Positive Options for Colorectal Cancer: Self-Help and Treatment

Well written, easy to read and inspiring. Without getting into deep medical details (there are other fine books for that), it gives you valuable information and suggestions. I got this because my mother has a CII colon cancer (already operated and on chemo) and helped me quickly gain a good insight, so I can better support her (she can't read English, otherwise I would give it to her as a valuable present).

Colorectal cancers develop slowly in the lower portions of the digestive tract. More than 140,000 new cases are diagnosed annual in the United States. Men and Women are equally at risk for the diseases. Positive Options For Colorectal Cancer: Self-Help And Treatment by colorectal cancer survivor Carol Ann Larson accessibly and understandably explains just how to cope with the disease and obtain the best treatments that modern medicine has to offer. Positive Options For Colorectal Cancer addresses the warning signs of the condition; screening tests (including information on virtual colonoscopy); myths and other misinformation about the disease; treatment options (including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation); communicating with doctors and other medical professionals; prevention techniques and alternative methods of healing; as well as finding support and utilizing all available resources. Of special note are the Q & As in which doctors respond to the most common questions of colorectal cancer patients. Very strongly recommended for personal and community library reference collections, Positive Options For Colorectal Cancer should be considered "must" reading for anyone having to deal with this disease.

I have been in the health care field for twenty-five years, and I have never read a more readable book about one of the most important health issues of the day, colorectal cancer, and the vital importance of the early detection of it. This is a must-have for anyone in the field, containing actual case histories of countless people. Robin Ray Robbins

Carol Larson's book is an excellent guidebook for a patient facing colorectal cancer. Instead of feeling helpless and awash in a sea of uncertainty when dealing with colorectal cancer, the book clearly guides the patient to identify the positive options available. The format of the book is excellent. Each chapter ends with a summary of the chapter and provides techniques, direction and information about the topic of the chapter. It is flush with many human interest stories. The many colorectal patients who contribute to the various chapters in the book provide encouragment with their advice and reflections while helping the patient to cope. Their personal reflections are reassuring. The book provides a clear description written with sensitivity to each of the factors of colorectal cancer: testing options, understanding the diagnosis, considering decisions about medical treatment, and other challenges. This book is clearly a guidebook for an uncharted journey. Yet, it is written in such a way to empower the patient. I recommend this book for anyone who has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and their loved ones. It's a helpful tool.

Carol Larson's book, "Positive Options for Colorectal Cancer" has a unique blend of education as well as human interest stories. She has truly captured the emotion as people are dealing with the scary news of a cancer diagnosis, yet shows the positive ways they turned to cope with their diseases. This book should be a must read for all those in the medical field as well as families of loved ones in the struggle.It's easy to read and simple to understand.The illustrations help too.