Book Description

The Third Edition of Radiation Therapy Physics addresses in concise fashion the fundamental diagnostic radiologic physics principles as well as their clinical implications. Along with coverage of the concepts and applications for the radiation treatment of cancer patients, the authors have included reviews of the most up-to-date instrumentation and critical historical links. The text includes coverage of imaging in therapy planning and surveillance, calibration protocols, and precision radiation therapy, as well as discussion of relevant regulation and compliance activities. It contains an updated and expanded section on computer applications in radiation therapy and electron beam therapy, and features enhanced user-friendliness and visual appeal with a new, easy-to-follow format, including sidebars and a larger trim size. With its user-friendly presentation and broad, comprehensive coverage of radiotherapy physics, this Third Edition doubles as a medical text and handy professional reference. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This is a very helpful book.
This book was recommended to me by an oncologist, and I found it was very helpful. There are recipes devoted to foods easier to eat for patients who have side effects from chemotherapy. Some very delicious soups, smoothees, etc. This cookbook shows that nutritious recipes can taste very good.

Good Information and Good Food, Too!
This book has very helpful information for Cancer patients going through Chemotherapy and Radiation treatments. Everyone can benefit from this information. The recipes are Excellent and easy. I like the fact that nutritional information is given and and that hints are given on how to increase the calorie intake when needed. I wish I had seen this book when I was in treatment. I use and love the recipes now! ... Read more

Book Description

Stuart Kauffman here presents a brilliant new paradigm for evolutionary biology, one that extends the basic concepts of Darwinian evolution to accommodate recent findings and perspectives from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics.The book drives to the heart of the exciting debate on the origins of life and maintenance of order in complex biological systems.It focuses on the concept of self-organization: the spontaneous emergence of order that is widely observed throughout nature Kauffman argues that self-organization plays an important role in the Darwinian process of natural selection. Yet until now no systematic effort has been made to incorporate the concept of self-organization into evolutionary theory. The construction requirements which permit complex systems to adapt are poorly understood, as is the extent to which selection itself can yield systems able to adapt more successfully. This book explores these themes.It shows how complex systems, contrary to expectations, can spontaneously exhibit stunning degrees of order, and how this order, in turn, is essential for understanding the emergence and development of life on Earth.Topics include the new biotechnology of applied molecular evolution, with its important implications for developing new drugs and vaccines; the balance between order and chaos observed in many naturally occurring systems; new insights concerning the predictive power of statistical mechanics in biology; and other major issues.Indeed, the approaches investigated here may prove to be the new center around which biological science itself will evolve.The work is written for all those interested in the cutting edge of research in the life sciences. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The science book to read. Six stars at least.
Stuart Kauffman has an MD and is a generalist. The book deals primarily with theory and understanding of computer simulations of state driven systems of large numbers of connected nodes. It examines how such systems evolve through mutation and gives a clear understanding of the limited role of natural selection in comparison to the self-organizing forces at work within such systems. It examines the meta-interaction of sub-systems of interacting states (attractor basins) that occur within a system. In English: it gives the first theoretical framework for understanding just how it is that cells which all contain identical DNA express themselves as some number of stable cell types. Normally a cell will react to a perturbation in whatever way will return it to its base stable cycle (attractor loop). One type of cell turns into another type when just the right perturbation kicks the system from one attractor basin into a different attractor basin.

This is heavier reading than his popular science book, At Home in the Universe, but preferable for anyone with the necessary tiny amount of knowledge of genetics and logic operations. There are few equations of any kind. The results apply to more than just biological systems.

The book is long because instead of just presenting a few principles that you can try to remember abstractly, he leads you through all the important steps of his research and gives you a real feel for how complex systems actually evolve and operate. The book raises more questions than it answers, as it should be for a book of such originality and importance.

When you fully grok the contents of this book you'll be so excited you'll want to rush and explain it to someone else, which will be utterly impossible, so you'll probably have to lend them your book, buy them the popular version, or face the fact that you are now relatively alone on a higher plane.

