From Publishers Weekly
In this evidence-based book, husband and wife physicians Runowicz and Cherry suggest we think about cancer the way we've been taught to think about heart disease: as a preventable condition. They believe the "answer to cancer" lies not in early detection, which identifies an existing cancer, but in preventing cancer in the first place. This can often be achieved, they argue, by accurately assessing one's personal cancer risk and by leading a healthy lifestyle. In a nuanced but understandable way, Runowicz and Cherry review how cancer develops, explaining risk factors beyond our control (e.g., genetics, age) and controllable risk factors (e.g., smoking, sun exposure). They examine specific prevention strategies, including chemoprevention, or the use of drugs to prevent cancer, for nine common cancers. Finally, their "Cancer Prevention Plan" outlines steps readers should take, such as maintaining a healthy weight, eating fruits and vegetables, and exercising. While these recommendations are nothing new, the idea that they can prevent cancer as well as heart disease and diabetes is novel. Occasionally, the book's enthusiastic tone seems to dismiss the many cancers that can develop in people who have served as models for healthy living. Still, few could argue with the value of taking action to reduce risk. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
Dr.Runowicz and Dr. Cherry have done an outstanding job of helping people understand cancer risk. The Answer to Cancer is clearly written, well-organized, and provides practical guidance on screening and preventive measures. Their thorough presentation fills a knowledge gap for the public and should be recommended to all those who are seeking information about what they can do to reduce cancer risk.
Diane Blum, MSW
Executive Director
CancerCare
Finally, an easily readable book full of sound practical strategies that enable people at risk to participate actively in their own well-being. Long overdue!
Peter J. Deckers, MD
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs
Dean, UConn School of Medicine
The Answer to Cancer is written by two of the leading experts in the fields of women's health and cancer. They succinctly give us the most up-to -date "why," "wherefore," and "what to do" information about this dreaded disease. If you have ever wondered if you are at risk, or what you can do to protect yourself or your loved ones...read on for the answers!
Judith Reichman, MD
Author of Slow Your Clock Down: The Complete Guide to a Healthy Younger You
Cancer is potentially the most preventable and the most curable of all life-threatening diseases. If every American followed simple prevention and early detection guidelines, hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved every year. The Answer to Cancer is a comprehensive guide to cancer risk factors, preventive strategies, and screening options. This informative guide brings cutting-edge science to life in a way that is engaging and insightful. The wealth of knowledge contained in this volume can help anyone achieve a healthier lifestyle - and a substantially lower cancer risk.
John R. Seffrin, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
American Cancer Society
Doctors Runowicz and Cherry have taken a complex and diversified disease and accurately described in simple terminology its many innuendos and variances. Cancer terms and phrases are cleverly demystified for each and every reader. The main message of the book regarding personal prevention of cancer is eloquently but, once again, simply outlined.
As national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society, I note that the section of the book on prevention could not be more aligned with the mission of our organization as we join the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association in giving a unified message to the people of our country concerning their health.
As a medical oncologist and a teacher of medical students, I plan to recommend this book as a basic explanation of the disease cancer and its prevention. This endeavor penetrates the most important barrier to the understanding of cancer and its prevention by delivering understandable language to the public.
Ralph B. Vance, M.D., FACP
National President
American Cancer Society
Professor of Medicine
Division of Medical Oncology
University of Mississippi School of Medicine
Well-written, down-to-earth and packed with valuable information, The Answer to Cancer makes the case that prevention truly is the best solution to the cancer problem and helps people take control of their cancer risk. Early chapters put that risk into perspective-many people indeed overestimate their chances of developing or dying of certain cancers. The chapter on chemoprevention-the use of drugs or nutrients to prevent or delay the onset of cancer-is especially valuable. The authors explain the science behind cancer prevention and point out both successes and failures in a balanced fashion, which avoids sensationalism and hype.
Robert C. Young, M.D.
President, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia
Review
Dr.Runowicz and Dr. Cherry have done an outstanding job of helping people understand cancer risk. The Answer to Cancer is clearly written, well-organized, and provides practical guidance on screening and preventive measures. Their thorough presentation fills a knowledge gap for the public and should be recommended to all those who are seeking information about what they can do to reduce cancer risk.
