Biographies & Memoirs, Breast Cancer, General, Oncology 

Editorial Reviews Library Journal 12/01/2016 PhD Maker was diagnosed in 2011 with metastatic lobular mammary carcinoma in a left axillary node. What makes her situation even more rare is that she had no cancer in her breast. This guide for patients details every inch of her process, from multiple physician and hospital evaluations to her surgery and adjuvant therapy and overall wellness plan. Upon initial diagnosis, most women and men, thinking or otherwise, are generally overwhelmed with the number of decisions that must be addressed. And though Maker chose to be as well informed as the Internet and friendly recommendations could make her, there were still things beyond her control, including the number of lymph nodes she had removed. What most people discover is that no two cancer journeys are identical, so trying to proceed via another's path may not always be worthwhile. Still, the author offers basics that could be of use to the newly diagnosed. Readers needing to be familiar with one more personal experience might find value here, especially the information on more current options and research. VERDICT This title is recommended for most comprehensive patient health collections.—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal When Dr. Maker was diagnosed in 2011, she, like most people, knew almost nothing about breast cancer.  What she did know is that she didn’t feel safe simply following her doctors’ advice.  The treatment is not always successful; some people die, and some who survive have disabling side effects.  She needed to understand for herself all her treatment options, the statistical outcomes for each option, and all the potential side effects, so she could make informed decisions.  Because of her academic background and expertise as a researcher, she discovered a great deal about the disease and its treatments that few lay people are aware of.After she went into remission, she knew that she was at high risk for recurrence and that mainstream oncology offered little in the way of preventing the cancer from returning.  She worked with an integrative oncologist to alter her “terrain,” to make her body resistant to cancer. This involved major lifestyle changes in terms of diet, supplements, exercise, stress reduction, and avoiding environmental carcinogens.The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Breast Cancer is the story of her journey and the things she learned along the way. Readers may not make the same choices that Dr. Maker did, but the information in the book will enable them to make the choices that are best for them and for their loved ones. - from Amzon