Fatal to Fearless: 12 Steps to Beating Cancer in a Broken Medical System

Now in paperback, an empowering, soul-baring personal account and guide from a two-time cancer survivor and healthcare disrupter that shows anyone how to deal with a frightening medical diagnosis in America today, providing the knowledge necessary to take ownership of personal wellbeing and maximize the chances of survival.

"Fatal to Fearless is a must-read for patients, caregivers, and practitioners alike seeking to understand how to best navigate the challenges of a cancer diagnosis." —Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO, Chief Executive Officer, American Society of Clinical Oncology

More than twenty-five years ago, Kathryn Giusti was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at age thirty-seven and given three years to live. With a young child, a happy marriage, and a successful career, Giusti had too much to live for. An “impatient patient,” she overcame her fear and got to work, learning to advocate for her own care. This book is the result of all she’s learned about how to get the best outcome from America’s opaque and sometimes impossible-to-navigate healthcare system.

Fatal to Fearless tells the story of how Giusti took on the system and turned it to her advantage not once but twice when she was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago. It is a crash course in surviving a grim diagnosis, organized around twelve simple steps, with practical tips for everything from how to build your healthcare team and learning which online sources to trust, to understanding the science and identifying which tests to ask for in the new genomic era and how to access the treatments and studies that could save your life.

At its center is a gripping personal story that reveals difficult, yet honest truths about illness, family, friendship, marriage, and the business of medicine. Giusti lays bare her soul as she walks you through the steps for handling any diagnosis and includes insights from medicine’s top insiders on the frontlines of physical and emotional healing and care.

Sick people deserve a fighting chance. Giusti’s mission to democratize medicine—and healthcare—has never been more imperative, or more urgent. Hopeful, wise, and packed with hard-won knowledge, this book gives you the concrete tools and inspiration to fear less and live more.

Kathy Giusti is a 2-time cancer survivor, business leader and healthcare disrupter. Founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and Co-Chair of the Harvard Business School (HBS) Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator, Kathy works to push for change where it’s needed most, fix what is broken so others may heal, and simplify the journey for others, so they can heal themselves.