American Cancer Society: Women and Cancer: A Thorough and Compassionate Resource for Patients and Their Families [Paperback]

Carolyn Runowitz M.D. (Author), Jeanne Petrick M.D. (Author), Ted Gansler M.D. (Author)

Book Description

Series: American Cancer Society | Publication Date: January 26, 1999

From  America's leading cancer authority comes a patient's advocacy book for women with breast cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer--and their families--that offers medical ex-pertise, practical advice, and emotional support.

Breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers are the four most common cancers among women, with over 254,000 newly diagnosed cases in 1998. Recognizing that the survival rate is significantly higher when these diseases are detected early and treated appropriately, the American Cancer Society, the nation's leader in cancer research, education, and rehabilitation, and Dr. Carolyn D. Runowicz, Dr. Jeanne A. Petrek, and Dr. Ted S. Gansler, three of America's preeminent experts on breast, cervical, endo-metrial, and ovarian cancer and cancer education, have come together to write the most comprehensive resource for patients and their families to turn to.
        This book contains the most up-to-date information about these related diseases, from step-by-step advice about what to do when confronted with a diagnosis of one of these cancers to the latest medical facts, treatments, and procedures. Women and Cancer provides patients with the latest information about the risks and benefits of new drug therapies, radiation, and surgical procedures. But, most important, this book approaches the topic from the patient's perspective, providing psychological and emotional support throughout. Comprehensive and compassionate, with patient stories and anecdotes women will relate to and feel comfortable with, Women and Cancer addresses the full range of issues that women cancer patients and their families may face.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Concise, thorough and up-to-date, this American Cancer Society guide offers concrete help to women who have been diagnosed with cancer of the reproductive system. Runowicz (a gynecologic oncologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City), Petrek (a breast cancer specialist at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Hospital, also in New York), and Gansler (director of health content at the ACS) have a wealth of information and experience to impartthey have arranged it so that women suffering from the first shock of diagnosis and their supporters can find the specifics on their situation, easily absorb the information, and make a plan on how to proceed. The guide, divided into four sections, covers the female organs where most cancers occur (breast, cervix, uterus, and ovaries). For each, the authors explain normal structure and function, detail how cancer occurs, describe in detail diagnosis, testing and staging of the disease, and then treatment. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are still the standards of treatment; hormone therapies relatively new to the arsenal are discussed here, along with realistic information on side effects. Throughout, the language is understandable without oversimplification, the tone is matter-of-fact. An invaluable resources list points readers in the best direction for research into individual situationsfrom medical options (including front-line experimental possibilities) to daily support. This is the best type of self-help: sound information as a starting point for seeking treatment. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From the Inside Flap

From America's leading cancer authority comes a patient's advocacy book for women with breast cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer--and their families--that offers medical ex-pertise, practical advice, and emotional support.

Breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers are the four most common cancers among women, with over 254,000 newly diagnosed cases in 1998. Recognizing that the survival rate is significantly higher when these diseases are detected early and treated appropriately, the American Cancer Society, the nation's leader in cancer research, education, and rehabilitation, and Dr. Carolyn D. Runowicz, Dr. Jeanne A. Petrek, and Dr. Ted S. Gansler, three of America's preeminent experts on breast, cervical, endo-metrial, and ovarian cancer and cancer education, have come together to write the most comprehensive resource for patients and their families to turn to.
This book contains the most up-to-date information about these related diseases, from step-by-step advice about what to do when confronted with a diagnosis of one of these cancers to the latest medical facts, treatments, and procedures. Women and Cancer provides patients with the latest information about the risks and benefits of new drug therapies, radiation, and surgical procedures. But, most important, this book approaches the topic from the patient's perspective, providing psychological and emotional support throughout. Comprehensive and compassionate, with patient stories and anecdotes women will relate to and feel comfortable with, Women and Cancer addresses the full range of issues that women cancer patients and their families may face.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1st edition (January 26, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679778144
• ISBN-13: 978-0679778141
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,842,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best and most current information about women's cancers, May 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: American Cancer Society: Women and Cancer: A Thorough and Compassionate Resource for Patients and Their Families (Paperback)

Everything you want and need to know about women's cancers written clearly and sensibly for the lay person by the real experts in the field. A clear and sympathetic evaluation with guidelines for treatment. The basic volume in the field.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Highly Biased in favor of Big Pharma, December 2, 2004

By 

Patricia Joy (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Cancer Society: Women and Cancer: A Thorough and Compassionate Resource for Patients and Their Families (Paperback)

I would never trust anything the American Cancer Society says. They are very biased in favor of expensive pharmaceuticals with cancer-causing side-effects. They are the wealthiest "charity" in America, with cash reserves of $1 Billion.

The Role of the ACS in the War Against Cancer

The verdict is unassailable. The American Cancer Society bears a major responsibility for losing the winnable war against cancer.
The launching of the 1971 War Against Cancer provided the ACS with a well-exploited opportunity to pursue it own myopic and self-interested agenda. Its strategies remain based on two lies -- that there has been dramatic progress in the treatment and cure of cancer, and that any increase in the incidence and mortality of cancer is due to aging of the population and smoking while denying any significant role for involuntary exposures to industrial carcinogens in air, water, consumer products and the workplace.

Most of the funds raised by ACS go to pay overhead, salaries, fringe benefits, and travel expenses of its national executives in Atlanta. They also go to pay Chief Executive Officers, who earn six-figure salaries in several states, and the hundreds of other employees who work out of some 3,000 regional offices nationwide. The typical ACS affiliate, which helps raise the money for the national office, spends more than 52 percent of its budget on salaries, pensions, fringe benefits, and overhead for its own employees.

Salaries and overhead for most ACS affiliates also exceeded 50 percent, although most direct community services are handled by unpaid volunteers. DiLorenzo summed up his findings by emphasizing the hoarding of funds by the ACS.

"Most contributors believe their donations are being used to fight cancer, not to accumulate financial reserves. More progress in the war against cancer would be made if they would divest some of their real estate holdings and use the proceeds -- as well as a portion of their cash reserves -- to provide more cancer services."

Aside from high salaries and overhead, most of what is left of the ACS budget goes to basic research and research into profitable, patented cancer drugs.

The current budget of the ACS is $380 million and its cash reserves approach one billion dollars. Yet its aggressive fund-raising campaign continues to plead poverty, and lament the lack of available money for cancer research, while ignoring efforts to prevent cancer by phasing out avoidable exposures to environmental and occupational carcinogens.

Meanwhile, the ACS is silent about its intricate relationships with the wealthy cancer drug industry and chemical industries.

Read more....... http://www.corporations.org/cancer/boycottacs.html

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars your opinion needed., July 2, 2000

By 

Saki Agopian (Burnham, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Cancer Society: Women and Cancer: A Thorough and Compassionate Resource for Patients and Their Families (Paperback)

Hello to all. I will try and explain this situation as brief as I can. If a person goes into surgery because of a cause that Is not known by hospital testing or by the surgeon, and the patient being asleep. During this surgery cancer or a tumor Is dicovered which Is malignant by Imediate testing. Who In this situation should be In charge of treatment type, the Doctor or the patient.The patient Is unaware of the discovery of cancer during surgery, should not the patient be told of their condition or should the surgeon procede to remove the tumor that was found. I guess this comes down to a persons right to make their own choices In the way to treat their own body. I thank you very much for your time and wish you a very good day, Saki.