What your doctor may not tell you about colorectal cancer: New tests, new treatments, new hope. Pochapin, M. B. (2004). New York: Warner Books, ISBN: 044653188, Hardcover, 281 pp., $25.95.
The forward to this great book is written by Katie Couric, who lost her husband, Jay Monahan, to colon cancer at the age of 42, leaving Ms. Couric and their two young daughters behind. The gastroenterologist who performed Jay Monahan's diagnostic colonoscopy was Mark Pochapin, MD, now the director of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Together, Ms. Couric and Dr. Pochapin are fighting one of the most treatable and preventable cancers through their efforts to increase public awareness of colorectal cancer.
This book provides the most up-to-date advice on prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare at an easy-to-read level intended for laypeople. Gastroenterology professionals can read the latest information, and learn how to address laypeople at an appropriate level.
The book is divided into four parts. Each part addresses a separate phase of colorectal cancer and contains 13 chapters. "Part I: The Disease No One Has to Die From" includes chapters on "The Truth About Colorectal Cancer and Risk Factors" and "Who Gets Colorectal Cancer and Why?" "Part II: Stop Colorectal Cancer Now: The Lifesaving Power of Screening and Prevention" includes "The Colonoscopy: Your Most Powerful Weapon Against Colorectal Cancer," "Other Screening Techniques," "Eat Smart, Live Right," and "Curb Colorectal Cancer: Supplements and Chemoprevention." "Part III: Hope for a Better Tomorrow: From Diagnosis to Treatment" includes "Getting A Diagnosis: Understanding Pathology and Staging," "Dealing With Your Diagnosis and Choosing Dr. Right," "When Surgery Is the Answer," "If You Need Chemotherapy or Radiation Therapy," and "Complementary Therapies for Colorectal Cancer." "Part IV: Living Well After Colorectal Cancer" includes "Life After Colorectal Cancer" and "Healing From Within." Resources for more information, a glossary, and references are also included. Dr. Pochapin provides support and guides the reader through each phase of colorectal cancer, from prevention to aftercare.
Ms. Couric and Dr. Pochapin hope that someday colorectal cancer will have the same level of public awareness as breast cancer and prostate cancer, instead of being associated with embarrassment and lack of knowledge. It is hoped this book will be just what the doctor ordered to start everyone talking about the preventable and treatable "disease no one has to die from."