100 Q&A About Lung Cancer, 2nd Edition » (2E)

Empower yourself! The only text to provide both a doctor's and a patient's point of view, 100 Questions & Answers About Lung Cancer gives you authoritative, practical answers to your questions about treatment options, post-treatment quality of life, sources of support, and much more.

Foreword by Diane Blum ix

Introduction by Regina Vidaver xi

Part 1 The Basics 1

Questions 1-6 provide background information for understanding lung cancer, covering topics such as:

What is cancer?

What should I know about cancer cells?

How do normal lungs function?

Part 2 Diagnosis and Staging 11

Questions 7-17 describe the symptoms of lung cancer and discuss how it is diagnosed and staged:

What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

How is lung cancer diagnosed?

What is staging, and why is it important?

Part 3 I've Just Been Diagnosed with Lung Cancer-Now What? 25

Questions 18-22 outline a number of concerns that you may encounter when first learning of your diagnosis:

Who treats lung cancer? What is multidisciplinary care?

Should I get a second opinion?

How can I relate best to my doctor? What can I do to make my medical visits as productive as possible?

Part 4 Coping with Your Diagnosis 41

Questions 23-30 address the medical, emotional, and practical aspects of coping with a lung cancer diagnosis:

What is my prognosis? Can I survive lung cancer?

How do I manage my emotions?

How do I regain control of my life after my lung cancer diagnosis?

Part 5 What Types of Treatments are Available for Lung Cancer? 61

Questions 31-55 describe the types of treatments available for lung cancer-spanning surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, clinical trials, and complementary/alternative treatments-and address the challenges of evaluating treatment options:

What are the goals of treatment?

What does my surgeon mean when he or she says, "I got it all"?

What is surgery for lung cancer? How is it performed?

Part 6 How Will My Doctor DecideWhich Treatment is Best for Me? 97

Questions 56-69 discuss ways that your doctor will evaluate and determine which treatment therapy is best for you:

What are standard treatment options for my stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)?

What are the standard treatment options for my stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC)?

I have SCLC and my doctor has recommended prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI). What is PCI, and how do I decide whether it is right for me?

Part 7 Side Effects of Chemotherapy 127

Questions 70-79 describe the side effects that you encounter though chemotherapy treatments:

What are the common side effects of chemotherapy?

What are blood counts, and what should I know about them?

Why am I always exhausted? What can I do for fatigue? Will the fatigue go away after my treatment is over?

Part 8 Coping with Symptoms of Lung Cancer 145

Questions 80-85 cover common symptoms, side effects and complications of lung cancer and its treatment:

Can my shortness of breath be controlled?

What can I do to relieve pain?

Am I at risk for a blood clot? What is a pulmonary embolism?

Part 9 Living with Lung Cancer 161

Questions 86-93 provide practical advice on lifestyle choices or changes that you may encounter following a lung cancer diagnosis:

How should I change my diet following a lung cancer diagnosis?

Can diet affect my survival from lung cancer?

If I smoke, is there any reason to quit?

Part 10 If Treatment Fails 175

Questions 94-97 address the difficult issues that arise if treatment options fail:

How do I decide if it's time to stop treatment?

What is hospice?

What can I do to prepare for my death?

Part 11 Prevention, Screening, and Advocacy 185

Questions 98-100 discuss a variety of options for prevention, ways to screen for lung cancer, and advocacy:

Can lung cancer be prevented? What is chemoprevention?

Is there a screening test for lung cancer?

Why has there been so little progress in fighting lung cancer? What can I do to help?

Appendix 195

Glossary 217

Index 227