An informative, compassionate guide for cancer patients and their loved ones Each year, more than 1 million people get treated for cancer, and most of these will undergo chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both. This reassuring, optimistic guide helps people get a handle on treatment options and explains in plain English how chemotherapy and radiation therapy really work. It offers detailed advice on how to alleviate and cope with side effects-which range from hair loss to nausea to anemia-and describes how good nutrition, meditation, support groups, and other techniques and resources can help in the recovery process.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Conventions Used in This Book 2 What You Don’t Have to Read 2 Foolish Assumptions 2 How This Book Is Organized 3 Part I: Your Journey Through Cancer Treatments: Preparing for the Trip 3 Part II: Your Choices along the Way: Making Good Ones 3 Part III: Chemotherapy: What to Expect and How to Deal with Side Effects 4 Part IV: Radiation: What to Expect and How to Deal with Side Effects 4 Part V: Your Success Strategies: Assembling Your Support Team 4 Part VI: Your Future after Cancer Treatments: Looking Ahead 4 Part VII: The Part of Tens 5 Glossary 5 Icons Used in This Book 5 Where to Go from Here 6 Part I: Your Journey Through Cancer Treatments: Preparing for the Trip 7 Chapter 1: Recognizing the Realities of Chemotherapy and Radiation 9 Making Peace with Your Diagnosis 10 Registering your emotions 10 Taking time to process the news 10 Experiencing a range of emotions 11 Telling family and friends 11 Gathering Information 12 Shopping for Cancer Specialists 12 Finding good doctors 13 Preparing to embrace a new culture 14 Considering Options 15 Understanding chemotherapy and radiation 15 Looking into clinical trials 16 Taking a chance on a transplant 16 Exploring Virtual Chemotherapy 17 Getting started on chemo 17 Taking care of your immune system 17 Signing up for side effects 17 Trying on Radiation Therapy for Size 18 Getting set up for the first treatment 18 Managing side effects 19 Sending for Help 19 Making room on the team bus 20 Practicing good nutrition 20 Tending to your spirit 21 Finding support from strangers 21 Looking Beyond Cancer Treatments 22 Beginning anew 22 Returning to square one 23 Making peace with a new you 23 Chapter 2: The Mutants Take Over: A Primer on Cancer 25 Demystifying the “C” Word 26 Understanding how cancer develops 27 What causes cancer? 28 Listing the types of cancer 29 Differentiating among tumors 30 Watching the Immune System in Action 30 Discovering How Treatments Fight Back 32 Considering Risk Factors 34 Blaming your genes 34 Looking for other causes 35 Looking to the Future: Ongoing Research 37 Targeting genetic culprits 38 Developing fortified antibodies 38 Speaking of the “C” Word 39 Practicing saying the word 39 Scheduling pity parties 40 Comforting the people around you 41 Playing the blame game 42 Keeping Your Sense of Humor 43 Chapter 3: You Will Be Tested: What All Those Tests Show 45 Passing a Battery of Tests 46 Having blood drawn 46 Stretching out on a table 47 Undergoing a biopsy 51 Playing the Waiting Game 52 Setting the Stage for Treatment 53 Hearing your numbers 55 Ignoring your numbers 55 Recognizing Symptoms of Cancer 56 Resisting the urge to self-diagnose 57 Analyzing pain 57 Appreciating Early Detection 58 Knowing the types of screening tests 59 Redirecting anger about tests 60 Part II: Your Choices along the Way: Making Good Ones 63 Chapter 4: Defining Chemotherapy: The Anticancer Drugs 65 Getting Some Chemotherapy Basics 66 Sorting out the different drugs 67 Taking heart from new developments 68 Investigating Different Delivery Systems 69 Having intravenous chemotherapy 70 Wearing a pump 73 Taking chemotherapy by mouth 74 Looking at lesser-known forms of chemotherapy 74 Evaluating Your Oncologist’s Recommendation 75 Setting up a treatment