After You Hear It's Cancer (eBook)

John Leifer worked for more than thirty years with the major factions comprising healthcare delivery in the United States, including some of the nation’s leading hospitals. Most recently, he served as a senior vice president for a ten-hospital system in the Midwest. Leifer founded and published The Leifer Report, a healthcare publication that featured contributors ranging from President Bill Clinton to Newt Gingrich. He has written extensively on healthcare issues and has been published in newspapers and magazines, such as Modern Healthcare, Hospitals & Health Networks, Washington Monthly, and The Kansas City Star. Leifer has also been profiled in several prominent magazines, including Money and Fortune. Lori Lindstrom Leifer, MD, is both a cancer doctor and a cancer patient. As a radiation oncologist, she has provided care to cancer patients for the past twenty-five years. As a faculty member with a NCI-designated Cancer Center, Lori sees a broad array of cases. Prior to her academic affiliation, Lori spent many years serving a largely indigent population in a mission-driven practice. In addition to her clinical practice, Lori holds a teaching position, as an assistant clinical professor, within the University of Kansas School Of Medicine. Lori is a member of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Society.

Part 1: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT PLANNINGPrologue: A Life-Changing Experience1: A Definitive Diagnosis: Setting the Stage for Treatment2: How Prognosis Influences Your Treatment3: How to Select your Doctors4: Genetic Testing in Diagnosis and Treatment5: Making Sense of Your Treatment Options6: Understanding Clinical Trials7: The Importance of Getting a Second Opinion Part 2: During Active Treatment8: The Emotional Roller-Coaster of Cancer9: Methods to Minimize Side Effects10: Make Nutrition and Exercise Part of Your Treatment Plan11: What to Expect from Pain Control12: How to Manage the Cost of Cancer13: When Considering Complementary Therapies14: The Role of Your Caregivers Part 3: After Initial Treatments Are Over15: When Initial Treatments Prove Insufficient16: The Challenges of Surviving Cancer17: Difficult Decisions at the End of the Journey18: Choosing to Stop Treatment and the Role of HospiceAddendum: Essential Resources