New paradigm shift in biology
The Origins of Order will be viewed in the future as a milestone in shifting the existing Darwinian paradigm in biology from a "survival of the fittest" (natural selection) to a new paradigm focused on explaining the "arrival of the fittest" through self-organisation.
Using a boolean (NK) network model and a extensive amount of biological facts, Stuart Kauffman demonstrates in a powerful
way the central role of self-organisation in the creative process of life. His vision that biology seems to operate
as self-organised non-linear dynamical systems at the edge of chaos will have as much influence in biology that a similar vision offered by Nobel prize winner Prigogyne in the field of thermodynamcis. The book connects a web of fundamental ideas from the fields of biology, physics, mathematics and computer sciences and requires a strong background in biology that I unfortunately did not possess. The laborious style, the lack of clarity in the writing and the (unnecessary) length of the book should not stop anyone from reading this amazing book.
Stuart Kauffman combines an intellect and a vision that only very few scientists possess. This book is a must.

Not sure what the fuss is about
There are some interesting subjects in this book such as the theory that estimates the size of the attractors for NK automata. These results are non-trivial but I do not see where the grandiose claims about life living on the 'edge of chaos' come from. Maybe in a few years someone might be able to put some more flesh on his hypotheses but right now they seem to be flights of fancy extrapolated from some trivial models that don't actually do anything.

Hopeful spontaneity
Kauffman believes that spontaneous self-ordering, which both simple and complex systems can exhibit, must be incorporated into evolutionary biology, along with traditional random variation and natural selection. Certain complex systems will be spontaneously self-ordering. Natural selection then tends to push such systems to the edge of chaos. In addition to advancing Kauffman's theories, this reference provides a good overview the Neo-Darwinian synthesis, a review of origin of life theories, a review of genetic regulatory theory, and a review of cell differentiation.

Best book I ever read
It took me a whole summer to read this book in 1993 and it is still the most amazing book I have ever read. If you are computer/mathematically inclined, have an interest in biology, and have enough time to digest it, this book will blow you away. It contains the most amazing hypotheses to come out since 1859. Unfortunately, it takes a huge investment in time to really read this book, but an epiphany awaits those who get through it. ... Read more

Book Description

This key title in geriatric oncology has been fully revised and updated and offers an excellent and detailed overview of this complex subject. ... Read more

Book Description

* Richly illustrated overview of clinical oncology, covering both general aspects of cancer, and detailing specific cancers by organ system
* Detailed information on demographics, etiology, tumor biology, diagnostics, therapeutic techniques, and nutrition
* Includes tumor classification, staging and treatment options for cancers of the skin, head and neck, lungs, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, small intestine, large bowel, breast and more ... Read more

Book Description

The most complete reference on breast disease today, this book provides comprehensive information on all benign and malignant lesions of the breast. Here is the necessary focus on the wide variety of facts and detail pathologists need to make precise, critical diagnoses. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

DIN? LIN?
Dr. Tavassoli, unfortunately, employs classification schemes which are not widely used or accepted. Elston and Ellis or Page's upcoming new addition are better choices.

An excellent book worth investing in
It is rare in any field of medicine to have such an incredibly detailed and comprehensive book being written by a single author. The depth of knowledge, the number of references and the copious illustrations are an invaluable tool for study and reference. The prose is lucid and logically organised. I recommend this book to all aspiring pathologist as well as those who are sitting for their FRACP. ... Read more

Book Description

For 15 years, Dr. Miletello, an oncologist, wanted to write a cookbook as one of the most frequently asked questions was, "What should I eat?"Holly Clegg, author of the successful Trim & Terrific cookbook series has answered this question with her common sense approach to cooking and her easy, everyday recipes that has become her trademark for healthy cooking in today's hectic world.

Diet and nutrition are at the top of the list for anyone with a newly diagnosed malignancy. Patients have problems with a loss of appetite and altered taste either before or during treatment.Dr. Gerald Miletello, a practicing medical oncologist, collaborated with cookbook author, Holly Clegg to create Eating Well Through Cancer, a collection of 200 easy recipes to help cancer patients tolerate treatment. As nutritional evaluation and recommendations are daily concerns, practicing oncologist, patients, and families can benefit from this publication.In Eating Well Through Cancer, the personal experience of its authors combine to produce a cookbook that serves as a guide for nutrition before, during and after cancer treatment. Besides the recipes themselves, the book features diabetic exchanges, menu planning, high calorie variations, Doctor's Notes and a section that cross-references recipes and side effects.

