and how do they cope?

Author and 14 year breast cancer survivor Musa Mayer breaks the silence surrounding recurrence to talk frankly about the feelings of uncertainty and fear that breast cancer patients commonly face when their treatment ends, and for years thereafter. She reviews scientific literature (and debunks some commonly cited myths) by giving survival statistics corrected for current treatments and diagnostic profiles. She explains what is known about the benefits of follow-up visits and testing. Devoting several chapters to emotional recovery, she offers advice about how to tackle these fears through information and support. Throughout the book are the warm and wise voices of over 40 other women who have been through this same tough journey of tears, fears and triumph.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Before completing her MFA in the Writing Division at Columbia University, Musa Mayer worked as a Master's level counselor in the Ohio Community Mental Health system, with a particular focus on groups and women's issues. She has written two memoirs, one about her own journey with breast cancer. Musa is author of Advanced Breast Cancer: A Guide to Living with Metastatic Disease. She is a nationally known and respected breast cancer activist. She has consulted for American Cancer Society, National Breast Cancer Coalition, Y-Me, and many other national groups on survivor issues (providing material for web sites, booklets, videos, and in-person training). She is contributing editor to MAMM magazine (women's cancer). She is a patient advocate for the National Cancer Institute and reviews clinical trials for breast cancer patients, speaks widely at cancer conferences or training sessions, and is active in the online breast cancer community. Musa also regularly teaches memoir writing, and leads writing workshops and retreats for people with life-threatening illnesses.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Patient Centered Guides; 1 edition (March 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596507836
• ISBN-13: 978-0596507831
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,202,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read after a breast cancer diagnosis, June 18, 2003

By 

Ann Kramer (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After Breast Cancer: Answers to the Questions You're Afraid to Ask (Patient Centered Guides) (Paperback)

I purchased, After Breast Cancer: Answers to the Questions You're Afraid to Ask, for a friend of mine who was diagnosed with primary breast cancer two years ago. Before giving my friend the book, I read it, so I would not be suggesting a book that might "scare" her. Having metastatic breast cancer myself, I found myself wishing I would have had such a resource after my initial diagnosis. The book is extremely well-written and addresses all of the key issues of dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis. It's educational and offers the patient a "take-charge" mentality of a breast cancer diganosis. This book is a "must read" for women (and men) who are dealing with or have dealt with breast cancer.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book To Read When Treatment Ends, May 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: After Breast Cancer: Answers to the Questions You're Afraid to Ask (Patient Centered Guides) (Paperback)

Of all the books out there on breast cancer survival, this one is the very best. It is full of first hand accounts from people who have coped with treatment and the after effects of breast cancer.

Unlike many of the fluff books on the market about breast cancer survival, this book is organized into sections that cover the various fears and topics that concern the aftermath of treatment. It goes beyond other books by presenting factual and helpful information everyone needs to face those fears and make logical decisions concerning follow up testing.

I read this book in one sitting and wish it had been written when my treatment ended. Every breast cancer patient should have this book and so should their oncologist!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A phenomenal guide with great perspective, May 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: After Breast Cancer: Answers to the Questions You're Afraid to Ask (Patient Centered Guides) (Paperback)

This is a must-buy for a person with breast cancer, or that person's family members, friends, and even medical professionals. It truly answers questions that people are afraid to ask, and does so in a lucid way that leaves one feeling clearer about what's next... and calmer at the same time.

Musa Mayer is an internationally known and respected breast cancer activist who interviews a number of breast cancer survivors about the emotional fallout of a cancer diagnosis and carefully presents their views. She also sheds light on what sort of medical follow-up is reasonable, and why, and what sort is not useful, and why not.

The book is a gem: well-crafted, sensitive, well-researched. It fills a void. The end of treatment often entails a lot of uncertainty that patients don't know how to resolve, a feeling of unease and depression at odds with what "civilians" (or non-cancer patients) might expect. The latter might think that the end of treatment would be a time for whooping and hollering. But a breast cancer patient is left feeling in limbo, not sure what's next.

This book helps enormously. I cannot praise it highly enough.