Should I Be Tested for Cancer?


Book Description

In this thought-provoking volume, a physician and public health expert challenges the notion that detecting cancer early always saves lives.




Should I Be Tested for Cancer?


Book Description

Getting tested to detect cancer early is one of the best ways to stay healthy—or is it? In this lively, carefully researched book, a nationally recognized expert on early cancer detection challenges one of medicine's most widely accepted beliefs: that the best defense against cancer is to always try to catch it early. Read this book and you will think twice about common cancer screening tests such as total body scans, mammograms, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests. Combining patient stories and solid data on common cancers, Dr. H. Gilbert Welch makes the case that testing healthy people for cancer is really a double-edged sword: while these tests may help, they often have surprisingly little effect and are sometimes even harmful. Bringing together a body of little-known medical research in an engaging and accessible style, he discusses in detail the pitfalls of screening tests, showing how they can miss some cancers, how they can lead to invasive, unnecessary treatments, and how they can distract doctors from other important issues. Welch's conclusions are powerful, counterintuitive, and disturbing: the early detection of cancer does not always save lives, it can be hard to know who really has early cancer, and there are some cancers better left undiscovered. Should I Be Tested for Cancer? is the only book to clearly and simply lay out the pros and cons of cancer testing for the general public. It is indispensable reading for the millions of Americans who repeatedly face screening tests and who want to make better-informed decisions about their own health care.




Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine


Book Description

Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine, Ninth Edition, offers a balanced view of the most current knowledge of cancer science and clinical oncology practice. This all-new edition is the consummate reference source for medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, internists, surgical oncologists, and others who treat cancer patients. A translational perspective throughout, integrating cancer biology with cancer management providing an in depth understanding of the disease An emphasis on multidisciplinary, research-driven patient care to improve outcomes and optimal use of all appropriate therapies Cutting-edge coverage of personalized cancer care, including molecular diagnostics and therapeutics Concise, readable, clinically relevant text with algorithms, guidelines and insight into the use of both conventional and novel drugs Includes free access to the Wiley Digital Edition providing search across the book, the full reference list with web links, illustrations and photographs, and post-publication updates




Assessment of Cancer Screening


Book Description

Cancer screening is a prominent strategy in cancer control in the United States, yet the ability to correctly interpret cancer screening data eludes many researchers, clinicians, and policy makers. This open access primer rectifies that situation by teaching readers, in simple language and with straightforward examples, why and how the population-level cancer burden changes when screening is implemented, and how we assess whether that change is of benefit. This book provides an in-depth look at the many aspects of cancer screening and its assessment, including screening phenomena, performance measures, population-level outcomes, research designs, and other important and timely topics. Concise, accessible, and focused, Assessment of Cancer Screening: A Primer is best suited to those with education or experience in clinical research or public health in the United States - no previous knowledge of cancer screening assessment is necessary. This is the first text dedicated to cancer screening theory and methodology to be published in 20 years.




Fulfilling the Potential of Cancer Prevention and Early Detection


Book Description

Cancer ranks second only to heart disease as a leading cause of death in the United States, making it a tremendous burden in years of life lost, patient suffering, and economic costs. Fulfilling the Potential for Cancer Prevention and Early Detection reviews the proof that we can dramatically reduce cancer rates. The National Cancer Policy Board, part of the Institute of Medicine, outlines a national strategy to realize the promise of cancer prevention and early detection, including specific and wide-ranging recommendations. Offering a wealth of information and directly addressing major controversies, the book includes: A detailed look at how significantly cancer could be reduced through lifestyle changes, evaluating approaches used to alter eating, smoking, and exercise habits. An analysis of the intuitive notion that screening for cancer leads to improved health outcomes, including a discussion of screening methods, potential risks, and current recommendations. An examination of cancer prevention and control opportunities in primary health care delivery settings, including a review of interventions aimed at improving provider performance. Reviews of professional education and training programs, research trends and opportunities, and federal programs that support cancer prevention and early detection. This in-depth volume will be of interest to policy analysts, cancer and public health specialists, health care administrators and providers, researchers, insurers, medical journalists, and patient advocates.