Chapters are organized according to the phase of treatment and possible side effects. Additional sections are devoted to long term post treatment healthy eating as well as snacks and suggestions of foods for friends to bring those undergoing treatment.Some chapter titles are more characteristic of a medical encyclopedia, however the recipes resemble anything but hospital cafeteria fare. Although there are a few medicinal recipes from a natural laxative or a basic weight gain shake, Eating Well Through Cancer excels in presenting tasty favorite dishes with a healthy twist. Any patient undergoing chemotherapy will find this book to be an essential asset. The recipes are simple, tasty and easy to prepare. The last Chapter contains healthy nutritious recipes that are aimed at maintaining a smart healthy lifestyle. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Fabulous and "A Must Have" Just what the Dr. Ordered
I recently purchased this book for my dad. The side effects of cancer are so grueling. This book is organized for quick access in the first few pages with all of the recipes categorized by symptom or side effects a person may be having. Also gives great menu ideas. It gives clear advice on what to do to use food as a FUEL for the FIRE to FIGHT the cancer. Very organized, sprial bound, easy to read and the recipes are great. I would recommend this book to ANYONE going through cancer. Also great for the caregiver to know too.

Bravo! Fills a unique need perfectly.
A durable hardcover book with spiral binding completely inside so there is no problem with food getting inside the spirals or the book not lying flat, "Eating Well Through Cancer" is a top level cookbook. When someone goes through chemotherapy many changes take place within their body. For many they become nauseous after treatment, experience lowered white blood cell counts, diarrhea, constipation or other side effects. The recipes in this book are specifically designed to help with these and other problems.

Recipes are organized by symptom (diarrhea, sore mouth, etc.) and by treatment stage (day of treatment, post treatment). Each one that I tried was easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. There is definitely no sacrifice of taste for the sake of nutrition in these recipes.

The author answers questions such as "What should I eat prior to treatment?", or "Is there a certain time of day that is better for eating?" and similar concerns of the cancer patient. The final chapters include changing eating habits to a healthier style post treatment or prior to having problems.

Whether you are undergoing treatment or just want to eat healthier as a preventative measure, this book has it all. With cancer being as prevalent as it is today, even if you don't know someone with cancer sooner or later you will. When they return home after a treatment and you want to help by taking something over for dinner you will be glad you have this book. It belongs on the bookshelf of everyone who loves to cook for others.

Food is a medicine for the body as well as for the spirit
Maintaining an adequate caloric intake for cancer patients is always problematic. Food is a medicine for the body as well as for the spirit. A truly impressive specialty cookbook, Eating Well Through Cancer offers more than two hundred recipes designed to ease the side effects of chemotherapy. Enhanced with menus, caregiver ideas, nutritional analysis, diabetic exchanges, culinary medical tips, food lists, and post treatment recipes, Eating Well Through Cancer should be a part of every family's cookbook shelf where a loved one is fighting against cancer both during and after treatment.

life-changing
I have only owned this book for a few days, but as a cancer patient, I have found it extremely useful. I'm sure all cancer patients agree that the side effects from the chemo are the worse part of suffering from cancer. However, using these simple recipes, the pain has actually become bearable. I am not expecting anything miraculous. Its just nice to know that I can live my life, eating well, with less pain. Thank You

Great for everyone
I originally bought this book because my father had cancer. However, the food was so good and the recipes so easy that I use it for my entire family. I am not a very good cook but with this book my kids actually are eating my dinners. This is a great book; you can't go wrong. It really is for everyone and I use it for everyday cooking. ... Read more

Book Description

With more than 50,000 copies sold, this completely updated edition is one of the most essential and bestselling books on the subject

The Breast Cancer Survival Manual, third edition, is newly revised to contain all of the latest findings that women diagnosed with breast cancer need to participate in developing the most effective treatment plan. This new edition includes the most current advice on

- tamoxifen, herceptin, and other chemotherapy options
- the growing importance of Her-2 oncogene testing
- clinical research trials under way that could broaden treatment options
- the role of preventative drugs and prophylactics for those with genetic high risk for breast cancer
- Sentinal Lymph Node sampling, a new method of local cancer control

Updated information on the nature and biology of breast cancer, choosing a treatment team, managing side effects, and optimizing medication are also included. The Breast Cancer Survival Manual continues to be a must-have for any woman seeking honest, accurate, and easily understandable information about managing breast cancer today.
... Read more

Reviews (12)

A must read for newly diagnosed patients and their families.
As a personal trainer and post-rehabilitation specialist I have worked with many breast cancer patients. This book is an easy to understand, comprehensive compilation of information that patients and their families NEED to know. Particularly refreshing were the sections on seeking additional diagnosis opinions and participating fully in your treatment plans. Too often the patient is left out of the loop and ends of a "victim" of their treatment. The author explains what you should and shouldn't be included in, and why.

