Cancer Schmancer [Paperback]

Fran Drescher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

Part inspirational cancer-survival story, part memoir-as-a-laughriot, picks up where Fran's last book left off.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Drescher, most famous for her loud, nasal voice and her role on the 1990s TV series The Nanny, advises readers to "open a mouth" when dealing with their doctors in this down-to-earth account of her experience with uterine cancer. In the book which serves as an unexpected follow-up to her 1995 memoir, Enter Whining the actress describes living with symptoms for more than two years while shuttling from doctor to doctor without a diagnosis. She then depicts the hysterectomy that followed as well as her recovery, focusing mostly on the support she received from her friends and family and her first post-divorce boyfriend, who is 16 years her junior. She also devotes a chapter to the loss of her beloved dog, Chester Drescher. Consistently frank about her emotional ups and downs, Drescher addresses important quality-of-life issues such as fatigue and sex. Yet it is her storytelling skills and humor that make this uncomplicated book a good read. Although Drescher sometimes lapses into therapy-speak, tracing everything back to childhood, her one-liners can be priceless. Readers will warm to this straight-talking Queens native, even if they do tire of her celebrity woes (such as facing the paparazzi too soon after surgery).
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Television star (The Nanny) and author (Enter Whining) Drescher details the two-year, eight-plus-doctor ordeal she endured to diagnose her uterine cancer. She goes from gynecologist (two) and internist to hematologist to oncologist/breast specialist, back to gynecologist, then to vascular specialist, neurologist, and finally gynecologist (the third) before discovering the cause of her bleeding, cramping, and painful sex. She underwent surgery, refused radiation, and continues to play in the fields of celebrity. Drescher also discusses the mechanics of putting out a weekly TV series, the breakup of her longtime marriage, and meeting a new man. If only the writing were not so pedestrian and the trivia so trivial (do we need to read about her trip to Paris?), we might have cheered for the actress, who claims that fame didn't get her better treatment (in truth, it probably did). Even Drescher's trademark humor isn't all that funny here. Fans of Drescher and her now-defunct series will want to read this; others who might pick it up will only respond, "Oy vey." For extensive patient health collections and comprehensive television collections only. Bette-Lee Fox, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446690589
• ISBN-13: 978-0446690584
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (114 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 72 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT A BOOK!!! November 3, 2003

By Anthony Pultrone

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have been a big fan of the TV series "The Nanny" for many years. I recently picked up a copy of this book, "Cancer Schmancer" from Amazon.com's website -- and read the book in its entirety in 3 evenings. I could not put it down. This book is funny, moving, interesting, and even entertaining (to a point)! Fran Drescher is an excellent actress (not just with words but with facial expressions and body language) and I could just picture hell reciting the book as I was reading it. It never ceases to amaze me how so many healthcare professionals can be so stubbornly and blatantly wrong about diagnoses! You trust your lives with these people -- they should be thorough and meticulous, but many are not. It's hard to believe unless you've experienced it OR you read Fran Drescher's trials and travails as she details her extensive battle with the American healthcare system to find a cause, then a cure, for her medical problem. A great read for any fan of Fran Drescher's, "The Nanny", or anyone who has had or known someone who has had or has cancer.

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars .......Brutally Honest August 23, 2003

By L. Pacocha

Format:Hardcover

I have always admired Fran Drescher, especially after reading this book. Her honesty and humor help the subject matter of cancer seem to make things that happen almost bearable. Also, her advise to "get other opinions" is definatly one that everyone should follow.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Insight, Answers, and Awareness. OUTSTANDING BOOK March 9, 2004

By Barbara Rose VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Fran Drescher brings fantastic insight into the symptoms, proper treatment and diagnosis of cancer, as well as vital questions that you should ask your doctor if you are facing the challenge to overcome this physical one. A VITAL part of this book is how we MUST read, learn, and know as much as the doctor - so we can ask the most intelligent questions in order to receive the BEST treatment that is necessary for us individually. A LOT of it has to do with attitude, where NOTHING can stop you, and you CAN overcome the challenge before you. Written with truth, sincerity, dignity, and intelligence - exactly as I remember Fran to be when I worked with her on the set of 'The Nanny.' This book is just as fantastic as she is.
'Cancer Schmancer' is a tremendous inspiration, as well as a vital gift and contribution to all who need it.
Barbara Rose, author of "Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE" and 'If God Was Like Man'
Editor of inspire! magazine