cover image Understanding Cancer: A Patient's Guide to Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment

Understanding Cancer: A Patient's Guide to Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment

C. Norman Coleman, Norman C. Coleman. Johns Hopkins University Press, $39.95 (192pp) ISBN 978-0-8018-6019-5

Offering solid, straightforward information--not always in a warm, fuzzy wrapping--Dr. Coleman, chairman of the Joint Center for Radiation Therapy at Harvard Medical School, assists the person who has received a diagnosis of cancer in sorting through all the confusing and possibly conflicting information coming from doctors, friends and the media. First arming the patient with a checklist for recording significant data, Coleman goes step-by-step through the process of diagnosis, explaining the clinical and pathological tests that are needed to identify the cancer's type and stage. Next, he considers the various treatment options, providing a thorough discussion on such aspects as response of the tumor to treatment, duration of that response and the patient's chances of survival and future quality of life. His goal is to help patients understand how risks and benefits are measured in order to work effectively with their doctors in choosing the most appropriate treatment. In the closing chapter, Coleman highlights the case studies of four cancer patients, illustrating how and why individual treatment decisions were reached. Cancer patients who want to be fully informed participants in their own health care will find this a valuable handbook. (Nov.)