The American Cancer Society's Principles of Oncology


Book Description

Developed by the American Cancer Society this new textbook designed for a wide range of learners and practitioners is a comprehensive reference covering the diagnosis of cancer, and a range of related issues that are key to a multidisciplinary approach to cancer and critical to cancer control and may be used in conjunction with the book, The American Cancer Society's Oncology in Practice: Clinical Management. Edited by leading clinicians in the field and a stellar contributor list from the US and Europe, this book is written in an easy to understand style by multidisciplinary teams of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and other specialists, reflecting day-to-day decision-making and clinical practice. Input from pathologists, surgeons, radiologists, and other specialists is included wherever relevant and comprehensive treatment guidelines are provided by expert contributors where there is no standard recognized treatment. This book is an ideal resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of cancer prevention, screening, and follow-up, which are central to the ACS's worldwide mission on cancer control.




Mammography and Beyond


Book Description

X-ray mammography screening is the current mainstay for early breast cancer detection. It has been proven to detect breast cancer at an earlier stage and to reduce the number of women dying from the disease. However, it has a number of limitations. These current limitations in early breast cancer detection technology are driving a surge of new technological developments, from modifications of x-ray mammography such as computer programs that can indicate suspicious areas, to newer methods of detection such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or biochemical tests on breast fluids. To explore the merits and drawbacks of these new breast cancer detection techniques, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences convened a committee of experts. During its year of operation, the committee examined the peer-reviewed literature, consulted with other experts in the field, and held two public workshops. In addition to identifying promising new technologies for early detection, the committee explored potential barriers that might prevent the development of new detection methods and their common usage. Such barriers could include lack of funding from agencies that support research and lack of investment in the commercial sector; complicated, inconsistent, or unpredictable federal regulations; inadequate insurance reimbursement; and limited access to or unacceptability of breast cancer detection technology for women and their doctors. Based on the findings of their study, the committee prepared a report entitled Mammography and Beyond: Developing Technology for Early Detection of Breast Cancer, which was published in the spring of 2001. This is a non-technical summary of that report.







Cancer-Free!


Book Description

This book will help me understand how to access advanced testing that can find cancer years before the lump or bump.




Onco-Nephrology E-Book


Book Description

Kidney disease and cancer are frequent comorbidities that require specialized knowledge and expertise from both the nephrologist and the oncologist. Written by three pioneers in this growing subspecialty, Onco-Nephrology provides authoritative, definitive coverage of the mechanism and management of these two life-threatening diseases. This unique, single-volume resource covers current protocols and recommends management therapies to arrest kidney failure and allow oncologic treatments to continue and succeed. Addresses acute and chronic kidney diseases that develop from a variety of cancers. This includes direct kidney injury from the malignancy, paraneoplastic effects of the cancer, and various cancer agents used to treat the malignancy. Discusses key issues regarding kidney disease in patients with cancer, including conventional chemotherapeutic regimens and new novel therapies (targeted agents and immunotherapies) or the malignancies themselves that may promote kidney injury; patients with chronic kidney disease who acquire cancer unrelated to renal failure; and kidney transplantation, which has been shown to carry an increased risk of cancer. Contains dedicated chapters for each class of the conventional chemotherapeutic agents, targeted cancer agents, and cancer immunotherapies including the basic science, pathogenic mechanisms of injury, clinical manifestations, and treatment. Includes special chapters devoted to the individual classes of chemotherapies that relate to kidney disease for quick reference. Discusses increasingly complex problems due to more numerous and specialized anti-cancer drugs, as well as increased survival rates for both cancer and renal failure requiring long-term patient care. Covers anti-VEGF (antivascular endothelial growth factor) agents and cancer immunotherapies – treatments that are being recognized for adverse kidney effects. Utilizes a clear, logical format based on the ASN Core Curriculum for Onco-Nephrology, making this reference an excellent tool for board review, as well as a practical resource in daily practice.