Diane Blum, MSW
Executive Director
CancerCare
Finally, an easily readable book full of sound practical strategies that enable people at risk to participate actively in their own well-being. Long overdue!
Peter J. Deckers, MD
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs
Dean, UConn School of Medicine
The Answer to Cancer is written by two of the leading experts in the fields of women's health and cancer. They succinctly give us the most up-to -date "why," "wherefore," and "what to do" information about this dreaded disease. If you have ever wondered if you are at risk, or what you can do to protect yourself or your loved ones...read on for the answers!
Judith Reichman, MD
Author of Slow Your Clock Down: The Complete Guide to a Healthy Younger You
Cancer is potentially the most preventable and the most curable of all life-threatening diseases. If every American followed simple prevention and early detection guidelines, hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved every year. The Answer to Cancer is a comprehensive guide to cancer risk factors, preventive strategies, and screening options. This informative guide brings cutting-edge science to life in a way that is engaging and insightful. The wealth of knowledge contained in this volume can help anyone achieve a healthier lifestyle - and a substantially lower cancer risk.
John R. Seffrin, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
American Cancer Society
Doctors Runowicz and Cherry have taken a complex and diversified disease and accurately described in simple terminology its many innuendos and variances. Cancer terms and phrases are cleverly demystified for each and every reader. The main message of the book regarding personal prevention of cancer is eloquently but, once again, simply outlined.
As national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society, I note that the section of the book on prevention could not be more aligned with the mission of our organization as we join the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association in giving a unified message to the people of our country concerning their health.
As a medical oncologist and a teacher of medical students, I plan to recommend this book as a basic explanation of the disease cancer and its prevention. This endeavor penetrates the most important barrier to the understanding of cancer and its prevention by delivering understandable language to the public.
Ralph B. Vance, M.D., FACP
National President
American Cancer Society
Professor of Medicine
Division of Medical Oncology
University of Mississippi School of Medicine
Well-written, down-to-earth and packed with valuable information, The Answer to Cancer makes the case that prevention truly is the best solution to the cancer problem and helps people take control of their cancer risk. Early chapters put that risk into perspective-many people indeed overestimate their chances of developing or dying of certain cancers. The chapter on chemoprevention-the use of drugs or nutrients to prevent or delay the onset of cancer-is especially valuable. The authors explain the science behind cancer prevention and point out both successes and failures in a balanced fashion, which avoids sensationalism and hype.
Robert C. Young, M.D.
President, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia
Book Description
A Revolution in Cancer Prevention
This urgent, hopeful new book explores the cutting edge in the war against cancer-with exclusive coverage of the most exciting discovery of all: chemopreventive drugs that can actually stop the cancer process from starting
The landmark announcement, five years ago, that tamoxifen could significantly reduce the rate of breast cancer in high-risk women, signaled the dawn of a new era in the battle against cancer. Now two highly respected physicians, one of them a cancer survivor herself, report on the recent dramatic breakthroughs in cancer prevention. Whether the goal is to avoid ever getting cancer, to arrest precancerous changes, or to prevent a recurrence, people will turn to this book for news they can use. The Answer to Cancer:
- Provides the latest information on the new chemopreventive drugs
- Identifies key lifestyle factors that can influence cancer risk-and outline a comprehensive self-care plan
- Evaluates the effectiveness of anti-cancer measures
- Helps readers to conduct their own personal risk assessments
Evidence that it is possible to intervene early to prevent cancer is so strong that the National Cancer Institute is currently sponsoring 80 chemoprevention trials. The new information in this book gives us all reason to hope that we are on our way to winning the war against this dreaded disease.
About the Author
Carolyn D. Runowicz, a nationally recognized expert in gynecologic cancer, is director of the University of Connecticut Cancer Center in Farmington. A past president of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, she is currently second president of the American Cancer Society. Her husband
Sheldon H. Cherry, M.D., is clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. They reside in Avon, Connecticut
Dianne Partie Lange is editor-in-chief of Natural Health magazine and a former syndicated health columnist for the Los Angeles Times. She lives in Carnelian Bay, California.
