Fighting for Our Future : How Young Women Find Strength, Hope, and Courage While Taking Control of Breast Cancer - Hardcover

Beth Murphy; Ann Curry; George Sledge

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0071409254 ISBN 13: 9780071409254

Publisher: McGraw-Hill, 2002

Synopsis

A CRUCIAL GUIDE TO BREAST CANCER SURVIVAL FOR A NEW GENERATION OF WOMEN

The first comprehensive survival guide for breast cancer in younger women

Each year thousands of young women are diagnosed with breast cancer, yet virtually all of the information available on breast cancer focuses on the concerns of older women. Fighting for Our Future is the first comprehensive "survival guide" for young women living with breast cancer, their families, those who care for them, and young women with a family history of cancer who need to be aware of their risks, not only as older women but also right now.

This important book provides a close look at vital issues for this community, including:

• Fertility, pregnancy, and breast-feeding
• Effects of treatment on an active lifestyle
• Sexuality and dating

With strong medical backing from a medical advisory board, including George Sledge, M.D., director of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation; Jeanne Petrek, M.D., of Memorial Sloan-Kettering; and Harold Burstein, Ph.D., M.D., of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, this text is packed with information that is vital to understanding the complexities of breast cancer.

A companion book to an hour-long documentary film airing on Lifetime Television in October 2002, and released in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Fighting for Our Future will be a welcome weapon of awareness for all women­­one that is greatly needed in the battle against this disease.

"This [book] is a unique opportunity to make a difference with what is unfortunately an increasing number of young women who fall into this group."­­Bert M. Petersen Jr., M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Beth Israel Medical Center

"Fighting for Our Future addresses many of the issues facing young women with breast cancer. They deserve recognition in an open forum."­­B. I. Bodai, M.D., F.A.C.S., Director, Breast Surgical Services, Kaiser Permanente

"I believe [Fighting for Our Future] will become essential reading material for young women with breast cancer."­­Jeanne A. Petrek, M.D., Director, Surgical Program, Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center and Iris Cantor Diagnostic Center

About this title

From the Back Cover:

It is a startling statistic--in the United States each year, ten thousand women under the age of forty are diagnosed with breast cancer. Yet, because they make up only about five percent of the total number of those stricken, virtually all of the readily available information on breast cancer has focused on older women--until now. If you or someone you love is a young woman coping with breast cancer, this much-needed book was created for you. Here, for the first time, is all the vital information about breast cancer as it relates to the unique medical--and emotional--issues and challenges faced by young women.

Within these pages is the latest medical knowledge about young women with breast cancer, based on interviews with doctors and scientists doing cutting-edge research in the field--some of whom are breast cancer survivors themselves. In addition, this book includes the inspiring and instructive first-hand stories of other young women's experiences, from discovery and diagnosis to treatment and recovery. The result is a host of practical and personal information on a range of concerns, from how to find a breast surgeon to the effects of a life-threatening illness on a new marriage or relationship to:

• Coping with body image, dating, sex, and intimacy
• Breast reconstruction options
• The latest facts about fertility and pregnancy for breast cancer survivors
• Alternative and complementary treatments and spiritual approaches to illness
• Advice to young mothers on child-rearing during chemotherapy
• Fitness, Diet, and taking care of your body
• Facing Recurrence and Metastasis

...and much more, including a comprehensive Resource Guide citing other relevant books, articles, web sites, and organizations. Filled with hard-won wisdom, compassion, and invaluable information, Fighting for Our Future is a survival guide and support group in one volume--an engaging, exceptional tool for understanding the physical, emotional, and spiritual experience of young women coping with--and living with--breast cancer.

The First Comprehensive Survival Guide for

Young Breast Cancer Patients and Their Families

"This book is emotional, compelling and deeply necessary--offering promise and hope for young women by arming us with the crucial information we absolutely need to hear and understand."--Melissa Joan Hart, Actress, Host of the documentary Fighting for Our Future

"Personal stories, medical advice and honest answers to the questions young women with breast cancer ask: this book is a valuable resource for women, health professionals, and caregivers."--Amy S. Langer, Executive director, National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations (NABCO)

"A must read. Beth Murphy integrates the scientific facts about the disease with histories obtained from personal interviews with survivors. When controversy exists, the author is careful to report both sides of the issue. There is valuable information for families and friends as well as the patient."--David Rosenthal, Ph.D., director of Harvard University Health Services, former President of the American Cancer Society

"Fighting for Our Future has the power to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of women. Its scope and breadth make it a critical resource on breast cancer and young women. These unforgettable pages resonate with great hope and promise that will inspire all readers."--Carole Black, President & CEO, Lifetime Entertainment Services

A Companion to the Lifetime Original Documentary "Fighting for Our Future"

About the Author:

Beth Murphy, president of Passport Productions, Inc., has produced nine documetaries for public television and has twice been nominated for regional Emmys. An adjunct professor at Suffolk University in Boston and American University in Paris, Murphy teaches courses on media coverage of international crises, and her articles have appeared in the Boston Globe and San Francisco Chronicle.

About this edition

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0071409254
• ISBN 13: 9780071409254
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304