Women's Cancers: How to Prevent Them, How to Treat Them, How to Beat Them (Hunter House Cancer & Health Series)

Presented in straightforward, textbook fashion by two nurses--one a survivor of breast cancer and the other a daughter of a cancer patient--Women's Cancers is an easy-to-use resource guide designed to help women diagnosed with or at risk for lung, colorectal, breast, pelvic, uterine, ovarian, vaginal, vulvar, and rare gynecologic cancers. The book begins with a simple overview of potential causes for cancer, explaining how it spreads once contracted.

The authors provide guidelines for detecting a change in one's body: "For me, it was finding a tiny lump in my breast. Something was different. What did it mean?" The importance of early detection and the three phases of the diagnostic process--detection, diagnosis, and staging and grading--are included, along with explanations of common tests used to detect cancers, including mammograms, Pap smears, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The authors provide information to help readers find the right team of doctors to both beat cancer and recover afterwards. Alternative methods of healing are also addressed--such as herbal therapy--as are psychological, physical and spiritual approaches. Sidebars show the side effects to expect from certain drugs, and questions to ask your physician, such as, "Should I get a prescription for a progestin along with estrogen replacement therapy?" While some areas are more general than others, Women's Cancers includes enough details overall to qualify as a comprehensive resource. --Cate Bick