A Patient's Guide to Cancer: Understanding the Causes and Treatments of a Complex Disease

While nearly everyone recognizes cancer as a devastating disease that affects large numbers of individuals on a yearly basis, from the patient’s perspective it’s much more. Newly diagnosed cancer patients find themselves suddenly and unexpectedly facing a reality laden with intense emotions of both fear and hope, not to mention the physical discomfort associated with the disease and/or by prescribed treatments.

The primary goal of A Patient’s Guide to Cancer is to empower you, if you are a cancer patient, and your family, by demystifying the processes underlying the disease and explaining how recent discoveries about these processes are translating into the development of promising new approaches to cancer diagnosis and treatment.

While this book is intended to be generally accessible to non-scientists, additional references/links are provided at the end of each chapter for those interested in acquiring more in-depth coverage of individual topics. In addition, key terms are highlighted throughout and are formally defined in the Glossary at the end of the book.

Certainly, no one wants to develop cancer, but if you do, it’s important to know that it’s no longer a mandatory death sentence. As a cancer patient, the more you understand about the disease and recent scientific breakthroughs, the more prepared you will be to discuss optimal and appropriate therapies with your physician(s), and ultimately, make informed decisions about your future life.