Prostate Cancer For Dummies [Paperback]

Paul H. Lange (Author), Christine Adamec (Author), Christine Adamec (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764519743 | ISBN-13: 978-0764519741 | Publication Date: April 1, 2003 | Edition: 1

Hearing that you have prostate cancer, or even that you may have it, is very scary. But this disease, in many cases, is curable. Even if you have advanced cancer that's spread beyond the prostate, many treatments help extend your life for years. You need good information to help you with the decisions that lie ahead, and this book provides you with this information.

Prostate Cancer For Dummies can help you if

• You have prostate cancer (or you think that you have it), or someone close to you has it.
• You want information on treatments for prostate cancer as you form a treatment plan with your doctor.
• You are curious about alternative therapies for prostate cancer.
• You want to know what actions you can take over the long-term to continue to fight your prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer For Dummies explains the key issues and problems that are associated with prostate cancer, and assures you that although the initial impact of being diagnosed is devastating, you can take action to extend your life.

You don't have to read this book from the first page straight on through, although you can. You may want to read the first chapter and then move to the chapters that affect you the most. In Prostate Cancer For Dummies, you'll gain insight into

• Discovering the key symptoms of prostate cancer
• Recognizing the risk factors, and who's most likely to have prostate cancer
• Getting a diagnosis, and what's involved
• Getting well again, and how you can work with your doctor to come up with a plan to cope with your cancer
• Changing your lifestyle to decrease your risk of a recurrence
• Coping with the aftermath, from temporary to permanent side effects
• Handling work and family, and how to help others understand what you're going through

It's extremely hard to hear from your doctor that you or a loved one has prostate cancer. But after you recover from the initial shock of diagnosis, you need to educate yourself, and, with the help of your physician, make a plan for getting the best treatment possible. Prostate Cancer For Dummies will help you achieve these goals and encourage you to maintain your commitment to managing your health.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Covers prevention, detection, and treatment options

A must-have reference for patients and their loved ones

If you are one of the thousands of men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, then this straightforward guide is for you. You get up-to-date information on treatment options and discover how to cope with treatment side effects, receive the follow-up care you need, and handle work and family life during your recovery.

Praise for Prostate Cancer For Dummies

"When choices are varied and involve surgical and non- surgical options for localized prostate cancer, information needs to be balanced and clearly explained with ‘nonmedical’ terminology. Prostate Cancer For Dummies fills this critical niche."
– Paul F. Schellhammer, MD, Professor of Urology

About the Author

Paul H. Lange, MD (Seattle, WA) is a prostate cancer survivor himself and is an internationally renowned surgeon and a leader of cutting-edge research on urological malignancies, including prostate cancer. He is a medical school professor and Chairman of the Department of Urology at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Lange is also co-director of the Genitourinary Tumor Laboratory at the University of Washington.

Christine Adamec is a veteran medical writer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764519743
• ISBN-13: 978-0764519741
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.8 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Aging > Cancer > Prostate Disease

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prostate cancer data simplified, May 4, 2003

By 

William L. Pierce (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prostate Cancer For Dummies (Paperback)

As a person who's spent hundreds of hours researching and reading about prostate cancer over the last four years, I picked up Lange and Adamec's new book with misgivings that quickly changed into affirmative head-nodding. I found the book to be well-organized, and as I scanned and flipped back and forth through its coverage of all the big questions, I concluded this is a book that has long been needed. Although the book is in the DUMMIES series, it is from start to finish a first-rate professional and easily-readable treatment of a complex and deadly serious subject -- prostate cancer. Whether it's one's first foray into the shifting world of prostate cancer data, treatment and research or one wants to double-check what one has learned, this is THE book to buy.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you (or your partner) needs to know, November 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Prostate Cancer For Dummies (Paperback)

This book covers prostate cancer from the prospective of a surgeon who treats the disease and who admits that he was terrified when he was diagnosed with it himself. Prostate Cancer for Dummies covers symptoms of prostate cancer and how it's treated (surgery, radiation, etc.) and also covers how to cope with the side effects, such as impotence, depression and so on. The author factors in how cancer affects the whole family and discusses how the person with cancer can help his family help him. The newest studies on cutting edge treatments, foods to eat, how to prevent cancer from coming back and everything you might want to know about prostate cancer is in this book.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for the Newly Informed Cancer Patient, BUT CAUTION!, September 13, 2006

By 

Robert M. Fleming "Marriage & Family Counselor" (Chico, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prostate Cancer For Dummies (Paperback)

I freaked out when I was told by my urologist, just a few months ago, that my biopsy showed prostate cancer and---by the way---would I like to be put on his surgery schedule for next month! This is a fabulous book and one I throughly recommend for the newly diagnosed man who is reeling from the shock of getting this rotten news and not sure what to do. HOWEVER, the book is written by an American surgeon and that means a heavy bias toward treatment for everyone (even low risk cancers) and preferably surgery. It turned out, in my case, that the cancer is less aggressive than my urologist was leading me to believe (get that second opinion!). Monitoring the cancer for changes is a defensible strategy for avoiding the awful side effects of ANY of the treatments for prostate cancer, if your cancer is at a low to medium risk. All that said, this is still a great book and covers most all the bases.