Breast Cancer

"This book is a fine resource for every doctor, patient, and family who has to confront the reality of breast cancer."-Bernie S. Siegel, M.D., Author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles Attitudes about breast cancer diagnosis are changing, and women and their families are becoming more assertive about managing their disease. They know that more choices are available now than ever before, and they are willing to make them. This book encourages you to take control. Cathy Hitchcock and Steve Austin, N.D., have written a book for women who are ready to actively participate in their diagnosis and treatment. A husband and wife team, Hitchcock and Austin walk you step-by-step through each part of diagnosis, treatment (both conventional and alternative), and prevention (including prevention of a recurrence). With the help of a flow chart, they examine different diagnosis options. They also suggest questions to ask your doctor and offer checklists, summaries, and overviews. Interwoven with all this information, Cathy shares her personal story as a breast cancer survivor. She describes her ordeal upon discovering the lump and the transitions she has gone through to live with the diagnosis in a life-affirming way. Unlike many other breast cancer patients, Cathy didn't simply accept the choices offered by medical doctors. Instead, with the help of her husband, she studied the research and made her own decisions about conventional and alternative treatments.

ContentsForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart 1: Diagnostic Choices1. Shock2. My Diagnosis3. Your DiagnosisPhysical Exam and Medical HistoryMammographyDiagnostic UltrasoundBiopsyAxillary Dissection/Nodal SamplingBlood TestsChest X RaysPathology ReportScansThe New Genetic TestQuestions to Ask Your Doctor After a Cancer Diagnosis4. My Reaction to DiagnosisPart 2: Treatment Choices5. Your Surgical and Radiation ChoicesToward More Limited SurgeryMastectomy versus LumpectomyThe Value of SurgeryWhen Should Surgery Be Done?Breast ReconstructionRadiation versus No Radiation6. My Surgical and Radiation Decisions7. Should You Have Chemotherapy or Ovarian Ablation?The Concept of Adjuvant ChemotherapyThe Concept of "Success" with ChemotherapyThe DrugsChemotherapy and Node-Negative WomenChemotherapy, Ovarian Ablation, and Node-Positive WomenChemotherapy for Women over 70Chemotherapy to Avoid Mastectomy in Patients with Large TumorsAn Overview8. Why I Didn't Have Chemotherapy 9. TamoxifenWhat Does Tamoxifen Do?Using Tamoxifen to Treat Breast CancerEstrogen Receptor StatusTamoxifen and Node-Negative PatientsTamoxifen and Node-Positive PatientsTamoxifen and Menopausal StatusTamoxifen ToxicityPotential Side Benefits of TamoxifenTamoxifen and ChemotherapyTamoxifen and Healthy Women: The Prevention TrialTamoxifen Checklist10. Your Alternative Choices for TreatmentMetabolic Therapy (Laetrile)Shark CartilageThe Gerson TherapyThe Macrobiotic DietThe Hoxsey FormulaLinus Pauling and Vitamin C TherapyPsychological InterventionOther Alternative Therapies11. My Alternative Treatment DecisionsPart 3: Preventing Breast Cancer12. Diet and PreventionDietary Fat FiberAnticancer FoodsOrganically Grown FoodThe Big Picture13. Supplements and PreventionSupplements and Conventional Medical PhilosophyPrimary Prevention, Secondary PreventionAntioxidants and PreventionThe FDA versus ScienceVitamin C and PreventionBeta-Carotene and PreventionSelenium and PreventionVitamin E and PreventionA Review of Possible Antioxidant DosesSunshine, Vitamin D, and PreventionIron and CancerExotic Supplements14. Lifestyle and PreventionExerciseAlcoholCoffeeGreen TeaWeightSunshineEstrogen Replacement Therapy and the Birth Control PillElectromagnetic WavesEcoCancers15. Developing My Prevention LifestyleEating and DeprivationEating Out, Eating In, and In BetweenDeveloping a Prevention LifestylePart 4: Living with Breast Cancer16. Dealing with Change17. No More Headaches18. Getting On with Our LivesAPPENDIX A: Making the Transition: Eating In, Eating OutAPPENDIX B: Guided Imagery/Stress Release TapesAPPENDIX C: Food Sources of AntioxidantsAPPENDIX D: Iron-Free Multivitamin/Mineral SourcesQuestions to Ask Your Doctor After a Cancer DiagnosisGlossaryIndexAbout the Authors