Making the Right Choice: Treatment Options in Cancer Surgery

Over the last twenty years, a great deal of research has been conducted on the treatment of cancer using various types of surgery - from simple tissue removal to massive excisions. The problem is that surgical procedures do not always keep pace with research findings. For those cancer patients seeking second opinions, the conflicting views on just what to do can be confusing and demoralizing. To answer the many questions that patients have when faced with surgery, Dr. Richard Evans has written a complete and up-to-date guide to help them make the right choice - a choice based upon a clear understanding of the facts as they relate to today's research.
Dr. Evans is a board-approved surgeon who views conservative surgery - surgery that removes the least amount of tissue possible - as a viable option for numerous types of cancer. He begins his book by discussing how cancer surgery has evolved, how the training of surgeons has been carried out, and why the profession has been slow to change its procedures. He then looks at cancer - what it is, how it spreads, and how it can be contained. Using plain English, Dr. Evans explains the language, tests, and measuring systems utilized by doctors to identify and classify cancers. Here, he provides enough background so that the reader can understand and appreciate the chapters that follow.
In Section Two, Dr. Evans takes a look at ten cancers that he thinks can be better treated with conservative surgery. He first explains what each cancer is and how it spreads, and details its screening procedures and staging system. He then reviews the types of treatments currently offered, and evaluates these treatments based upon the cancer's stages. Each discussion carefully analyzes surgical procedures, as well as radiation and chemotherapy options. Where the data is unclear or the prognosis poor, Dr. Evans says so. What the author provides in this one book is a layman's handbook to help patients ask the right questions and - based upon the answers - make a decision that's right for them.