Coping With Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy: Everything You Need to Know

Terms of Use......Page 3
Want to learn more?......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
Acknowledgments......Page 9
A Word to Professionals......Page 11
Introduction......Page 13
Radiation Therapy, Chemotherapy, and Their Side Effects......Page 14
The Growing Role of Supportive Therapies......Page 15
Living with Cancer......Page 16
Radiation Treatment and Chemotherapy for Specific Cancers......Page 17
If Cancer Has Spread......Page 18
Handling Pain......Page 19
The Multidisciplinary Approach to Cancer Treatment......Page 20
Clinical Trials......Page 22
Your Right to Know......Page 23
A Word About the Future......Page 24
Part 1 The Purpose of Radiation Treatment and Chemotherapy......Page 27
How is Cancer Thought to Develop?......Page 29
How Does Radiation Treatment Work?......Page 30
Treatment Planning......Page 31
Consulting with Your Radiation and Medical Oncologists......Page 33
Treatment Procedure for Radiation Therapy......Page 35
Basics of Chemotherapy......Page 41
Other Treatments......Page 45
Current Treatment......Page 47
Radiation: Some Things Haven\'t Changed......Page 49
Treatment to the Head and Chest......Page 51
Treatment to the Lower Abdomen......Page 53
Side Effects Common to Both Radiation and Chemotherapy......Page 54
Reproductive and Sexual Issues......Page 58
Side Effects of Chemotherapy......Page 59
Long-Term Side Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation......Page 66
Diet and Cancer......Page 71
Lifestyle Changes......Page 81
Emotional Concerns......Page 86
The Truth Is Essential......Page 90
When Treatment Ends......Page 91
Part 2 Cancer Treatment: Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy......Page 93
Bladder Cancer......Page 95
Brain Cancer......Page 101
Breast Cancer......Page 105
Cancer of the Cervix......Page 125
Colorectal Cancer......Page 128
Esophageal Cancer......Page 134
Head and Neck Cancer......Page 140
Hodgkin\'s Disease......Page 145
Lung Cancer......Page 150
Myeloma (Multiple Myeloma)......Page 155
Non-Hodgkin\'s Lymphoma......Page 160
Ovarian Cancer......Page 164
Pancreatic Cancer......Page 166
Prostate Cancer......Page 168
Skin Cancer......Page 180
Testicular Cancer......Page 183
Uterine Cancer......Page 186
5 If Cancer Has Spread......Page 191
Metastasis to Bones......Page 192
Metastasis to the Brain......Page 196
Metastasis to the Chest......Page 199
Metastasis to the Lymph Nodes......Page 200
Metastasis to the Skin......Page 203
Metastasis to the Spine......Page 205
If Cancer Has Spread and Treatment Stops Working......Page 207
Bone Marrow Transplantation......Page 209
Other Anticancer Substances......Page 211
Gene Therapy......Page 212
Monoclonal Antibody Therapy......Page 215
Genetic Predisposition and Preventing Cancer......Page 216
Looking to the Future......Page 217
Why Is Cancer Painful?......Page 219
Pain Relief Medications......Page 220
Treating the Disease......Page 222
Pain Assessment......Page 223
Additional Strategies......Page 224
Part 3 Other Issues in Cancer Treatment......Page 225
8 Diagnostic Testing......Page 227
Review of Test Results Prior to Treatment......Page 228
Types of Tests......Page 229
Will I Become Radioactive as a Result of Radiation Therapy?......Page 249
Is My Cancer Contagious?......Page 250
My Doctor Told Me That My Cancer Is Advanced. Can I Still Achieve a Good Quality of Life?......Page 251
Will I Lose My Hair from Radiation Treatment and Chemotherapy?......Page 252
Should I Seek Complementary or Alternative Therapies Such as Nutritional Supplements, Herbal Remedies, Meditation Programs, and So Forth?......Page 253
Will I Lose My Ability to Function Sexually as a Result of Treatment?......Page 255
Have I Done Something Wrong to Develop the Cancer?......Page 256
What Exactly Are the Lymph Nodes?......Page 257
Can I Shield the Rest of My Body During Treatment to Protect It from Radiation?......Page 258
My Doctor Recommended a Clinical Trial. I Don\'t Like the Idea of Being a Guinea Pig, but Should I Consider It?......Page 259
What Exactly Are Hospice Centers, and How Can I Locate Them?......Page 260
How Long Do the Beneficial Effects of Radiation Therapy Last?......Page 261
Where Can I Read About the Latest Medical Studies of Cancer Treatments and Cures?......Page 262
Will I See My Radiation and Medical Oncologists After Treatment?......Page 263
Glossary......Page 265
Additional Resources......Page 271
Index......Page 275