Main description:

In 2014, an estimated 1.66 million people will receive a diagnosis of cancer. They will join a pool of 13.7 million Americans already living with a history of cancer. Almost 600,000 Americans will die from cancer. For some, cancer will be only a short divergence. For others, however, it will be a dramatic fork in the road. And for still others, the beginning of the end of the line.

This book guides cancer patients along their journey where no one knows the duration or the destination. Divided into the three parts of being a cancer patient-the diagnosis, initial treatment, and on to survivorship-the book will help the newly diagnosed cancer patient navigate a complex health care system, make astute decisions at difficult junctures, and manage the emotional turbulence that can rock his or her world. Lastly, it shares the story of how the author and his wife, as well as other cancer patients, have confronted their disease.

Contents:

PART 1: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT PLANNING
Prologue: A Life-Changing Experience
1: A Definitive Diagnosis: Setting the Stage for Treatment
2: How Prognosis Influences Your Treatment
3: How to Select your Doctors
4: Genetic Testing in Diagnosis and Treatment
5: Making Sense of Your Treatment Options
6: Understanding Clinical Trials
7: The Importance of Getting a Second Opinion

PART 2: DURING ACTIVE TREATMENT
8: The Emotional Roller-Coaster of Cancer
9: Methods to Minimize Side Effects
10: Make Nutrition and Exercise Part of Your Treatment Plan
11: What to Expect from Pain Control
12: How to Manage the Cost of Cancer
13: When Considering Complementary Therapies
14: The Role of Your Caregivers

PART 3: AFTER INITIAL TREATMENTS ARE OVER
15: When Initial Treatments Prove Insufficient
16: The Challenges of Surviving Cancer
17: Difficult Decisions at the End of the Journey
18: Choosing to Stop Treatment and the Role of Hospice
Addendum: Essential Resources