Customer Reviews

What You Really Need to Know about Cancer: A Comprehensive Guide for Patients and Their Families (Buckman, What You Really Need to Know About Cancer)

5 star:		(3)
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2 star:		(2)
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I was diagnosed with cancer less than a year ago and have read several books that describe cancer etiology, symptoms, and treatment. This is *by far* the most useful. Various chapters describe how cancer spreads, what the emotional and physical consequences will be, and what kinds of therapies are available. The heart of the book is a series of chapters numbering about 200 pages (!) explaining the symptoms and treatment of every major type of cancer, and probably most minor types.

What makes this book especially valuable is its clear, direct writing style which uses layman's terms but is still informative, without being condescending or too general. The author obviously has had a great deal of experience conveying medical information to laypeople. His compassion also comes through clearly and shows his sensitivity to the feelings of the cancer patient and those around him or her.

This is one of the few books about cancer that I will probably use as a reference and return to again and again.

Of all the books I checked out from the library, or borrowed from friends this was the best. Covers types of cancers and the symptoms and treatments of each. Chapters on causes of cancer and the latest research. Details for patients and their families on emotional reactions, alternative treatments, and living with being a cancer survior/patient. I originally borrowed this and 6 others from the library, and decided I could not live without a copy of my own (the only book on Cancer I have purchased). If you or someone you care about has recently been diagnosed get this book.

I was on Amazon looking for a book more about the science of cancer, something left-brained and factual, rather than 'coping' with having cancer or other touchy-feely topics. This book is IT! In a very compact reference, this book explains what cancer is, what does (and doesn't!) cause it, and different ways cancers behave, spread, and grow. It discusses the current general aims the scientific community is taking to target cancer and dispells common "layman's" rumors about cancer. It also defines the common phrases one hears when dealing with cancer, i.e. partial or full remission, "cured", mestastisize, etc. All of this is in the first 3 chapters. The largest part of the book is the middle section, outlining all the different types of cancer, split up by organ or system, including which are more agressive, etc This is a great area of reference if you're looking for an overview for many types of cancer, rather than buying individual books on each type. The last part of the book is aimed more at patients and family members, on how to cope, both physically and mentally, with cancer diagnosis and treatment. While this book discusses treatment options in general (such as surgery or chemo), it does not have info about the very latest drugs and treatments on the market, for good reason: new ones come out all the time, and any text on this subject would be "dated" even by the time it got to print. Highly recommended, especially for the price!

what can you expect from an MD except a rehashing of the praises of conventional therapies and total ignorance & negativity about alternative therapies of which he has no knowledge or expertise in...
he talks of healing cancer with the different modern conventional therapies... but surgery, radiation and chemo are not much more than amputation, blasting [WMDs] and poisoning of the patient... this is gambling at best with the [quality of] life of the patient...
The inquisitors of the catholic church in the middle ages did the same thing when torturing their guests...
most of these therapies originate from military technologies and are downsized to treat cancer... what a concept... nothing more than a scam to create a civilian commercial outlet for military technology... most of it paid for by your taxes...
and remember that several states have enacted laws that prohibit treating [or claiming to] cancer any other way than with conventional therapies... what a way to protect your interests and business model... just create a legalized monopoly and keep everybody else out...
there will never be a cure for cancer... to many [medical, insurance, politicians, researchers, corporations] people depend on it for a very good living...
so this book amounts to nothing more than towing the conventional line, reciting the same old BS and perpetuating the fear mongering...
if you're looking for real healing solutions, look elsewhere...

This book was older than I had thought and much of the information was dated. The publishing date was listed when I purchased it, I just wasn't paying attention that day I guess!