Living With Lung Cancer: A Guide for Patients and Their Families [Paperback]

Barbara G. Cox (Author), David T. MD Carr (Author), Eloise Harman (Author), Robert E. Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1998

Lung cancer is a scary disease, and the new patient is understandably confused and frightened. The future is uncertain, and it's filled with a dazzling array of unfamiliar medical and surgical terms and procedures. "Living With Lung Cancer" provides easy-to-understand information about diagnostic tests, treatments and their side effects, nutrition, the likely prognosis, even coping with emotions and paying the bills.

By interviewing a large number of patients and their spouses, the authors learned the countless questions they have, including those they find difficult to ask in a doctor's office. The result is a book that helps people cope--with the disease, it treatments and, perhaps most of all, their nameless fears. It can help patients and their loved ones face the future with greater hope and confidence.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Written in a straightforward and easy-to-read style, this informative guide aims to help patients and their families live with lung cancer. The authors, all physicians from leading healthcare institutions in the United States, interviewed a large number of patients and then answered their questions in this book. Chapters progress from discussions of normal lung anatomy and physiology to explanations of how cancer begins and is diagnosed. Therapy options including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are clearly defined, side effects are explained, and useful discussions are offered on nutrition, coping with stress, and alternative care options. Crisp line drawings and individual case reports are scattered throughout the book, adding to its usefulness, as do an 11-page glossary and a thorough index. The work would have benefited from a more comprehensive listing of contacts such as organizations, websites, or self-help groups but is otherwise appropriate for public library or consumer health collections.AVirginia Lingle, Hershey Medical Ctr. Lib., Pennsylvania State Univ.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A comfortable book that puts an arm around the reader with warm support." -- Kentucky Medical Journal

"A point of light in a world that has suddenly gone dark with the diagnosis of lung cancer." -- A patient

"An honest look at lung cancer, its causes and complications, diagnosis and treatment." -- Coping magazine

"Answers every question a patient might have." -- Annals of Thoracic Surgery

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Triad Pub Co; 4 edition (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0937404535
• ISBN-13: 978-0937404539
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,126,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Aging > Cancer > Lung Cancer

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Very Informative, August 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Living With Lung Cancer: A Guide for Patients and Their Families (Paperback)

My mother was recently diagnosed, and I bought this book hoping it would be an informative summary of treatment methods, statistics, and coping strategies. Unfortunately, it is not. It contains pretty much the same general information that can be found on the American Cancer Society web site, and I would recommend the National Cancer Institute's PDQ service for much more comprehensive clinical information. Also, my mother's oncologist provided several pamphlets that were just as good or better on treatment side effects and coping strategies. As far as I can tell, this book's main merit is its case studies, all of which have positive outcomes. These may give patients more hope. However, the price of the book is a little steep if that's all one gets from it. I would recommend that patients and families do their own research: it's more empowering, it's free, and the information is better.