Kickin’ Breast Cancer’s Ass, September 1, 2011
11 titles for October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sept. 1, 2011Breast cancer is still making noise. A study in Switzerland is targeting a new method of diagnosis “to reveal structures that cannot be seen using conventional mammography,” while a National Cancer Institute (NCI)–designated center has identified a chemotherapy drug used to treat leukemia that may help breast cancer patients overcome a resistance to Tamoxifen, which is prescribed for cancers that are estrogen receptor–positive. Also, a group of survivors calling themselves the Komen Bandits are at issue with the organization’s ethics and a marketing single-mindedness that they say ignores patient concerns. This October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, most of the book noise is from survivors. Give a listen.
FROM THE FRONT LINES
Allison, Kimberly, M.D. Red Sunshine: A Story of Strength and Inspiration from a Doctor Who Survived Stage 3 Breast Cancer. Hatherleigh. Oct. 2011. 160p. ISBN 9781578264070. pap. $15.95. HEALTH/MEMOIR
At 33, Allison received the same diagnosis that she had been doling out to so many other women as director of breast pathology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle. Familiar with treatments and statistics, she still took to the Internet and bookstores seeking additional information. Ultimately, she wanted to know more about the experience of the disease rather than its biology. She “wanted to hear from survivors.” Her book, she asserts, is therefore not a guide to medical advice but her personal story, from one survivor to all the others.
Brisbois, Maryellen D. Why I Hated Pink: Confessions of a Breast Cancer Survivor. Vantage Point. 2011. 178p. ISBN 9781936467013. $17.95. HEALTH/MEMOIR
Nurse Brisbois boils down her 2006 cancer diagnosis at age 41 into one-page (and less) bites in her candid, wry, and encouraging 6¼" x 6¼" memoir. Her life with The Fucker (the name her sister first called the tumor) will strike reminiscent chords with those who have been there. As Brisbois states, “If I do the best I can everyday, there is nothing else I can ask of myself.”
Masel, Deborah. Soul to Soul: Writings from Dark Places. Gefen Bks. Sept. 2011. 184p. ISBN 9789652295590. pap. $14.95. MEMOIR
Having survived a trip to Israel in 2006 during the Second Lebanon War, teacher and author ( In the Cleft of the Rock) Masel found herself at home in Australia in 2007 with a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. Her journey through the disease, which she still battles, was aided by her interest in the Jewish mystic tradition and the writings of one particular Torah scholar who had died in the Holocaust. From these works she gained a deeper appreciation for the world around her, allowing her to claim a spiritual victory if not a physical one.
Mendes, Dena. A Survivor’s Guide to Kicking Cancer’s Ass. Hay House. Nov. 2011. 128p. ISBN 9781401931544. pap. $14.95. HEALTH/MEMOIR
A broadcast journalist, licensed health coach, and three-time breast cancer survivor jumps into the recovery market with her guide to self-advocacy, empowerment, and how to turn a “crisis into opportunity.” The basics are here, from finding a physician and amassing a support team to treatment options traditional and alternative (there’s an entire chapter on cleansing) to becoming your own guru. Tales from the front lines are always popular.
Neave, Veronica. Pieces of Me. Bonneville. Sept. 2011. 178p. ISBN 9781599558516. pap. $13.99. HEALTH/MEMOIR
Australian actor/director Neave describes her upbringing and not-exceptional family life in loving terms, even when she gets to the parts about how breast cancer devastated her family: her great-grandmother, great-aunt, and grandmother all died before the age of 50; her mother and aunt were diagnosed at 49 and 59, respectively. What’s a girl to do? Her tale of the journey from genetic testing to a positive mutation of the BRCA2 gene to a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy at age 39 is recounted with wit, charm, and authenticity; it will help lighten the load for anyone confronting a similar decision. For readers who found Dina Roth Port’s Previvorsworthwhile.
LIFESTYLES
Bauman, Edward M. & Helayne L. Waldman. The Whole-Food Guide for Breast Cancer Survivors: A Nutritional Approach to Preventing Recurrence. New Harbinger. Feb. 2012. 224p. illus. ISBN 9781572249585. pap. $18.95. HEALTH
Bauman (executive director, Bauman Coll. Holistic Nutrition & Culinary Arts, Berkeley, CA) and Waldman (holistic nutrition educator, Bauman Coll.) consider the nutritional components of breast cancer as the means to preventing recurrence. Bauman’s “Eating for Health” model encourages patients to “eat for pleasure, eat for energy, eat for recovery, and eat for health” while starving the cancer. Oh, if only a sound diet could be that reliable. Still, eating healthfully is generally a wise choice.
Ghosh, Kris, M.D., & Linda Carson, M.D. Betty Crocker® Living with Cancer Cookbook. 2d ed. Wiley. Sept. 2011. c.288p. illus. index. ISBN 9781118083147. pap. $19.99. COOKING
Nutrition often gets short shrift when one is in the middle of treatment, despite its overall value to the individual and the patient. Bearing the imprimatur of Betty Crocker, this book includes chapters on “Coping with Side Effects,” “Energy-Boosting Breakfasts,” “Family-Pleasing Main Dishes,” and “Treat-Yourself Desserts.” The 130 recipes are designed to make life a little tastier during this trying time. With menu plans, inspirational quotes, and information on Pink Together, an online community for breast cancer support.
FOR KIDS
Matthies, Janna & Kristi Valiant (illus.). The Goodbye Cancer Garden. Albert Whitman. 2011. unpaged. ISBN 9780807529942. $16.99.PICTURE BOOK
Two children nurture a vegetable garden that represents their mother’s bout with cancer. For ages kindergarten through third grade, “this is less a story about cancer than about one family’s response to it,” reads the starred review in School Library Journal (2/11).
NOT JUST FOR KIDS
Mad Libs® Totally Pink Mad Libs. Price Stern Sloan: Penguin Group (USA). Sept. 2011. unpaged. ISBN 9780843198980. pap. $3.99. GAMES
Printed on pink paper, this perennial favorite gives Breast Cancer Awareness Month a boost with its latest “super silly way to fill in the _______.” An inexpensive door prize or raffle item for a health-related program.
SECOND TIME AROUND
Brinker, Nancy G. Promise Me: How a Sister’s Love Launched the Global Movement To End Breast Cancer. Three Rivers: Crown. Sept. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9780307718136. pap. $15. HEALTH
The founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® offers a biography of the sister whose struggle with breast cancer became the inspiration for an international phenomenon. (LJ 9/1/10)
Delinsky, Barbara. Uplift: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors. Atria: S. & S. Oct. 2011. 416p. ISBN 9781451654677. pap. $15. HEALTH
Now in paperback, breast cancer survivor and fiction favorite Delinsky’s “support group between covers.” Delinsky’s name will bring the demand—again. ( LJ 9/1/01)
IT’S ALL RELATIVE
Women with a genetic mutation for breast cancer might also be at higher risk for ovarian cancer. In honor of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in September, Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, has begun a campaign called K.I.S.S. and Teal: Know the Important Signs and Symptoms. Avon has made an initial donation of $25,000 to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance and is committed to donating 25¢ from sales made between August 30, 2011, and February 28, 2012, of each book and ebook bearing the “K.I.S.S. and Teal” logo—up to an additional $25,000—toward programs that support ovarian cancer patients and their families. For specific titles and for more information, go to www.kissandteal.com.