plan 75 Determining the dose 76 Getting a second opinion 77 Making the Best Choice for You 78 Asking the right questions 79 Getting the right answers 79 Moving forward with confidence 80 Chapter 5: Defining Radiation: A Burning Issue 81 Understanding Radiation Therapy 82 Defining external radiation therapy 83 Defining internal radiation therapy 85 Exploring ways to improve radiation therapy treatments 89 Evaluating Your Radiation Oncologist’s Recommendation 89 Setting up a treatment plan 89 Determining the dose 90 Meeting the team 91 Getting a second opinion 91 Making the Best Choice for You 91 Chapter 6: Setting New Standards: The Role of Clinical Trials 93 Grasping the Importance of Clinical Trials 94 Realizing the scope of cancer trials 94 Understanding the development of clinical trials 94 Deciding Whether to Participate 96 Considering the benefits 97 Considering the risks 97 Asking questions 98 Seeking more information 99 Taking Part in a Clinical Trial 100 Meeting eligibility guidelines 100 Knowing your rights 101 Feeling Good About Taking Part 101 Hearing what participants have to say 102 Banishing the notion of guinea pigs 103 Chapter 7: Getting a Second Chance: Bone Marrow Transplants 105 Demystifying Bone Marrow Transplants 106 Defining bone marrow 106 Identifying the purpose of a transplant 107 Recognizing the source of stem cells 108 Exploring the Types of Transplants 108 Looking at autologous transplants 109 Looking at syngeneic transplants 110 Looking at allogeneic transplants 110 Looking at an alternative 110 Searching for a Donor 111 Preparing for a Bone Marrow Transplant 112 Acknowledging your emotions 112 Appointing a caregiver 113 Comparing Retrieval Methods 114 Harvesting the bone marrow 114 Obtaining peripheral blood stem cells 114 Undergoing the Rescue Process 115 Experiencing external changes 115 Experiencing internal changes 116 Keeping an Eye Out for Post-Rescue Problems 116 Part III: Chemotherapy: What to Expect and How to Deal with Side Effects 119 Chapter 8: What to Expect During Chemotherapy: A Head-to-Toe Mouthwash 121 Your First Appointment: Getting the Toughest One Out of the Way 122 Assessing your feelings 123 Preparing for your first treatment 123 Arriving for your treatment 125 Undergoing your first treatment 125 Heading for home 126 Continuing with Chemo 127 Keeping your appointments 128 Reporting changes in your health 128 Protecting your health 129 Asking for the Support You Need 129 Delegating responsibilities to your family 130 Appointing a “Chemo Buddy” 131 Allowing friends to help 131 Giving Yourself a Break 133 Keeping everything in perspective 133 Keeping an eye on the future 134 Chapter 9: Gimme a Boost: Immune and Bone Marrow Stimulants 135 Boning Up on Bone Marrow 136 Boosting the Immune System 137 White blood cells 137 Red blood cells 139 Platelets 141 An additional complication 142 Recognizing an Infection 143 Considering Supplements 143 Chapter 10: Coping with Serious Side Effects of Chemotherapy 145 Considering What’s to Come 146 Reading a firsthand report 147 Predicting your experience 147 Keeping an Eye on Kidney and Bladder Function 148 Combating Nausea 149 Eating smart 149 Drinking smart 150 Comforting yourself 150 Facing Fatigue 151 Checking for anemia 152 Conserving energy 152 Fighting Pain 154 Nailing neuropathy 154 Watching out for mouth sores 155 Dealing with dry mouth 156 Demystifying Depression 157 Facing your fear 157 Identifying other causes of depression 157 Getting the help you need 158 Confronting Infertility 159 Being proactive 159 Planning to wait 160 Losing Your Hair 160 Caring for your hair before it goes 161 Planning ahead for hair loss 162 Growing new hair 165 Chapter 11: Coping with Less Serious Side Effects of Chemotherapy 167 Considering What’s to Come 168 Battling Intestinal Disarray 168 Dealing with diarrhea 169 Dealing with constipation 170 Retaining Fluids 170 Experiencing Vision Problems 171 Fighting Fuzzy Thinking 171 Losing Interest in Food 172 Mistrusting your sense of taste 172 Boosting your appetite 173 Cutting back on drinking 174 Troubleshooting Skin and Nail Problems 174 Itching to scratch 175 Knowing how to treat nails 176 Attacking acne 176 Suffering from sunburn 176 Reacting to radiation 177 Part IV: Radiation: What to Expect and How to Deal with Side Effects 179 Chapter 12: What to Expect During Radiation: Tattoos and Moisturizer 181 Your First Appointments: Getting the Toughest Ones Out of the Way 182 Knowing what to expect 182 Mapping the area to be treated 183 Determining the dose to use 185 Getting tattoos 185 Setting up your schedule 186 Experiencing the Real Thing 187 Assessing your feelings 187 Arriving on the first day 188 Soothing Your Skin 189 Making Wardrobe Adjustments 190 Seeking the Support You Need 190 Giving Yourself a Break 191 Keeping your appointments 192 Keeping everything in perspective 192 Keeping an eye on the future 193 Chapter 13: Coping with Side Effects of Radiation Therapy 195 Considering What’s to Come 196 Identifying your type of therapy 197 Predicting your experience 197 Fending Off Fatigue 198 Learning an important word 198 Getting your timing right 199 Caring for Your Skin 200 Using protective strategies 200 Watching for warning signs 200 Soothing Inflamed Mucous Membranes 201 Experiencing Diarrhea 201 Saying “No” to Nausea 202 Making wise food choices 202 Making wise drink choices 203 Finding comfort 204 Living with Lymphedema 204 Looking Out for Pneumonitis 205 Running to the Restroom 205 Watching Your White Blood Count 206 Dealing with Hair Loss 207 Pampering your hair while you have it 207 Making plans in advance 208 Recognizing Depression 210 Asking for help 210 Working through fear and grief 211 Part V: Your Success Strategies: Assembling Your Support Team 213 Chapter 14: Your Health Professionals: Your Friends and Guides 215 Communicating with Your Doctors 216 Building a good relationship 216 Considering less-than-ideal situations 219 Seeking Help from a Psychologist 220 Allowing yourself to accept help 221 Knowing what kind of help to expect 222 Meeting Other Health Professionals 222 Making time for massage 223 Yearning for yoga 225 Renewing with reiki 227 Taking up tai chi 228 Trying meditation 229 Fitting in fitness 231 Chapter 15: Good Nutrition: Eating Right No Matter How You Feel 235 Welcoming New Members to the Team 236 Knowing When You Need Help 236 Catching Up on the Food Fights 237 Boning Up on the Benefits 238 Acknowledging the “A” List 239 Finding time for fluids 239 Pumping up with protein 239 Embracing carbohydrates and fats 240 Mulling over vitamins and minerals 242 Plumbing the Pitfalls of Poor Eating 242 Considering Problems that May Develop 242 Realizing how tumors impact nutrients 243 Seeing how surgery affects eating habits 243 Knowing how chemotherapy influences nutrition 244 Acknowledging problems caused by radiation therapy 245 Assessing effects of bone marrow and stem cell transplants 245 Chapter 16: Meeting Spiritual Needs: Turning to Prayer and Meditation 247 Defining Distress 248 Tallying Up the Benefits of Faith 248 Talking about Spirituality with Your Doctors 251 Examining Prayer Practices 252 Personalizing prayers 252 Praying in free verse 252 Meditating in a prayerful manner 253 Accepting Prayers from Others 254 Assessing the Healing Power of Prayer 254 Listening to a Doctor on Spirituality 255 Squaring Faith with Cancer 256 Chapter 17: Finding a Support Group: Realizing You Are Not Alone 257 Determining Your Level of Interest 258 Defining “Group” 258 Locating a Group 259 Asking the Right Questions 261 Seeking One-on-One Support 262 Looking at the Benefits 262 Assessing the Risks 263 Handling the hard stuff 264 Protecting yourself emotionally 264 Helping Newcomers 265 Part VI: Your Future after Cancer Treatments: Looking Ahead 267 Chapter 18: Finishing Therapy: An End and a Beginning 269 Monitoring Your Health after Cancer 270 Expecting a recovery period 270 Scheduling follow-up care 271 Keeping appointments 271 Telling the truth 272 Worrying about recurrence 273 Coping with Long-Term Side Effects 273 Fighting fatigue 273 Putting up with pain 274 Managing lymphedema 274 Making the best of mouth problems 274 Facing bladder or bowel problems 275 Accepting early menopause 275 Sorting out sexual issues 276 Reducing Your Hormone Level 277 Hearing arguments for hormone therapy 277 Considering different approaches 278 Sizing up the side effects 278 Deciding what’s best for you 279 Working Out a Wellness Plan 279 Chapter 19: Dealing with Recurrence: Here We Go Again 281 Defining Recurrence 282 Recognizing signs of recurrence 282 Getting up to speed on semantics 283 Redefining Survivor 283 Riding the Emotional Roller Coaster 284 Questioning everything 284 Moving on 285 Establishing a Treatment Plan 286 Understanding your options 286 Making the most of past experiences 287 Setting treatment goals when a cure isn’t possible 288 Considering Unconventional Treatments 288 Facing the Future, Whatever Comes 289 Finding comfort in hospice care 290 Debunking the myths of hospice 291 Traveling on 292 Chapter 20: Defining Yourself after Cancer: The New Normal 293 Looking at Life Through New Eyes 294 Reaping the benefits 294 Getting a physical boost from positive thinking? 295 Making Semantic Decisions 296 Allowing for Negativity 296 Finding Inspiration in Amazing Recoveries 297 Looking at Time Differently 298 Hearing the wakeup call 298 Living in gratitude 299 Spending time on yourself 299 Protecting Yourself Emotionally 301 Looking out for number one 301 Making friends with lingering fear 302 Defining Your Boundaries at Home and Work 302 Lightening Up 303 Part VII: The Part of Tens 305 Chapter 21: Ten Myths about Cancer 307 Myth #1: When You Get Cancer, You Die 307 Myth #2: If the Cancer Doesn’t Kill You, the Treatments Will 308 Myth #3: Cancer Treatments Are One-Size-Fits-All 308 Myth #4: You Can’t Work while You’re Having Cancer Treatments 309 Myth #5: It Takes Forever to Get Over Cancer Treatments 309 Myth #6: It’s Your Fault You Got Cancer 309 Myth #7: The Medical Community Suppresses Alternative Healing Methods 310 Myth #8: Now Your Family Will All Get Cancer 310 Myth #9: Cancer Always Comes Back 310 Myth #10: Nothing Is Ever the Same after Cancer 311 Chapter 22: Ten Ways for Family and Friends to Help You 313 Acknowledging That You Have Cancer 313 Giving You Time to Accept the Diagnosis 314 Holding You While You Cry 314 Making You Laugh 315 Seeking Help Coping from Someone Else 315 Asking for Specific Ways to Help You 315 Carrying Out Your Requests 316 Offering What You Are Reluctant to Ask For 316 Helping to Protect You 317 Celebrating with You 317 Chapter 23: Ten Things Beyond Your Control 319 Turning Back the Clock 319 Keeping the Diagnosis a Secret 320 Encountering an Alien Culture 320 Making New Friends 320 Experiencing Mood Swings 321 Facing Your Own Mortality 321 Suffering Power Outages 321 Missing Some Good Times 322 Choosing the Texture of Your New Hair 322 Receiving Help from Many Sources 322 Chapter 24: Ten Ways Life Will Be Better after Cancer 323 Cancer Goes Away 323 Treatments End 324 Fear Recedes 324 A Sense of Adventure Grows 324 Inner Strength Builds 325 People Matter More 325 Forgiveness Gains in Importance 325 Support Comes Naturally 326 The Tongue Loosens 326 Time Flies 326 Chapter 25: Ten Sources for More Information 329 Searching the Web 329 National Cancer Institute 330 American Cancer Society 330                                              National Comprehensive Cancer Network 330 American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology 331 People Living With Cancer 331 OncoLink 331 Planet Cancer 331 Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups 332 National Marrow Donor Program 332 Coping with Cancer Magazine 332 Glossary 333 Index 339