I found this a quick and simple read. Perfect for the spouse, parents or children of the patient. I read it in an afternoon and then referred back to it as needed. I bought it for a client and am now recommending it to all my breast cancer clients. Great book!

This should be REQUIRED reading for women.
A breast cancer diagnosis puts a woman's life into a free-fall. Dr. Link explains how to take charge of a situation over which you feel you have no control. He has offered a concise, up-to-date compilation of information necessary for a pro-active role in breast cancer treatment. He lets women know in understandable language that there are options available and helps sort throught the facts in order to make intelligent, informed decisions.

I discovered Dr. Link's book AFTER I had been diagnosed and had already received a second opinion on my own. He helped me sort throught the maze of chemotherapy treatments, and gave me the confidence I needed to make the right choices for me. I was so impressed with his book that I have donated copies to our local hospital to be given to women at the time of initial diagnosis.

If you are facing this nightmare of a journey, take this book with you...

Convinced me to get a second opinion
I aggree with most of the other reviews: you or your partner must read this book when breast cancer is diagnosed. It gives your clear information about you chances and options. For me, it convinced me to make a girl friend ask for a second opinion, which led to another treatment with better chances. And it gives a lot of information about the drug Tamoxifen, which is used quit offen in treating breast cancer.

For women with newly-diagnosed breast cancer
Dr. Link has written exactly what his title promises: a manual that will educate women on how to survive a diagnosis of breast cancer. He teaches us how to pick a team of specialists, how to make adjuvant therapy choices, management of side effects, diet. etc. Dr. Link is a practicing internist and oncologist, founder of the Breast Center in Long Beach, California, and also director of the Pacific Coast Breast Center in Torrance, California.

The author treats women with breast cancer, rather than having survived the disease himself, so the 'Survival Manual' is a less personalized account than, say, "The Breast Cancer Companion" by Kathy Latour. It is written with one degree of separation, and teaches rather than consoles.

For example, he writes, "I think it is helpful to understand the mechanism of hair loss with these drugs so you realize its true temporary quality," rather than, "When our hair starts to fall out, it is yet another violation of our bodies and one that most women felt was much more visible and hard to conceal than the loss of a breast." (quoted from "The Breast Cancer Companion" by Kathy Latour.)

Dr. Link's writing style is very much exemplified by his introductory quotation: "Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood---Marie Curie."

This is a very direct, honest book that can help women with newly-diagnosed breast cancer, "understand their situation and develop a plan to optimize a cure." It contains questions at the end of each chapter (called 'checkpoints') that women should ask themselves during each stage of diagnosis and treatment, e.g. "Who is in charge of my surveillance after the end of treatment?" at the end of the chapter entitled, "Fear of Recurrence."

There is a good list of further breast cancer resources at book's end, including an Internet site with Dr. Link's continuing updates to this manual (breastlinkcare).

A very good manual - most useful for the details
This small book packs a lot of punch. No other books go into as much detail on how chemotherapy medicines work, or why medicines are combined the way they are. This book is meant to empower women through the tough decisions, and throughout the entire treatment cycle. Not much time is wasted on outdated statistics or information, and the book recognizes the limits of printed paper and recommends worthwhile websites.

The chapters on side effects, menopause, and nutrition are especially cogent. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The book to buy and read and take with you to your doctor
I found this book to contain the most comprehensive, informatative compilation of facts about brain tumors that has been written to date. Ben Williams not only has tirelessly researched this subject, but he has LIVED this first-hand. This gives him an insight that is unsurpassed in it's ability to convey this information. I have been reading everything possible for over two years about brain tumors and treatments, ever since my brother was diagnosed with the same type tumor as Ben's. Ben has really taken his professional abilities as a medical researcher and applied it to the area of cancer treatment, the medical issues involved with treatments, clinical trials, and all the related factors. This book is a must for anyone that knows someone that is battling cancer....not just brain cancer, but due to Ben's insightful treatment of the relevant issues, anyone that is facing a life-threatening diagnosis should read this book. It explains the "whys" of how our medical system works, and doesn't work. It will give you the power to be able to ask the "right" questions. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking answers and hope facing a terminal diagnosis.