The Answer to Cancer: Stop It before It Starts - Arrest It in Its Earliest Stages - Keep It from Coming Back FROM OUR EDITORS
Eighty percent of all cancers can be prevented. That's one of the hopeful messages of this book about the cutting edge in the war against cancer. The Answer to Cancer spotlights the unprecedented potential of new chemopreventive drugs, chemicals that can actually stop the cancer process from starting. In addition to reporting on dramatic breakthroughs in cancer prevention, the book identifies key lifestyle factors that can influence cancer risk and outlines a comprehensive self-care plan. Hopeful news for anyone concerned about cancer.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
This urgent, hopeful new book explores the cutting edge in the war against cancer-with exclusive coverage of the most exciting discovery of all: chemopreventive drugs that can actually stop the cancer process from starting
The landmark announcement, five years ago, that tamoxifen could significantly reduce the rate of breast cancer in high-risk women, signaled the dawn of a new era in the battle against cancer. Now two highly respected physicians, one of them a cancer survivor herself, report on the recent dramatic breakthroughs in cancer prevention. Whether the goal is to avoid ever getting cancer, to arrest precancerous changes, or to prevent a recurrence, people will turn to this book for news they can use. The Answer to Cancer:
- Provides the latest information on the new chemopreventive drugs
- Identifies key lifestyle factors that can influence cancer risk-and outline a comprehensive self-care plan
- Evaluates the effectiveness of anti-cancer measures
- Helps readers to conduct their own personal risk assessments
Evidence that it is possible to intervene early to prevent cancer is so strong that the National Cancer Institute is currently sponsoring 80 chemoprevention trials. The new information in this book gives us all reason to hope that we are on our way to winning the war against this dreaded disease.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
In this evidence-based book, husband and wife physicians Runowicz and Cherry suggest we think about cancer the way we've been taught to think about heart disease: as a preventable condition. They believe the "answer to cancer" lies not in early detection, which identifies an existing cancer, but in preventing cancer in the first place. This can often be achieved, they argue, by accurately assessing one's personal cancer risk and by leading a healthy lifestyle. In a nuanced but understandable way, Runowicz and Cherry review how cancer develops, explaining risk factors beyond our control (e.g., genetics, age) and controllable risk factors (e.g., smoking, sun exposure). They examine specific prevention strategies, including chemoprevention, or the use of drugs to prevent cancer, for nine common cancers. Finally, their "Cancer Prevention Plan" outlines steps readers should take, such as maintaining a healthy weight, eating fruits and vegetables, and exercising. While these recommendations are nothing new, the idea that they can prevent cancer as well as heart disease and diabetes is novel. Occasionally, the book's enthusiastic tone seems to dismiss the many cancers that can develop in people who have served as models for healthy living. Still, few could argue with the value of taking action to reduce risk. (Sept. 29) Forecast: Ads in Prevention and radio interviews will generate interest. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
The successful use of tamoxifen in reducing the rate of breast cancer among women at most risk has spurred interest in chemopreventative agents, drugs that prevent cancer through early intervention. Currently, the National Cancer Institute is sponsoring 80 clinical trials on such medicines. Addressing this exciting development, Runowicz (director, Univ. of Connecticut Cancer Ctr.), Cherry (obstetrics & gynecology, Mount Sinai Sch. of Medicine), and health writer Lange begin with a primer on what cancer is and how it starts. Then they cover the nine most common cancers melanoma and other skin cancers, prostate, breast, lung, colorectal, ovarian, pancreatic, cervical, and oral and discuss causes, diagnosis, screening, and the use of chemopreventive drugs. Emphasizing the need for understanding one's lifetime risk, the authors include risk self-assessment questionnaires for each cancer. Given the focus on cancer prevention, the authors devote a third of the text to recommending more traditional strategies addressed elsewhere, e.g., quitting smoking and engaging in safe sex. Readers who seek information on treatment options besides chemoprevention will have to check other resources. Buy if demand warrants. Jodith Janes, Cleveland Clinic Fdn. Lib. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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