Synopses & Reviews
Today most children can and do survive cancer, but the bewildering range of modern treatments, and the stunning number of information sources, can be daunting for parents trying to manage the health and care of their children. Written honestly but in a deeply reassuring tone by a reference librarian whose child survived cancer, Children with Cancer was the first book to bring together a wealth of up-to-date information essential for anyone who wishes to help a child or family through this ordeal--including relatives, friends, teachers, and clergymen. Now, in this revised and updated edition, Jeanne Munn Bracken once again offers parents and care providers a warmly written and reliable guide through the childhood cancer experience.
The information collected here ranges from sophisticated, hard-to-find medical facts to practical tips on how to handle side effects, and much more. Describing in detail the whole range of childhood cancers, Bracken explores how they affect the child, the treatments available, how to cope with the changes this diagnosis will bring to the entire family, and where to go for both medical and emotional help. Children with Cancer also includes an appendix of common medical tests, a glossary of terms, and comprehensive lists of organizations, clinics, and cancer centers, complete with names and addresses. The new edition also digests and makes sense of the incredibly wide range of internet sites that deal with childhood cancer, providing readers with an accessible roadmap through this vast amount of material.
Review
"A remarkable job....The technical information is clearly stated, up to date and accurate.....But most of all, this is a human book."--Los Angeles Times
"Comprehensive, well written, accurate, and compassionate.... Bracken's book can serve as a primary reference for parents and can be used as well by health care professionals and teachers." --Science Books and Films
"Highly recommended, this will be very helpful to parents/caregivers of children with cancer."--Library Journal
"This is a well-written resource for families and children experiencing pediatric cancer. The compilation of resources in the book is priceless. " --Doody's
Synopsis
Children can and do survive cancer; the last decade has seen many major advancements in treatment. Written honestly, yet in a reassuring tone, by a reference librarian whose child has survived cancer,
Children with Cancer draws together a wealth of up-to-date information essential for anyone who wishes to help a child or family through this ordeal--including relatives, friends, teachers, and clergymen, as well as doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals. The information ranges from sophisticated, hard-to-find medical facts to practical tips on how to handle side effects, and much more. Describing in detail the whole range of childhood cancers, Bracken explores how they affect the child, the treatments available, how to cope with the changes this diagnosis will bring to the entire family, and where to go for both medical and emotional help. It also includes an appendix of common medical tests, a glossary of terms, and comprehensive lists of organizations, clinics, and cancer centers, complete with names and addresses.
Reviews of the previous edition:
"A remarkable job....The technical information is clearly stated, up to date and accurate.....But most of all, this is a human book."--Los Angeles Times
"Comprehensive, well written, accurate, and compassionate.... Bracken's book can serve as a primary reference for parents and can be used as well by health care professionals and teachers." --Science Books and Films
About the Author
Jeanne Munn Bracken is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, with a major in German Language and Literature and a minor in Speech and Drama. She also graduated from Simmons College with a Master of Science in Library Science. She worked at the UNH Dimond Library, at the Boston University School of Medicine Library, at the Research Library at Arthur D. Little, Inc., and at the Acton Memorial Library. She currently is Reference Librarian at the Lincoln (MA) Public Library.
Table of Contents
Section I: What we're up against: the diseases
1. Introduction
2. Genetics of childhood cancer
3. Leukemia
4. Lymphoma
5. Hodgkin Disease
6. Neuroblastoma
7. Wilm tumor
8. Bone cancers
9. Brain and central nervous system tumors
10. Retinoblastoma
11. Soft tissue sarcoma
12. Germ cell tumors
13. Testicular cancer
14. Rare (including HIV/AIDS related cancers)
Section II: What we can do about childhood cancer: the treatments
15. Introduction: where to seek treatment; clinical trials
16. Surgery
17. Radiation
18. Chemotherapy
19. Bone marrow and stem cell transplants
20. New and experimental therapies
21. Alternative and complementary therapies
22. Supporting the child through therapy
Section III: How to Cope
23. Emotional aspects of childhood cancer
24. Siblings, other family and friends
25. Handling medical problems at home
26. Money matters
27. The patient in the clinic and the hospital
28. Rights and responsibilities
29. The patient in school
30. The adolescent cancer patient
31. The survivors
32. Death
Section IV: Where to go for help
33. Introduction
34. Internet
35. International, National and Regional organizations
36. U. S. Clinics
37. International clinics
Appendix: Medical tests
Glossary of terms
Index