A Cancer Companion

A cancer diagnosis has more than physical effects; it can cause a torrent of unexpected, unfamiliar emotions felt by both the patient and those who care for them. The Cancer Companion is a compassionate, down-to-earth guide for those navigating these difficult and complex emotions. It takes psychological interventions shown to be appropriate and helpful in the management of cancer-related distress and provides an effective framework for patients and their loved ones to be able to apply these interventions in their own lives. The book is written in short, concise chapters, organised in four sections: - diagnosis and treatment - ending treatment - managing advanced disease - strategies to manage the specific psychological components which may occur (including anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and management of relationships). With over a decade of experience working with cancer patients and their families, author Toni Lindsay understands that accessible, constructive emotional guidance is vital. This simple structure, combined with the book’s comprehensive approach, aims to help people find a companionate commentary on their situation, and to engage with the outlined strategies. The Cancer Companion is a comforting, constructive, and jargon-free guide which will have a lasting and meaningful impact on the mental wellbeing of anyone whose life has been affected by cancer.

Each year, more than 1 and a half million Americans alone will hear the words “you have cancer.” These three small words inevitably signal dramatic changes for the rest of life, setting in motion a chain of events that are often unnecessarily plagued by confusion. For every one of these patients, and their families, Ranjana Srivastava offers an empathic and expert field guide to this uncharted terrain. With wisdom and warmth, Srivastava demystifies the labyrinthine world of the illness. What is cancer and how is it treated? Why isn't cancer always operable? How should diagnoses be shared with children? What is the best diet during and after treatment? How can pain be managed? These basic questions are often overrun by the complexity of the oncological world, and the limits of office visits and doctor schedules. This book then becomes an ideal companion, and portable patient advocate, that makes the experience of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery comprehensible.

WINNER OF THE BEST HEALTH BOOK CATEGORY IN THE GUILD OF HEALTH WRITERS HEALTH WRITING AWARDS 2012 HIGHLY COMMENDED IN THE POPULAR MEDICINE CATEGORY AT THE BMA MEDICAL BOOK AWARDS 2012 Coping with life after cancer can be tough. The idea that the end of successful treatment brings relief and peace just isn't true for countless survivors. Many feel unexpectedly alone, worried and adrift. You're supposed to be getting your life 'back on track' but your life has changed. You have changed. With reassurance and understanding, Dr Frances Goodhart and Lucy Atkins help readers deal with the emotional fallout of cancer whether it's days, months or years since the treatment ended. Drawing on Dr Goodhart's extensive experience working in the NHS with cancer survivors, this guide is packed with practical and simple self-help tools to tackle issues such as worry and anxiety, depression and low mood, anger, low self-esteem and body image, relationships and sex, fatigue, sleep and relaxation. If you are a cancer survivor, this book will support you every step of the way. If you are supporting a loved one, friend, colleague or your patient, this is a vital read.

The practitioner's guide to support women through conventional cancer treatment.

Cervical cancer will always be scary. But it doesn't have to be isolating. When I was diagnosed with cervical cancer, it was like a bomb went off right in front of me. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear, I couldn't think. I was devastated. Brokenhearted. Terrified. I would frequently stay up all night, feeling around in the dark, looking for hope in the blue light of the internet. But all I found were scholarly articles. Scary ones about women who died from cervical cancer. The invasive and painful treatments I might need. Survival and recurrence rates. Isolation. Fear and anxiety. Cold hard facts. Very few real-life stories. What I needed was comfort and guidance. I needed someone who had walked the road I was on and knew the way out to grab my hand, hold it tight, and guide me through. I needed to know I wasn't alone, nor was I the first person to face this pain. I needed someone to make sense of the chaos in my mind; Who knew that there's so much planning and logistics involved in having cancer? Organizing caregivers, scheduling surgery and treatments, making calls to insurance companies and specialists, sorting out the details of taking a leave from your job, all while trying to maintain your mental and emotional health as they fall apart, still reeling from that cancer grenade that blew up in your face just weeks ago. The Cervical Cancer Companion exists to help care for your mental and emotional health and help you process the trauma of cancer as you experience it, with the hope that you can arrive on the other side with a strengthened heart and mind, healthier relationships, and a spirit that is ready to build a new life after cancer. What's Inside Personal journal entries from the author through each stage of her experience with cervical cancer. Journaling prompts and open areas to help you process through your own journey. Mantras to keep your heart and mind centered on peace and well-being. Practical tools like caregiver calendars, medication trackers and shopping lists. The knowledge that you're not alone.

Significantly expanded, expertly and beautifully illustrated, The AJCC Cancer Staging Atlas, 2nd Edition, offers more than 600 illustrations created exclusively for this new edition and is fully updated to reflect the concepts discussed in the 7th Edition of both the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual and its companion Handbook. This Atlas illustrates the TNM classifications of all cancer sites and types included in the 7th Edition of the Manual and visually conceptualizes the TNM classifications and stage groupings. Specifically designed for simplicity and precision, the drawings have been verified through multi-disciplinary review to ensure accuracy and relevancy for clinical use. Every illustration provides detailed anatomic depictions to clarify critical structures and to allow the reader to instantly visualize the progressive extent of malignant disease. In addition, nodal maps are included for each site, appropriate labeling has been incorporated to identify significant anatomic structures, and each illustration is accompanied by an explanatory legend. The AJCC Cancer Staging Atlas, 2nd Edition, is an official publication of the American Joint Committee on Cancer, the recognized international leader in state-of-the-art information on cancer staging. This Atlas has been created as a companion to the updated 7th Edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, which continues to disseminate the importance of anatomical and pathological staging in the management of cancer. This state-of-the-art, invaluable 2nd Edition includes a CD containing PowerPoint slides of all illustrations, additional color, and a user-friendly, easy-to-read layout. The AJCC Cancer Staging Atlas, 2nd Edition will serve as an indispensable reference for clinicians, registrars, students, trainees, and patients.

"Ovarian cancer: its mere mention is shrouded in fear and mystery.... Draped in a cloak of anonymity, ovarian cancer is often called `the disease that whispers.' Diane Sims Roth, herself an ovarian cancer survivor, joins almost one hundred women with their personal anecdotes of their experience with ovarian cancer. Invaluable information is included: symptoms, treatment and prognosis, descriptions of risk factors, diagnostic procedures, drug therapies, radiology, and surgical procedures."

Guidance, organization, and timely ìinsiderî tips to help your breast cancer treatment and recovery go as smoothly and successfully as possible. Filled with the best-of-the-best advice from the available research, leading doctors, breast cancer survivors, and Nancy Sokolowskiís 30 years as one of the countryís most respected and sought after breast health specialists, The Breast Cancer Companion is a step-by-step guide to assist you in mounting a smart, organized, and ultimately successful battle with breast cancer. Helping you stay well-organized and well-informed, this essential companion includes health information, tips, and resources, plus provides ample space and encouragement to record questions, thoughts and feelings, doctor's appointments, medications, and contact information for the oncology team and others. Youíll find: A calendar to plan and manage your schedule A directory to organize important contacts Questions to ask your medical team Tips and advice from breast cancer survivors Ample space to reflect on your experience A list of resources and breast cancer-related organizations With The Breast Cancer Companion at your side, youíll have the peace of mind, time, and energy to focus on what matters most: staying well and achieving a healthy outcome.