Guerilla Warfare Against Cancer
A terminal cancer diagnosis is a shove through the looking glass into a terrifying alternate reality of imminent death, where medical science has no answers and clinical trials and alternative medicine offer fleeting glimpses of real or perceived hope. This is the experience of millions of people every year, who find they suddenly must trust doctors they have never met to make the best choices for them according to principals of science and the Hippocratic Oath. Seven years ago, Ben Williams heard perhaps the worst of all such diagnoses, Glioblastoma Multiforme. This fast-moving brain cancer carries a devastating prognosis where survival is measured in weeks and where approved treatments add only a few weeks more. In his battle with this ferocious disease, he left the established path to fight on his own terms, mixing conventional, experimental, and alternative medicine. His eventual recovery, and the lessons he learned, are the basis for this book.

'Surviving Terminal Cancer' is written in three sections. Section I is a narrative of the onset, diagnosis, treatment, and eventual remission of the author's own terminal disease. This section includes the bizarre initial symptoms of his brain tumor, and the emotional upheaval of the diagnosis and devastating prognosis. During the treatment course, Williams must struggle with a medical system that denies him obvious treatments; he confronts his doctors and travels to Mexico to obtain the drugs they refuse to prescribe. His treatment plan is a drug cocktail synthesized from his research into clinical trials and other published experimentation. A brain tumor proves intriguing subject matter, as fascinating as it is horrifying, and this creates a charged backdrop for the section's already interesting storyline. It is an MRI-to-MRI clinical suspense thriller, superimposed onto a very human drama of husband and wife coping with fear and mortality. Ultimately, Williams survives this Nietzschen transformation to complete the book. The resulting Section II delivers a scathing, if constructive, criticism of the American medical system and the FDA. Although well-meaning, this section may disturb many readers as it addresses the basic assumption of trust between doctor and patient. Williams pulls no punches, arguing against the statistical methods mandated by the FDA, the funding and motives behind drug trials, and even the present interpretation of the Hippocratic Oath. He turns the very notion of conservative, scientific medicine on its ear as fundamentally unscientific and irrational. With chapters like 'Bastille Day for Cancer Patients,' Williams handles this subject as brazenly as his self-medicated treatment plan in Section I. The theme of a deeply broken system culminates with a call for cancer patients to fix it themselves through direct political action. Section III is a useful summary of alternative medicine, supplements, and clinical trials, and how to effectively research all such options for any particular disease. Although there are a few specific options listed, this section is not a definitive dictionary of treatments. Rather, it is a discussion on how to effectively investigate potential treatments both within and outside of traditional medicine. Through a few carefully picked examples, he illustrates how to find and identify useful information and separate it from advertising and political rhetoric.

Despite the complexity of much of the subject matter, the style is a well-explained, easy to follow prose. Williams uses AIDS as a useful point of epidemiological reference, comparing cancer to HIV on both microbiological and socio-political levels. Perhaps welcoming the inevitable criticism, he carefully includes supporting references at the end of every chapter. Locating these supporting articles in many cases leads to very interesting, and applicable, secondary reading. Williams is even-handed in his treatment of the facts, carefully addressing several perilous topics that could easily have degraded into sour grapes. He carefully draws a distinction between doctors as individuals, for whom he holds obvious respect, and a troubled medical system as a whole. Perhaps most importantly, Williams, a Harvard-educated scientist, does not fall into the trap of arguing 'alternative versus traditional' medicine. Instead, he takes traditional, alternative, and experimental medicine, as well as some of their related, rhetorical arguments, and examines them together under uniform scientific scrutiny.

The concepts in section II are universal in their appeal, but the book as a whole best serves those presently facing cancer or similar deadly conditions. Williams' work is a departure from earlier (and excellent) inspirational works by Armstrong and others, in that it provides the reader specific detail on how to use the basic principals of science and statistics to wage war against their disease. Williams is far too sophisticated to simply preach a particular treatment regimen because it worked for him. He does not promise a cure or offer unreasonable hope. What he does deliver is the means for patients to understand their situation and fight for their own survival, exploring the statistical fringes of their condition to come up with the additional few percentage points that might determine life or death. It is controversial, alarming, and blunt. It is also an excellent book -- required reading for anyone facing a deadly disease.

