About this Book

Up-Following a foreword that addresses science's search for cures, Nardo presents a fascinating overview of breast cancers and their geographic occurrence and risk factors. Further chapters include a detailed and accurate description of screening and diagnostic techniques and, suitably, separate chapters that clearly differentiate the two major domains of treatment: local (surgery and radiation) and systemic (chemo and hormonal therapies). Logically, the text then moves into life after cancer, and concludes with future trends in research. Overall, the information on treatments is more thorough and accessible than that in many books on the subject, relying heavily on research by medical experts such as Susan Love, Yashar Hirshaut, and Peter I. Pressman. It is surprising, then, to find nearly three pages devoted to bone-marrow transplants, which are now rarely performed because studies have shown that this life-threatening and "heroic measure" has no advantage over standard, aggressive chemotherapy. In comparison to the slew of books on the subject, this one is somewhat audience challenged. Janet Majure's outstanding "Breast Cancer" (Enslow, 2000) and Judith Peacock's more primary resource, "Breast Cancer' (Capstone LifeMatters, 2001) have far superior graphics in every respect. The illustrations in Nardo's book are adequate, but the black-and-white photographs are of mediocre quality and only marginally clarifying. Carole Vogel's Breast Cancer (21st Century, 2001), on the other hand, is geared specifically toward teens, especially those with a parent who has this disease. Nardo's well-done and intuitively organized volume may be best suited to concerned women and newly diagnosed adult patients.-Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.