Be a Survivor: Your Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment
by Vladimir Lange M.D.
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Book Summary Information
Author: Vladimir Lange M.D.Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-06-01
ISBN: 0966361067
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Lange Productions
Book Reviews of Be a Survivor: Your Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment
Book Review: Breast Cancer Changes a Woman's Life
Summary: 5 Stars
Book Review
March 12, 2009
Breast Cancer Changes a Woman's Life
Breast cancer has a way of changing a woman's life drastically. Waking up knowing that you have breast cancer and what the day holds for you can be so strenuous on a woman's life. What do we do and how do we cope with all the changes? I will tell you about how Dr. Lange in his book Be a Survivor "Your Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment" (Lange Publications, June 2007,180 pages) explains cancer and how to deal cope with the changes that will occur.
Vladimir Lange, M.D. in the book Be a Survivor "Your Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment" educates woman on different types of breast cancer and the treatment to cure. I thought that the book was very informative and easy to read being a cancer patient I found a lot of the information to be true and helpful. I really enjoyed the pictures and the remarks from the other cancer patients. If I had to recommend this book to anyone I would due to how it comforted me.
Dr. Lange is a graduate of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Lange's wife who is also a physician was diagnosed with breast cancer. "They both were overwhelmed by the complexity of the information they had to process." He states the book was inspired by their desire to make the journey easier for others. Be a Survivor should be the first book women reach for in developing strategies to fight perhaps the biggest battle of their lives. Bette-Lee Fox, "Library Journal" Renee Gaines had this to say about the book, "I recommend this book as a must to every person I know who is facing the challenges of breast cancer, breast surgery and finally for life after cancer."
Do you really know that cancer can be treated? Dr. Lange starts by discussing what breast cancer is and its treatment. He tells readers that breast cancer is not a death sentence that it is treatable and that a positive attitude is very important. The different stages and treatment are explained from the first step of what stage you are in to whether you should have lumpectomy or mastectomy radiation or chemotherapy or both to the hormonal therapy. Dr. Lange tells you how to deal with your emotional rollercoaster to how to deal with your partner, family, and your job and how to help them cope. Joan had this to say about receiving the diagnosis, "When you get that diagnosis, go ahead and cry your eyes out. Cry your eyes out right then, so that you're not bottling up that emotion. It's so terrifying, that for a while you feel as though you're in a fog, and that if you come out that fog, something terrible is going to happen. So, cry, vent, talk it out, and then find out what you can do to help yourself."
The book emphasize that cancer is a type of tumor that is malignant which spreads invading and destroying tissues, and that cells can part and get into other vessels and travel to other parts of the body. The way they determine if the cancer is malignant is by having a biopsy which is by testing a sample of the tumor. The testing is done by a pathologist. If it's malignant other test will be done to determine the stage and the best treatment for the patient. There are four stages used to determine the severity of the cancer.
Facing surgery can be scary and the book discusses surgery options and reconstruction and makes it more manageable. Dr. Lange tells the difference between mastectomy and lumpectomy. He explains that a lumpectomy is the removal of a tumor from part of the breast conserving as much breast tissue as possible. It may be done as an inpatient in the hospital or as an outpatient same day surgery. The procedure takes about an hour where an incision will be made over the tumor area and then the tumor will be removed. Recovering from a lumpectomy is almost immediately if there are were no lymph nodes removed. A lumpectomy would be recommended if there is only one tumor in the breast and it is not that big as the cosmetic results would not be satisfactory after removal. Laurel a cancer patient had this to say about her lumpectomy. "I had a lumpectomy with local anesthetic. It was extremely easy and when it was over physically I felt very good. I was able to go home with relatively little pain."
If the decision is for a mastectomy which is the removal of the whole breast and generally done in the hospital under general anesthesia. When you have a mastectomy the breast tissue, the nipple, the areola, and a number of axillary lymph nodes are removed but not the muscles. The procedure takes about two to three hours. The breast tissue will be removed and sent to the pathologist for any evidence that the cancer has spread beyond the breast. When the procedure is completed you will have one or two tubes called drains placed under you skin to help remove the fluid that accumulates after surgery. You will have to stay in the hospital for a day or two and then will continue to recover at home. Carol who had a mastectomy said this, "I have a very clear memory of the first time I took the bandages off. I literally went crazy. All of a sudden it was in my face. The breast wasn't there anymore. And it wouldn't ever be there."
If you decided that reconstruction is decision then, the breast can be reconstructed using implants, or the patient's own tissues. Reconstruction will not give you a normally functioning breast it can only create a beast form which, will have the shape and texture of your breast. It can be done immediately after surgery, or at a later date. Reconstruction can be done with synthetic implants or with your own tissues. The most common is the implants which are teardrop-shaped pouches that are inserted under the skin to create the form of a breast. The first couple of days you will experience some discomfort de to the breast are swollen and tender. When using your own tissues for reconstruction skin, muscle and fat is taken from another part of your body. This is called myocutaneous flap tissue transfer and there are different types of flaps the TRAM (Transverse Rectus Abdominis) Flap moves tissue from other area of the body to the breast area while preserving the original blood supply, and the free flap the original blood supply to the transferred tissue is cut and reconstructed. After Janet had her reconstruction she said "it didn't seem important at first, but finally have reconstruction did wonder for my confidence. Now when I look in the mirror, I don't cringe. When I change in the locker room I don't hide. In my own mind I am a woman again."