Remarkable Story, Terrific Book
This book tells a dramatic story of a battle for survival against a dread disease, and also offers a useful guide for cancer patients determined to try to beat the odds. On top of that, the author delivers a scathing critique of the conventional approach to treatment of life-threatening illness in the US. The book starts off with the author's story: a psychology professor at the University of California, Williams was diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable brain tumor (glioblastoma). Refusing to accept his imminent demise, he launched an unconventional (but nonetheless science-based) fight for survival. Searching the biomedical literature, he was surprised to uncover many studies describing relatively nontoxic compounds -- some of them drugs approved for other purposes - which seemed to show at least modest tumor-fighting effects (based on preliminary data, often involving animal models). By traveling to Mexico and other means, Williams was able to put together a cocktail of such compounds that he took on top of the conventional treatments (which normally achieve at most a minor and transient effect with glioblastoma). MRIs showed the tumor at first shrinking and then disappearing completely, and Williams has had no recurrence in more than five years. The book describes Williams' cocktail, which may be of use to other patients with similar brain tumors. Of equal value, however, is the general approach described in the book, which could be adapted to fight other kinds of cancer as well. The basic idea seems almost obvious: when conventional treatments are unlikely to succeed, combine everything that is reasonably nontoxic and seems (based on however preliminary data) to have a decent chance of some efficacy. Any intelligent person can see the good sense in this (if you are going to die anyway, why on earth would you NOT want to try any nontoxic treatment that has some chance of helping?), but Williams describes the stubbornly hostile reaction of oncologists to his approach. He describes how academic physicians prefer to corral patients into unimaginative trials of single-agent therapies for which even the doctors themselves entertain little optimism (except perhaps for the publication they hope to add to their CV). Experience with AIDS and the few kinds of cancer now considered curable suggests that dramatic results usually occur only when multiple agents are combined to obtain a synergistic effect. Yet the oncology profession sees it as somehow more "scientific" to test drugs in isolation (or occasionally to combine two agents only after each has been thoroughly tested by itself). The book harshly criticizes the role the FDA has played in promoting this approach, which may be rational for ulcer or arthritis therapy but is obviously inappropriate for the therapy of terminal diseases. In summary, this book combines three ingredients in a unique way: a personal survival story, a roadmap, and a devastating intellectual critique of the status quo in cancer treatment. Well written and thoughtful, this book should be of great value to many readers, including those struggling with cancer. ... Read more

Book Description

For everyone whose life has been touched by cancer, One Renegade Cell tells the story of the search for the ultimate causes of this dreaded disease.

"One Renegade Cell…offers a breathtaking picture, both wonderful and frightening, of the fantastic intricacy of aberrant cellular functioning."-New York Times

"Part primer, part history and part meditation. [One Renegade Cell] succeeds on all counts."-Wall Street Journal

One of the leading cancer researchers in the world, Robert A. Weinberg is perfectly suited to describe the search for cancer's origins from the early days of this century to the present. Presuming little knowledge of biology, he tells how a cancer-causing virus was first discovered in 1909, how the correlation was made between chemical carcinogens and cancer, and how oncogenes (the genes that can turn a cell malignant) work. He explains clearly how malignant cells send messages to one another and also block the messages of normal cells. Finally, Weinberg predicts that cancer prevention may depend on our ability to understand the mysterious chemical clock that regulates our cells' most basic functions. One Renegade Cell offers a concise, accessible route into the complex and often daunting world of cancer and cancer research. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

"Cancer 101"
When my mother was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, I frantically read everything I could lay my hands on to try to understand what was happening to her. As a former English major and flunker-of-high-school science classes, educating myself about the disease was a daunting task. "One Renegade Cell" explains in intelligent but clear language the theories that currently best explain how the disease begins and spreads.

In my search for knowledge, I have found many books that explain cancer as though to the Village Idiot. And I have found others that explain it as though to a PhD in Biology. I am truly thankful that Weinberg wrote this rare book that can be enjoyed and understood by the rest of us.

Cancer, we shall conquer thee!
What we know about cancer has increased dramatically in the past 20 years, and the author has played a part in many of the major discoveries that have occurred. Weinberg goes through the path of discovery in a largely chronological order, showing the initial theories on the workings of cancer, and then bringing in the revisions to these theories, revealing aspects of cell biology at the appropriate times, so that the reader does not become overwhelmed by excess information at the start of the book, a fault that seems to be common in many popular science books.

Overall, I feel that this is one of the best books in the Science Masters series, and a must read for anyone interested in cancer. I feel that it would also make valuable reading for anyone whose work relates to the health sciences in any way, since after reading this book, you have a rather thorough understanding of cancer in a general sense, without all of the technical details which would only be of interest to a researcher or doctor specialising in cancer. There is also the possibility that this book would be of value to a cancer sufferer, since understanding an illness can often help a person to better cope with it, and this book would really let the patient understand what was happening in their body, and why, and understand why various treatments work for some types of cancer, but not others.

