Customer Reviews

Childhood Cancer: A Parent's Guide to Solid Tumor Cancers, 2nd Edition

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is filled with loads of good information in lay terms to help family members, friends, teachers, social workers, etc. understand the various childhood cancers and their often complex treatments. Every family having a child diagnosed with cancer should automatically be given this book, because it contains so much information on diagnosis, procedures, tests, treatments and side effects. It also realistically discusses the potential effects on a whole family when a child is diagnosed with cancer, and provides tips on how to have an active and constructive relationship with doctors and nurses. The authors apparently interviewed a lot of parents who've been down this road and you can read their ideas and suggestions about how to deal with all sorts of issues from the mundane (how to get your child to take a certain medication) to the tremendously difficult (how to deal with relapse or talk to a child about death). I wish this had been available when my child was first diagnosed!

This book was recommended to me after my daughter was diagnosed with nueroblastoma. It explains it all. The book is broken down by topic (ie radiation and chemotherepy) and also by tumor.
The language used was easy to understand. The book was my map through the world of childhood cancer.

Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation fully endorses this book and places it on the 'must have resource list' for any parent whose child is diagnosed with any type of solid tumor cancer. This comprehensive guide provides extensive information on the diagnosis, prognosis, procedures, treatment and side effects of neuroblastoma, Wilms Tumor, retinoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and bone sarcomas. Included is a thorough explanation of the various chemotherapy drugs used in treatment and their common side effects. Detailed information on radiation therapy, surgery and bone marrow transplantation is also included. Additionally, the book provides practical advice to families on related issues such as nutrition, returning to school and the end of treatment. The book addresses the emotional impact that such a cancer diagnosis places upon the child, their family and friends and offers practical insight on how to cope. A comprehensive list of childhood cancer websites, support organizations and additional reading materials is listed at the back of the book. The authors'extensive interviewing of families who have 'walked down this road' offers hope to those whose 'journey' has just begun.

If you have found yourself catapulted into the nightmare of having a child with cancer, this book will help you to understand much of the journey to come. No matter what stage your child is in treatment...beginning, middle, finished treatment, relapsed, or palliative...this book is an indispensible resource. Personal stories peppered throughout the book help you come to realize that you are not alone in this battle. This book also has a wonderful list of resources to help families through this hard time. Buy one for yourself, family members (especially in-laws!), your child's pediatrician, your child's teacher, and your closest friends so they can have a glimpse into what you and your child are facing and can help you along the way. This book should be given to EVERY parent when they hear those horrible words, "Your child has cancer..."

I am a Pediatric Oncology Nurse that buys these books to give to the newly diagnosised families. All of them have told me that it is a wonderful tool.

I cannot overstate how helpful this book was to me. My daughter was diagnosed with Wilms (kidney) cancer 14 months ago. This book was given to me several days after her initial diagnosis and I turned to it many, many times over the long journey to recovery. Even today, with my daughter happily in remission, I turn to it for help in dealing with late side effects and the emotional consequences of the rollercoaster that is childhood cancer. Of all the books I have read over the past 14 months (and there have been many - I'm an avid reader), this one was absolutely the best. If I could, I would buy up all the copies and give it to every parent of a child with a solid tumor.

This book is amazing. I keep it handy at home to help answer my questions or learn more about the disease. My daughter was diagnosed with retinoblastoma right before Christmas and this book was given to us by a social worker in the hospital. There is an entire chapter about retinoblastoma as well as chapters on many other solid tumor cancers. There are real stories from parents and it is written in language that is informative but easy to understand. It is especially helpful right after diagnosis when all of the jargon is still new. I would caution people to take the advice given in the book and only read sections that are relevant to your situation at the time.