Coping with Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy » (REV)

Daniel Cukier, M.D., has been a radiation oncologist for more than thirty years. He currently consults in radiology oncology and diagnostic radiology at Dartmouth Medical College.

Frank Gingerelli, M.D., is Chief of Radiation Oncology at Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood, New Jersey.

Grace Makari-Judson, M.D., is an oncologist and breast cancer specialist at Bay state Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Virginia E. McCullough is a noted health writer. Her books include A Consumer's Guide to Alternative Health Care and Testing and Your Child.

Cancer specialists give you the knowledge, advice, and—most importantly—the hope you need to prepare for treatment

Research shows that well-informed cancer patients fare better during treatment and recover more easily than those who are in the dark about their illness. Coping with Chemotherapy and Radiation answers all of your questions, providing sound advice to prepare for and manage your cancer treatment.

Compassionate and easy-to-read, Coping with Chemotherapy and Radiation helps you psychologically prepare for treatment and offers advice about diet and lifestyle adjustments that will ease your discomfort. You'll learn about the most current pain management techniques, drugs, surgical procedures, and advances in radiotherapeutic technology. Coping with Chemotherapy and Radiation also explains in clear detail:

• Combination therapy and how surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation work together
• The latest advances in diagnostic radiology, including PET scanning
• The vital role of pain management, including dietary changes and medication, to ease the side effects of treatment
• How to form questions to ask your team of doctors, plus a frequently-asked-questions section
• The value of support groups and counseling

Daniel Cukier, M.D., has been a radiation oncologist for more than thirty years. He currently consults in radiology oncology and diagnostic radiology at Dartmouth Medical College.

Frank Gingerelli, M.D., is Chief of Radiation Oncology at Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood, New Jersey.

Grace Makari-Judson, M.D., is an oncologist and breast cancer specialist at Bay state Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Virginia E. McCullough is a noted health writer. Her books include A Consumer's Guide to Alternative Health Care and Testing and Your Child.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Melody L. McKinney, DNS, RN(Indiana State University)
Description:This book was written for cancer patients and families as a reference on selected treatment options and the management of treatment effects. Information is included on the latest advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment including diagnostic and therapeutic radiology, chemotherapy, and the dietary and pharmacological management of pain and treatment side effects.
Purpose:According to the authors, the book was written to provide basic information to assist cancer patients and their families in coping with the treatment effects from radiation and chemotherapy.
Audience:The book was designed for cancer patients and their families. It might also be useful in providing an overview of cancer and its management for students and professionals in related healthcare fields.
Features:This oncology resource is divided into three parts with part one providing an overview of the basics of radiation therapy, side effects, and chemotherapy, along with a discussion of diet, lifestyle, and emotional concerns. Part two provides information on the management of specific cancers including the use of chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow transplantation, gene therapy, and monoclonal antibody therapy. Additional information is provided on assessing and managing pain. Part three includes information on diagnostic testing and frequently asked questions. The book also contains an index, table of contents, glossary, and a listing of additional resources in the form of books, websites, and organizations.
Assessment:This publication covering the basic management of multiple cancers is not likely to be any more useful than detailed booklets from cancer organizations or website information covering specific cancers. The patient and family interested in a specific cancer and related issues would have to wade through irrelevant areas while searching for information, and in that process could overlook relevant information. The section on frequently asked questions, though relevant, should have done more to encourage patients to review specific concerns with their healthcare providers. I believe that the book, some of it very technical, may be of interest to selected patients but not to the average person with cancer.