Excelent entry to cancer biology
There are very few books out that give the reader an overview modern cancer biology. This short book gives a clear picture of a complex and current subject. It uses historical perspective on scientific discovery to enliven the reading. It's well organized and readable without background in biology, but with enough depth to interest biologists in other fields. I also reccomend Robert Weinberg's "Genes and the Biology of Cancer", written with Harold Varmus, which covers the same material in a little more depth.

Valuable information!
Extremely informative, written in interesting form like a scientific novel, a systematic mini-survey of the molecular biology of cancer. Takes you through 30 years of discovery, explaining how false expectations were replaced by the discovery in laboratories of right pathways. Among the useful pieces of information you'll pick up: cancer cells are not destroyed by chemo and radiation, only some DNA damage occurs. Unless the p53 gene is little enough damaged, then the tumor is not stopped, and Weinberg explains why. He fully describes the 6 mutations that are required, over time, to produce a metastasizing tumor. My wish: that Weinberg would next write a book about cancer treatments.

I end with an aside for those who are in love with the red herring called "holism", and imagine that "reductionism" is dead and of little or no use in the elucidation of complexity. The entire field of genetic and cancer discoveries, all of microbiology, is nothing but plain ol' reductionism applied to very long molecules, molecules so long and often disordered in shape that new techniques of chemical analysis had to be invented (like PCR). This book and any standard text on molecular biology provides full evidence for the truth of my assertion.

Must have: great intro and overview of current research
No prior knowledge of cell biology or genetics is required. I have gained an appreciation for the complexity of cancer research thanks to the book. I highly recommend it. You also learn a fair amount of the history of the development of cancer research. And don't think you need to read through hundreds of introductory pages to accomplish this. The book is under 200 pages.

Once again: What I found great about the book is it explains very clearly the current thories on how cancer starts and spreads without requiring any prior knowledge in the field.

For the scientifically oriented who are interested in the details, it has a big reference and endnote section. 5 stars for sure. ... Read more

Book Description

Hearing that you have prostate cancer, or even that you may have it, is very scary. But this disease, in many cases, is curable. Even if you have advanced cancer that's spread beyond the prostate, many treatments help extend your life for years. You need good information to help you with the decisions that lie ahead, and this book provides you with this information.

Prostate Cancer For Dummies can help you if

• You have prostate cancer (or you think that you have it), or someone close to you has it.
• You want information on treatments for prostate cancer as you form a treatment plan with your doctor.
• You are curious about alternative therapies for prostate cancer.
• You want to know what actions you can take over the long-term to continue to fight your prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer For Dummies explains the key issues and problems that are associated with prostate cancer, and assures you that although the initial impact of being diagnosed is devastating, you can take action to extend your life.

You don't have to read this book from the first page straight on through, although you can. You may want to read the first chapter and then move to the chapters that affect you the most. In Prostate Cancer For Dummies, you'll gain insight into

• Discovering the key symptoms of prostate cancer
• Recognizing the risk factors, and who's most likely to have prostate cancer
• Getting a diagnosis, and what's involved
• Getting well again, and how you can work with your doctor to come up with a plan to cope with your cancer
• Changing your lifestyle to decrease your risk of a recurrence
• Coping with the aftermath, from temporary to permanent side effects
• Handling work and family, and how to help others understand what you're going through

It's extremely hard to hear from your doctor that you or a loved one has prostate cancer. But after you recover from the initial shock of diagnosis, you need to educate yourself, and, with the help of your physician, make a plan for getting the best treatment possible. Prostate Cancer For Dummies will help you achieve these goals and encourage you to maintain your commitment to managing your health. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Everything you (or your partner) needs to know
This book covers prostate cancer from the prospective of a surgeon who treats the disease and who admits that he was terrified when he was diagnosed with it himself. Prostate Cancer for Dummies covers symptoms of prostate cancer and how it's treated (surgery, radiation, etc.) and also covers how to cope with the side effects, such as impotence, depression and so on. The author factors in how cancer affects the whole family and discusses how the person with cancer can help his family help him. The newest studies on cutting edge treatments, foods to eat, how to prevent cancer from coming back and everything you might want to know about prostate cancer is in this book.

