Chemotherapy and Radiation For Dummies [Paperback]

Alan P. Lyss (Author), Humberto Fagundes (Author), Patricia Corrigan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2005

An informative, compassionate guide for cancer patients and their loved ones

Each 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. It offers detailed advice on how to alleviate and cope with side effects-which range from hair loss to nausea to anemia-and describes how good nutrition, meditation, support groups, and other techniques and resources can help in the recovery process.

Editorial Reviews

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)

From the Back Cover

Covers key questions to ask your doctors

Find out how chemo or radiation can help put you on the road to recovery

Are you or a loved one facing chemotherapy or radiation? This compassionate guide walks you through the entire process, from understanding common cancer treatments to coping with and alleviating the side effects, to knowing what to expect after treatment ends. You'll also discover how to find plenty of resources for support during your recovery.

Discover how to

• Navigate the various treatment options
• Find the right oncologist
• Set up a treatment plan
• Maintain your health after therapy
• Locate support groups

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (April 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764578324
• ISBN-13: 978-0764578328
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge is Power! Great advice for the newly diagnosed., May 2, 2005

By 

Gerry A. Puglisi (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chemotherapy and Radiation For Dummies (Paperback)

First you scream...and then you start looking for control. At least that was least that was my experience. As I read "Chemotherapy & Radiation for Dummies" I kept wishing it had been around eight years ago during my own cancer journey. For those newly diagnosed, I highly recommend adding this insightful, practical resourse to your nightstand. Doctors Lyss, Fagundes and author/survivor Patricia Corrigan have provided current, relevant answers to some of your most immediate questions and concerns. And, they've done it in a caring, conversational tone that validates what you are most likely feeling. They've taken two mystifying subjects and made them understanable for the average patient. Speaking authoritatively and candidly about treatment options, side-effects and how to cope, they provide practical advice for how to become your own health advocate and lessons in how to work effectively with your medical team. Let these experts help you win back some control and give you hope. You CAN regain a measure of control over your life...do yourself a favor and read this book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Best Friend for Cancer Patients, May 1, 2005

By 

Patricia Schneider "Pat Schneider" (Amherst, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chemotherapy and Radiation For Dummies (Paperback)

"Chemotherapy & Radiation for Dummies" is exactly what I need in understanding my own early diagnosis of cancer. The text is informed by superb medical writers but for me the great gift is the voice of cancer survivor Patricia Corrigan, whose wit and wisdom is legendary in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Written with compassion and just the right touch here and there of humor, this book sits on my shelf as my number one guide for my own journey with cancer. Mixed in with exact information about what to expect are resources for staying sane, such as a Web Site called "Tumor Humor" that "offers cancer-related jokes and discusses the many physiological benefits of laughter." The book is serious, practical, and full of things I would never have thought of if left to myself. And it is organized so even "a dummy" like me can find my way to anything I need to know. Bravo! Bravo!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A big help after a scary diagnosis, November 6, 2006

By 

Janice Paul (St. Louis, Mo.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chemotherapy and Radiation For Dummies (Paperback)

Chemotherapy and Radiation for Dummies was the first resource I turned to after getting my cancer diagnosis, and it helped me quell the fear and begin to understand what was ahead of me. The book is well-organized so that you can pick and choose the chapters you need when you need them. As a breast cancer survivor, Patricia Corrigan writes with authority, compassion, and humor. The book told me what I needed to know about the chemo drugs I'd be taking and their side effects along with very practical information such as how to take care of my teeth during treatment. I continue to refer back to it when a new issue arises. I've recommended it to other patients and they've found it helpful, too.