Cancer is a Word, Not a Sentence: A Practical Guide to Help You Through the First Few Weeks (Paperback)

~ Dr. Robert Buckman MD (Author)
Key Phrases: cancer recurring, most chemotherapy drugs, complementary remedies, Know About Cancer, Call Server, Protocol Adapter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Finally: a cancer guide for those newly diagnosed which offers up tips and advice for surviving the acceptance of the diagnosis. (Library Bookwatch The Midwest Book Review 200704)

For someone newly diagnosed...his guide certainly offers concrete help... It tackles emotional issues in a forthright and graceful manner. (Kathy Rowings USA Weekend )

Product Description

A trusted and essential companion for everyone dealing with a diagnosis of cancer.

"If you're reading this book, you're probably reeling... This book is going to do one specific thing for you: it's going to help you get your balance back." -from the introduction

Cancer is a Word, Not a Sentence is a practical guide written for people who have just been diagnosed with cancer. It aims to help them -- and their loved ones -- make sense of what happens next and to plan a course of action. Dr. Robert Buckman describes everything that comes after the diagnosis, including tests, the stages of the disease, treatment options and follow-up.

Having treated patients and interacted with their families for years, Dr. Buckman presents a six-step plan that provides information needed to make important choices in seeking the best treatment: - Communicating with the medical team - Treatment options and their pros and cons - The right questions to ask and where to get information - The decisions the patient has to make - The possible outcomes.

Dr. Buckman also focuses on daily life: how to talk to your spouse or children, how to break the news to friends, and how to obtain the information you need. There's also a section addressed to family and friends who "just don't know what to say."

In simple and straightforward language, this practical book provides a guide for use in the real world.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books; 1 edition (September 9, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554072344
• ISBN-13: 978-1554072347
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #875,024 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a book which needs to be in any general-interest library, April 9, 2007

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Finally: a cancer guide for those newly diagnosed which offers up tips and advice for surviving the acceptance of the diagnosis in Cancer is a Word, Not a Sentence: A Practical Guide to Help You Through The First Few Weeks. The diagnosis begins a process which involves many choices and a steep learning curve; but it isn't usually one so time-driven as to prevent making informed decisions and getting more information on options. This book offers a clear survey of what cancer is, what a diagnosis means, and how to gain control of the medical system as a whole. It's a book which needs to be in any general-interest library as well as many a specialty health collection.

5.0 out of 5 stars The book I wish I had at the time, October 11, 2007

By	Wyvernfriend (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews

This book is intended for those who have just been diagnosed with Cancer. It also has a section for those whose loved one or friend has been diagnosed with Cancer. It's a book that doesn't try to sugar coat or blame but just tries to put things in perspective. As he says himself viruses cover a vast spectrum of diseases, from the common cold to HIV and can be described as an Infection, if we loaded the word Infection with the same loading that we give to Cancer we wouldn't cope well with a cold or minor infection.

Still Cancer is a scary road (been there, done that myself) and this is a book that would help, it goes through, not only diagnosis, but also what to expect from different treatments, the why of some treatments and some of the major side-effects. Many of these I knew from experience but some caused a raised eyebrow and a mental "so that was why that happened".

Yes, Cancer isn't easy but this is one of the good books to help make it less of a minefield, both for patients, their family, friends and workmates. There are too many others that play the blame game, this one is one of those that look it on an unlucky lottery draw, as something you have to cope with and then move on, no matter where you go next.