Don't fear radiation, people tend to make it worst then it is. Dr. Lange discusses radiation and the side effects of radiation. Radiation is local treatment that only treats the cancer area. It is a form of treatment that uses rays usually called X-rays and its main purpose is to destroy the ability of cells to grow and multiply, cancer cells are permanently damaged while other cells can recover quickly. The treatments usually last five to seven weeks. There are few side effects from the radiation which are fatigue, skin discoloration, breast swelling and some tenderness which all will subside after treatment.
Just hearing the words chemotherapy scares everyone but, Be a Survivor tells the reader about chemotherapy and its effects. Chemotherapy is a form of treatment that treats all parts of the body to kill cancer cells that may have spread; it may also be given to shrink the tumor before surgery. It is usually given by injections in the vein and the cycles are normally spread out over three to six months. Dr. Lange explains that the chemo affects both the normal cells and the cancer cells, but because the cancer cells divide quicker and are less likely to self-repair, they are more affected by the chemo. When normal tissues are affected you may experience several side effects such as nausea, fatigue, menopausal symptoms, and hair loss. The side effects with differ depending on the drug used for treatment. He explains that the patient might have sexual side effects both physical as will as psychological and encourages open communication with your partner or to seek counseling.
Is hormonal treatment and immunotherapy mandatory or an option? The book also tells difference between hormonal therapy and immunotherapy and that hormonal therapy prevents cancer cells from growing and immunotherapy helps the body to fight off cancer. Hormone therapy is usually given in the form of a pill and given over a period of five years and is taken daily. It has fewer and less severe side effects and you may affect the rate of loss of calcium from the bones. Hormone therapy is harmful to the fetus and you should use some type of birth control other than oral contraceptives because they may interfere with the treatment. When Pat started her hormone therapy she stated, "A low point was when I first started the hormone therapy, because I wasn't sure how my body would react to it, but I've had no side effects, so it's gone well." Immunotherapy is fairly new and relies on the body's own built-in defense system. It's given through injections and is focused on abnormal cells and the body's ability to fight off foreign particles. You may experience flu-like symptoms after the first injection and may need to have regular MUGA scans to checking the pumping in your heart to make sure the drug is not affecting it.
Be a Survivor talks about DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) a very early stage classified as non-invasive breast cancer Stage 0. It has not penetrated the lining of the duct and has not spread into the blood stream. With the use of mammograms now DCIS is easy to detect. In comparison to invasive cancer it has not been researched as extensively and physicians disagree on how to treat it. In the past doctors believed that if a patient had a mastectomy or lumpectomy it was 100% guaranteed not to come back. Now to make the decision easier, researchers devised a system for selecting the best treatment plan for each DCIS lesion. It is based on the size and grade of the tumor, and the width of the margin around the tumor.
Dr. Lange talks about different clinical trails that patients may be asked to participate in find in new ways to manage cancer and improve the quality of care. Trails are conducted according to protocol- a set of guidelines that tells what will be done and why. You don't have to participate in the trail you have a right to refuse. Mona a cancer patient was asked to participate in a research and she said this, "When I was asked to be on a research study, it was very carefully explained to me by my doctor and his nurse. I took a copy of the papers home, and as a matter of fact, sent one to a female physician of mine. We talked on the phone about it. I felt I would be carefully monitored. So I had no hesitation."
Finishing all your treatments and surgery can be such a relieve for you and your family, that Dr. Lange says that you still will experience a lot of the side effects like depression, anxiety, and fatigue. He recommends breast self examination, mammograms and even counseling to come to copes with the new you. Michelle said, "It has been about two years since my surgeries. I feel like a woman. And I don't just feel normal, I feel very attractive. I feel I have my sexuality back and I would be attracted to any man." When the treatment is concluded it is best to try to get back to your regular life as soon as possible. He recommends that you and your partner if needed counseling take up the offer.
Candace Moorman, MPH of the California Department of Health Services stated, "This is not just another book on breast cancer. I wish I'd had a reference like this when I was diagnosed."
Charlie opinion stated, "This book is unique in that it has testimonials throughout from women and their partners. It also has terrific drawings. I purchased a LOT of books when I was diagnosed. This was the book that I went to during my chemo and before surgery, to really find out what was going on. It is difficult to know what questions to ask your oncologist or surgeon, when everything is new. This book helps you prepare and should give you the confidence to make treatment decisions about your life.
After reading this book, I still would suggest this book to anybody battling breast cancer. I found it to explain things to me that I could understand and be a little more comfortable with.
[...]
Summary of Be a Survivor: Your Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment
Be a Survivor is like taking Cancer 101. The chapters are modeled after the path most women follow: diagnosis and staging, surgery and reconstruction, treatment and recovery. The chapters are easy to read and understand and include diagrams and photographs to help clarify complicated topics. 28 experts in the field helped create this comprehensive guide.Breast Cancer Books
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