Prostate cancer data simplified
As a person who's spent hundreds of hours researching and reading about prostate cancer over the last four years, I picked up Lange and Adamec's new book with misgivings that quickly changed into affirmative head-nodding. I found the book to be well-organized, and as I scanned and flipped back and forth through its coverage of all the big questions, I concluded this is a book that has long been needed. Although the book is in the DUMMIES series, it is from start to finish a first-rate professional and easily-readable treatment of a complex and deadly serious subject -- prostate cancer. Whether it's one's first foray into the shifting world of prostate cancer data, treatment and research or one wants to double-check what one has learned, this is THE book to buy. ... Read more

Book Description

Nutritional Oncology defines this rapidly emerging area of tremendous interest to researchers, a field poised to become a subfield of oncology. This reference provides an assessment of nutritional impact on the development and growth of cancer (or the prevention of such development and growth) as well as its role in cancer treatment. In addition to an overall discussion of nutrition and cancer, the book discusses specific nutrients and classes of nutrients. It also covers various clinical trials in nutritional care.

The book is divided into five sections:
* The principles of nutritional oncology including cell biology, environmental and chemical carcinogenesis, the biology of metastasis, the pathology and toxicology of carcinogenesis, oxidant stress and the elements of the human diet
* The methods of clinical, nutritional, immunologic, biochemical, and nutritional endocrine assessment of the cancer patient
* The field of nutritional intervention and chemoprevention of cancer, using an organ-specific approach
* The treatment of the malnourished patient using nutritional and pharmacological approaches
* Research methods specifically suited to the field of nutritional oncology ... Read more

Book Description

A revealing critique of chemotherapy, this book looks objectively at chemo's successes and failures. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Knowledge is Power
(...)The appendix is packed with information in regards to a few dozen of the more commonly used or controversial cytotoxic drugs currently used. However, the issues he brings up concerning the quality of life of the cancer patient who will most probably very miserable and depleted for extended periods of time when using chemotherapy in conjunction with the fact that there are alternative treatment modes out there in the marketplace that no one is compiling any hard data on is argueably this books finest contribution. This is compelling and thought provoking imnformation for anyone in this position to consider well. Knowledge is power and reading this book may help guard the reader against naively developing a false sense of hope based upon the party line responses of the orthodox medical establishment to the concerns of patients who are struggling with the potential prospect of a significantly shortened life.

Every patient diagnosed with cancer has to have this book!
Ralph Moss provides the most authoritative criticisms and evaluation of alternative cancer therapies. People should begin with Questioning Chemotherapy and then move onto any of his other books. The other book that should follow is John Boik's Cancer & Natural Medicine

Best book I've ever read on chemotherapy
Ralph Moss' "Questioning Chemotherapy" is a book that every person faced with cancer must read before submitting to toxic chemicals which may very well destroy the body's immune system.

Unlike many alternative health authors who base their conclusions on anecdotal evidence, Moss uses the medical establishment's own research to prove that in almost all instances chemotherapy is NOT a viable approach to improving cancer survival rates.

Moss also makes the important point that current cancer research has never bothered to examine the mental anguish, physical suffering, and poor quality of life endured by almost everyone whose doctors talk or scare them into undergoing chemotherapy.

Learning about the economics behind chemotherapy drives the final nail into the coffin of a "therpy" that educated people in the future will consider outrageous and reflective of the current dark ages of so-called modern medicine.

This is a must read book for anyone who wants to know the truth behind chemotherapy or anyone whose doctor wants to inject toxic chemicals into their bloodstream. ... Read more

Book Description

This concise handbook provides authoritative guidance onsurgical oncology from one of the top comprehensive cancer care centersin the world. Written by current and former fellows, the handbooksystematically explains diagnostic approaches and current managementoptions by organ system. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

THE comprehensive cancer book
If you are looking for exellent value for money in (surgical) oncology, you have to purchase the MD Anderson Handbook. In a compulsively readable yet comprehensive style the entire field is covered. In contrast to its title, it is not only focussing on how things work in Houston, but altenative state of the art diagnostic and treatment options are discussed. In our surgical clinic, the book has become a standard reference text.

The most compact informative review of surgical oncology
This book is essential for inservice and general surgery board review ... Read more

Book Description

Examines many of the recent developments in the field of cancer detection and prevention. This comprehensive text covers issues ranging from how diet affects incidence of the disease to the nurse's role in advancing the cancer control agenda. The expert editors and contributors have made every effort to identify the ramifications for each topic for clinical practice, public and professional education, and future nursing research. ... Read more