Cheryl D. Holloway - The Black Womans Breast Cancer Survival Guide

The Black Womans Breast Cancer Survival Guide

Understanding and Healing in the Face of a Nationwide Crisis

Cheryl D. Holloway
Foreword by Philip Agop Philip , MD, PhD, FRCP

Copyright 2017 by Cheryl D. Holloway

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

This book discusses treatments (including types of medication and mental health therapies), diagnostic tests for various symptoms and mental health disorders, and organizations. The author has made every effort to present accurate and up-to-date information. However, the information in this book is not intended to recommend or endorse particular treatments or organizations, or substitute for the care or medical advice of a qualified health professional, or used to alter any medical therapy without a medical doctors advice. Specific situations may require specific therapeutic approaches not included in this book. For those reasons, we recommend that readers follow the advice of qualified healthcare professionals directly involved in their care. Readers who suspect they may have specific medical problems should consult a physician about any suggestions made in this book.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Holloway, Cheryl D., author.

Title: The black womans breast cancer survival guide : understanding and healing in the face of a nationwide crisis / Cheryl D. Holloway; foreword by Philip Agop Philip, MD.

Description: Santa Barbara, California : Praeger, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017009519 (print) | LCCN 2017010693 (ebook) | ISBN 9781440856082 (alk.paper) | ISBN 9781440856099 (eISBN)

Subjects: LCSH: BreastCancer. | African American womenHealth and hygiene. | BreastCancerTreatment. | African American womenMedical care.

Classification: LCC RC280.B8 H635 2017 (print) | LCC RC280.B8 (ebook) | DDC 616.99/449dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017009519

ISBN: 978-1-4408-5608-2
EISBN: 978-1-4408-5609-9

21 20 19 18 17 1 2 3 4 5

This book is also available as an eBook.

Praeger
An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC

ABC-CLIO, LLC
130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911
Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911
www.abc-clio.com

This book is printed on acid-free paper

Manufactured in the United States of America

Philip Agop Philip , MD, PhD, FRCP

Im an oncologist in Detroit who has treated hundreds of women with breast cancer and I would be ecstatic if a cure for this disease were discovered very soon, preferably today or next week. Undoubtedly the cure rates for women who have breast cancer diagnosed in its earlier stages are increasing provided they are diagnosed early and are provided the right treatment. However, a significant proportion of patients are still diagnosed in more advanced stages or their cancer returns after an initial diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer. Those women with advanced breast cancer are rarely cured with current available therapies. A cure for breast cancer would benefit women of all races, but especially would be a boon for black women, who are more prone to developing aggressive tumors that can be very challenging for physicians like me to treat successfully. This is why I strongly recommend Dr. Holloways book that you are about to read. Let me be very clear. If you are a black woman with breast cancer, you need the information in this book whether you are diagnosed with an early-stage or a more advanced breast cancer. In addition, if you are a person interested in the problems faced by black women with breast cancer, you also need to read this book. No other book concentrates exclusively on black women and their breast cancer issues. Dr. Holloway is herself a black woman who has faced breast cancer twice, and she knows how it feels from the inside out. She is also an excellent researcher. Consequently, this book provides both practical and invaluable heartfelt advice.

The Black Womans Breast Cancer Survival Guide: Understanding and Healing in the Face of a Nationwide Crisis is a uniquely valuable book because it summarizes and explains the findings of clear-eyed research demonstrating that, far too often, black women have significantly worse prognoses with their diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of breast cancer than white women, a finding that distresses Dr. Holloway and worries me as well. I hope that physicians and other healthcare professionals also read this book because I think there is a lack of awareness about the challenges black women with breast cancer face. I also hope that this book may convince researchers to perform more studies on the existing racial disparities in breast cancer. Because only then we can work on zeroing in on the underlying causes for these differences and create the right solutions for black women who face breast cancer in the futureamong them, your daughters, your mother, your sisters, your cousins, your nieces, your friends, and other women.

This book fulfills several key missions. It offers the most recent information on the diagnosis of and treatments for women with breast cancer, with particular concern for the issues affecting black women. The book also provides the important questions all women with breast cancer should ask their physicians, and urges them to not be shrinking violets when it comes to asking questions about their bodies in general and regarding their breast cancer in particular. Too many women are far too intimidated by their physicians and they fail to ask questions when they dont understand something and are confused. Please, ask those questions! Oncologists, at least this oncologist, want you to know everything you need to know to improve your odds for recovery.

I would also like to add that I think too many patients go to their oncology appointments alone, without a friend or a family member to stand by them and provide another pair of listening ears. Cancer is a devastating diagnosis and its hard to be a good listener when you are hearing about surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, as well as what stage the cancer is and so forth. Bring a pad of paper or even a voice recorder with you and ask your family member or friend to bring one too. Take notes and ask your doctor all the questions that you can think of.

This comprehensive book also discusses what to say about your breast cancer to others, and how to respond to the often-intrusive questions many people ask you, such as if cancer could be Gods punishment for something you did or failed to do in the past. I agree with Dr. Holloway when she says that God made oncologists to treat people with cancer. The book also talks about dealing with side effects from surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatments, or other therapies. Once you finish this book, you will have a good basic understanding of breast cancer and you may wish to return to some chapters again as you have different treatments or encounter some of the side effects of treatment.

I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Holloways book and I wish good health to all readers. Let us all continue to fervently hope for a cure for breast cancer.