An Empowering Guide to Lung Cancer: Six Steps to Taking Charge of Your Care and Your Life

by Eric Presser MD

Overview

Lung cancer is a serious illness—one that is considered among medicine's most dreaded diagnoses. Alone, it's responsible for 29 percent of cancer deaths in the United States and causes more deaths than breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancer combined! Additionally, lung cancer isn't typically discovered until it causes symptoms, at which point options are limited and the chances of a cure greatly reduced.

But it doesn't have to be this way. In this book, Dr. Eric Presser provides an empowering, comprehensive guide to lung cancer for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the treatments available, coping with the diagnosis, and dealing with the side effects associated with the disease on both patients and their loved ones. His book offers a complete resource for anyone touched by lung cancer, presenting the latest scientifically tested information to help reduce the rates of illness and infirmity and ultimately make lung cancer a thing of the past.

The book first covers the basic information necessary to understand lung cancer, including lung anatomy. Dr. Presser then identifies the six steps that will with help people cope with lung cancer and take charge of their lives. The final section focuses on nutrition and lung cancer in addition to practical concerns such as health insurance, work and disability, and financial challenges.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440841026
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	12/12/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	217
File size:	402 KB

About the Author

Eric Presser, MD, is an attending thoracic surgeon at First Choice Physician's Practice and an associate professor at the University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine.

Table of Contents

Foreword Andrew Ordon, MD vii

Preface xi

The Basics

1 The Respiratory System 3

2 Cancer Fundamentals 11

Step I Increase Awareness

3 Your Lung Cancer Primer 19

Step II Get a Proper Diagnosis

4 Diagnosing and Staging Lung Cancer 37

Step III Know Your Options

5 Treating Lung Cancer 61

6 Complementary and Alternative Healing for Lung Cancer 91

Step IV Ask the Right Questions

7 Managing Your Lung Cancer Care 125

Step V Remove Toxic Substances from Your Life

8 Stop Smoking Now! 145

Step VI Acceptance

9 Your Life with Lung Cancer 163

Epilogue 177

Notes 179

Glossary 197

Index 199

What People are Saying About This

Rodney Sacks

“You’ve probably heard the saying that cancer touches everyone. I know that it does, and that it hits some harder than others. Cancer first touched my life 13 years ago when my brother was diagnosed with prostate cancer. My brother and closest friend, Leslie, ultimately lost his life to this dreaded affliction 3 years ago after years of numerous excruciating treatments and pain. With lightning striking so close to home, I couldn’t help but wonder if the same fate lay in store for me. Would cancer come knocking on my door? Though I ultimately couldn’t do anything to help my brother, who died despite receiving the very best medical care, I made it my personal mission to try to lessen the fear this terrible disease strikes in hearts of millions of people. While learning more about cancer, I discovered that for each person who is diagnosed, many more will be saved, in large measure because of the efforts of people like my good friend Dr. Eric Presser, a pioneering thoracic surgeon and recognized lung cancer expert. I know that my brother could have benefited from the accurate, easily understandable information that Dr. Presser shares in An Empowering Guide to Lung Cancer. Undoubtedly Dr. Presser’s advocacy of screening for early detection and prevention of lung cancer, long before it became a matter of public policy, has motivated both those at greatest risk and their loved ones to get tested themselves, or to make lifestyle changes that may not only reduce their own chances of getting cancer, but may also prevent the disease. Speaking from personal experience, while cancer may definitely frighten people into healthier habits, you really have to practice those habits consistently . They need to become a life style. You can’t just practice cancer prevention after you get sick. Dr. Presser’s book is proof positive of the axiom 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.' He teaches us about the value of investing in our health right now with science based, low risk practices and lifestyle choices that can help kick unhealthy habits that increase our cancer risk. An Empowering Guide to Lung Cancer is an invaluable 'how to' manual that will help cancer patients and their loved ones onto a path of improved well-being.”

Johnny Bench

“I don’t know too many professional athletes who don’t think they’re invincible. It’s comes with the territory. It’s how we are, especially when we’re first starting out. When you’re standing in the locker room, just before the game, you think nothing can stop you. You could run through a brick wall. That feeling of invulnerability goes along with being young, and fan adoration. Sure, years of Big League backstopping had taken a toll, but we athletes don’t let little aches and pains stop us. So in 1972, as a 24-year-old playing for the Cincinnati, illness, let alone cancer, was the furthest thing from my mind. But that’s what happened after a physical examination turned up a growth on my lung that the doctors couldn’t identify. Back then, there were no CT scans or similarly sophisticated technology to properly diagnosis this suspicious mass. I played out the string, wondering all along if something could be seriously wrong. After the season, my surgeon had to make a 12-inch incision under my right arm and break a rib to extract what turned out to a benign lesion that I picked up from breathing an airborne fungus. Still, I had to endure months of post-operative pain and wait patiently as my large incision healed. I went to spring training fully healed, but couldn’t stop wishing for an easier way to do this. Now there is. Thanks to the work of Dr. Eric Presser, one of the country’s leading lung cancer specialists, and a pioneer in the field of minimally invasive chest surgery, patients no longer need to endure excruciating post-operative pain and months of recovery. Using cutting-edge surgical techniques, Dr. Presser can remove tumors through tiny openings, markedly reducing side effects, recovery time and hospital stays. In his new book, An Empowering Guide to Lung Cancer, Dr. Presser details these and so many more cutting-edge treatments that are extending and improving the quality of life for thousands of lung cancer patients. This book is a crucial reference for anyone looking to obtain the most up-to-date information and secure the best possible care. Had Dr. Presser had been around when I had my procedure, my procedure and my recovery would have been easier than catching without a mitt!”

Editorial Reviews

I want to thank Dr. Presser for writing such a comprehensive, informative book. An Empowering Guide to Lung Cancer is an encyclopedia of the disease, a multitude of education, diagnoses and treatments outlined in an easy-to-read form. He covers and recommends both medical and complementary therapies and shares what has worked for him and his patients. . . . I would encourage anyone facing—not only lung cancer, but any life-threatening disease—to read An Empowering Guide to Lung Cancer.” —Desert Health

From the Publisher