Pink ribbons call attention to the reality of breast cancer and its impact on families after diagnosis. Women are reminded to get mammograms, and we are asked to support breast cancer research.

According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year, but more than seven times that number, 1.5 million women and men, will learn that they have some type of cancer, including breast.

It is important to remember that cancer of any type is a dreaded and life-changing diagnosis.

Cancer can be a deadly disease, yet it is increasingly survivable. There are more than 11 million Americans alive today who are surviving a cancer diagnosis.

How do these cancer patients and survivors manage their lives during and after cancer? Of the many resources available from Stanford Health Library, a new book, “What Helped Get Me Through: Cancer Survivors Share Wisdom and Hope” (American Cancer Society, 2009), is one of the most inspiring.

Edited by breast cancer survivor Julie K. Silver, M.D., the book tells the story of cancer survivors in their own words, taking the reader through all the steps of the cancer experience, from diagnosis to survival. Among the cancer survivors quoted are celebrities, such as cyclist Lance Armstrong, skater Scott Hamilton, singer Carly Simon and reality TV star Sharon Osbourne. Medical experts and people from organizations that support cancer and treatment contributed, many of whom are also cancer survivors.

The advice in the book is both practical and inspirational. It is easy to pick up, read a page or two and feel better. Chapters include: “How I Nurtured Myself,” “What Helped My Children Cope,” “What I Wish I Had Known at Diagnosis,” “What Would Have Helped but Was Too Hard to Ask For” and “How Cancer Changed My Life.” This is a book every cancer patient should have on his or her nightstand.

There are many other valuable books worthy of mention. Two come from the popular 100 Questions & Answers series: “100 Questions & Answers about Life After Cancer: A Survivor’s Guide” (Jones & Bartlett, 2008), by Page Tolbert and Penny Damaskos, and “100 Questions & Answers for Women Living with Cancer: A Practical Guide for Survivorship” (Jones & Bartlett, 2007), by Michael Krychman. Both are filled with facts to help patients live their lives to the fullest.

For cancer survivors, a book written by Stanford-affiliated specialists Ernest Rosenbaum, M.D.; David Spiegel, M.D.; Patricia Fobair, LCSW, MPH; and Holly Gautier, R.N., is “Everyone’s Guide to Cancer Survivorship: A Roadmap for Better Health (Andrews Mc Keel, 2007). This life-affirming book is a companion guide to Rosenbaum’s “Everyone’s Guide to Cancer Therapy and Everyone’s Guide to Cancer Supportive Care.”

All of these books and many more are available from Stanford Health Library. The library is free and open to the public.

Stanford has scheduled a six-week workshop and study for cancer survivors, “Cancer Surviving and Thriving.” Visit https://cancersurvivors.stanford.edu/hl/hlMain for information and online enrollment.

For more information online, visit http://healthlibrary.stanford.edu/resources/bodysystems/cancer_coping.html#coping. Research assistance and customized information packets on medical conditions and treatment are available free of charge.

For more information, call 725-8400 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Nancy Dickenson is head librarian at Stanford Heath Library.

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