Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, 5th Edition (A Merloyd Lawrence Book)

This is an excellent book, and well worth reading. But it's probably the second book to read, behind "The Breast Cancer Survival Manual : A Step-By-Step Guide for the Woman With Newly Diagnosed Cancer" by John Link. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer on January 5th of this year. Fortunately, she found it herself, through self-checking, and we live in an area where two of the world's best breast cancer treatment groups are located - the Breast Care Center in Orange, CA and the Memorial Care group in Long Beach. As of yesterday, we were fortunate to discover that, eleven months later, through a combination of surgeries and chemotherapy, the scans that were done last week on the liver, lungs and bones all came back negative, so we hope to have many more years together. Dr. John Link is the friend of a friend and we consulted with him on treatment. As part of the consultation, he also gave us a copy of his book, which is very readable and understandable. It's particularly good at giving guidance on how to put together a treament program that's right for you as an individual. The Susan Love book is excellent, particularly as a reference for all the information you want to know when your life or the life of someone you love is at risk. The difference between the two is that the Link book provides a great overview and a guide for getting treatment, and the Love book is the reference for all the stuff that you want to look up when you have a question. And if you're like us, you'll have lots of questions because this is all very complex and it's very difficult to decide on what the best approach will be for your individual situation.

For anyone facing a breast cancer diagnosis, or for any friend or family member helping someone facing a breast cancer diagnosis, this is the book to read. It contains all the information you need to help make informed decisions regarding treatment, reconstruction, and beyond treatment, in a clear, understandable style that provides scientific information explained in an accessible manner. If you're a person who wants as much information as possible, this is the book for you. You may find yourself reading and re-reading several times as different chapters become relevant, because there's a LOT of information. Buying this book and giving it to a friend or family member who's facing breast cancer may be one of the most helpful things you can do. Someone did it for me, and I've returned the favor several times.

I am a physicist (not a physician) and know little about the field of medicine. When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age, I wanted to understand all about the disease both for aiding in her treatment decisions and for educating my 4 year old daughter, who is now at risk. This book includes the standard "How the breast works", "Diagnosing cancer", "Treatment of cancer" chapters to guide people through the shock and emotional decision making required before surgery and help make decisions regarding chemo and radiation therapies. These are invaluable resources for anyone who wants more understanding than what is provided through a chat with their surgeon or oncologist or the thin pamphlets received at the hospital. The real value of this book, however, that sets it apart for all others, are the deep and rich chapters about other aspects of the breast and cancer. In particular, this book has a chapter on breast augmentation, which was recommended to us after a mastectomy; a chapter on how cancer occurs on a genetic DNA level; a chapter on cancer prevention for my daughter; and a chapter on clinical trials - what they are, which might you choose, and how should you evaluate them. In short, this book has been valuable resource in making short term treatment decisions and looks to be a valuable resource in future years. I eagerly await the 4th edition, though I don't know when or if it is coming.

Having recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, a friend said this was a great book to help guide me through the process. And it has been. But it was very disappointing to order it, and then find there is a 5th edition with more recent information. I think Amazon should not even sell the 4th edition since this is the type of book that one wants and expects the most recent information. Despite all, this is a very readable and thorough book. I particularly appreciated the way it walked me through all the terminology on my pathology reports, explaining studies from which terms have been taken, how different grades have been determined, etc. So buyer beware before you click the button that there is a 5th edition.

This is the fifth edition of a should have for all women. Early chapters deal with the basics of anatomy and body image issues that all women deal with through out their lives. The mechanics and possible problems with breast size change surgeries, pregnancy, and nursing are covered, before the book gets to its core message. Every woman at least knows another woman who has or will have breast cancer. This book makes it very clear that breast cancer is not a "one size fits all" disease and neither is its treatment. It provides each woman with all the information she may wish to have to ask the right questions about options and empowers each to make the choses that are right for her. The reader can chose to read every scary detail of every possible treatment or chose to learn just the basics. The book ends with descriptions of lifestyle changes that may make the years of survival some of the best in a woman's life. I will survive.

I can't recommend this book too highly. I am in the middle of cancer treatment and this book is proving invaluable in making informed choices about the treatments I need to have. There is so much spurious information about cancer out there, that it's hard to see the wood for the trees. I have also found that those in the medical profession are not necessarily as up to date as I would like them to be. This book covers everything you might need to know and unusally for a book of its type, is written in a clear and interesting style.

If you are looking for Information about breast cancer, this is a very good first source to go to. Dr. Susan Love is an experienced breast surgeon and at the top of current Research. Her book is easy to read and gives you all the Information you need, if you or a loved one suffer of breast cancer.

I bought this book for my mother who currently has breast cancer, she is finding it very helpful, easy to understand and a great reference for all the procedures she is going through right now.

Very good, full of excellent information. Have lent this book to many people who also found it very helpful.

I've been reading this book -each new addition- for the 20 years I've been living with breast cancer. It never fails - little wobbles and new diagnoses, it always allows me space to read up, take a deep breath and stop panicking. This book doesn't treat cancer but it really supports the person with cancer. I absolutely love it and recommend it if you're interested in the biology and understanding how cancer works.