This patient handbook has been written by clinical experts to help you in your battle with lung cancer. This is a book designed for patients with cancer, or for family members or friends of loved ones with cancer. As cancer therapies evolve, it is important for each patient and their family members to be aware of the resources available to them. If you, a close family member, or close friend has been diagnosed with lung cancer, you probably have 1000 questions floating around in your head; like how this illness will be treated, how you will feel, how this will affect your family and your work, and what should you do next. Any cancer diagnosis has an impact on many aspects of life. This is a fact for everyone. The goal of this book is to provide you with knowledge about your diagnosis and to assist in clarifying procedures, alleviate fears, and optimize your treatment. This book has been written in such a way that it will provide rapid assistance to you or your loved ones when searching for answers to common questions. It provides descriptions of common diagnostic tests and symptoms of the diagnosis. In addition, this text describes common surgical, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. In addition to the descriptions of modern therapies, this book contains a guide to healthy nutrition, suggestions to dealing with the stress of a cancer diagnosis, as well as a journal section to document the details of your cancer diagnosis and treatment. Many people and resources are available to assist you with your cancer journey.
About the Author: Dr. Gitlitz is an Associate Professor specializing in lung cancer at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Oh is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. Dr. Rao is the Chief Fellow of the Oncology Fellowship Program at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the LA County-USC Medical Center. Dr. Liu is an Assistant Professor specializing in lung cancer at the University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Macdonald is a Board Certified Radiation Oncologist and Medical Director, Dept. of Radiation Oncology at Providence Medical Center Therapeutic Radiologist, Inc., PA. Dr. Lamoreaux is a board-certified Radiation Oncologist in Spokane, completed an MD at the Univ. of Utah, and residency at Washington Univ. in St. Louis. Dr. Fairbanks is a Board Certified Radiation Oncologist in Spokane, WA, Residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, MD degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Call is a Radiation Oncologist in Spokane, Wa. He received an M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin. His residency was at the Mayo Clinic. Heather Gabbert attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and graduated with her Master's Degree in Dietetics in 1995. Tess Taft is an oncology stress management specialist and family therapist who has served cancer patients and families for 34 years. Kathy Beach graduated with her RN degree in 1993. She decided to get a degree in nursing after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She spent sixteen years in hospital nursing where she worked on a wide range of units from Medical Oncology to Outpatient Surgery. Dr. Lee attended Saint Louis University School of Medicine where he received his M.D. with Distinction in Research degree. He completed four additional years of specialty training in Radiation Oncology at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital.