In Conquering Cancer, Dr. Joel Berman uses his broad medical experience as a surgeon to focus on alternative, preventive approaches to conquering cancer. Acknowledging that alternative cancer prevention was an unfamiliar subject prior to his extensive research in this area, he was surprised to learn tat no less than 80 to 85 percent of all cancers result from conditions over which most people have a significant degree of control, with heritage and genes accounting only for the remaining 15 to 20 percent. He also came to understand that 90 percent of all cancers can be attributed to environmental factors.
As a person steeped in standard medicine, Dr. Berman displays healthy skepticism concerning alternative measures and chooses to find solutions using a scientific approach in tandem with an empirical, anedotal one. The way to combat and conquer cancer, he believes, is by combining the best of both methods to achieve an optimum outcome.
In this comprehensive guide, the author thoroughly covers every conceivable aspect of cancer. Part 1 begins with the history of the disease, and then answers the question what is cancer? He discusses what causes cancer, what is meant by cancer prevention, and gives an overview of diagnostic methods, medical treatments, and complementary/alternative treatments. Also included are support groups, cancer centers, clinical trials, and research organizations. In Part 2, he lists more than thirty types of cancer by their location in the body and adds children's cancers as a separate category. For each cancer, he includes advice on prevention and complementary methods, including diet and natural substances, along with standard medical and surgical management. Part 3 discusses cancer-related emergencies, and the final Part 4 is a mixed bag of all the possible conditions that can occur around the cancer. For all cancer-related matters, readers can't do better than choosing this voluminous publication.
Joel Berman, M.D., is currently a practicing general and vascular surgeon with a prime interest in breast cancer. He received his medical degree from the State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center, and has a distinguished career as a former Chief of Surgery, Director of a Center for Breast Care, and Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Southern California Medical Center. He has published more than twenty books, several on medical/surgical topics, with the balance on a variety of fictional works and a recently published account of his father's experiences as a World War II surgeon. Dr. Berman's wide scope of interests also includes the arts (music, books, theater), studying languages, and handwriting analysis. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Suzanne.
