My intention in writing this book has been to answer the questions that patients and friends ask me about cancer. It is intended to help not only cancer patients, or friends and family of cancer patients, but also nurses and paramedical personnel. The book should also help medical practitioners to answer patients’ questions and perhaps give them a broader understanding of the various aspects of cancer.
Section 1 will be of interest to all people concerned about cancer. It describes what cancer means, what is known about its causes, who is at risk and how it might be prevented.
Section 2 describes the general and local features of cancer, test procedures, special investigations that might be helpful and what the patient might expect in having these investigations carried out. It also outlines the different forms of treatment that are available.
Section 3 deals with specific types of cancer in different parts of the body. Readers may wish to read only that part which is of particular concern to them.
Section 4 is a short review of possible new challenges and likely advances in cancer treatment in the future.
A glossary and an index provide, respectively, definitions of all medical terminology used and a cross-reference to all sections. I hope that this book will not only give the lay reader a better understanding of the problems of cancer but also help all who care for people with cancer. It is only by promoting a better understanding of the clinical realities and the therapeutic possibilities of cancer that the social and emotional needs of patients and those who love and care for them will be met.