Why Dr Susan Love’s Breast Book Falls Short of Its Distinction as the Best Authority on Breast Cancer

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 7:13 pm

For a book that is supposed to be the best book to use on breast cancer, Dr Susan Love’s Breast Book falls short in many important areas. I am not saying that one should not read it. It may help to know what to expect ahead of time, though .

The number one issue is as plain as the nose on your face. There is way too much time spent on basic breast anatomy and development, and not enough on the information that is immediately helpful to someone who has been newly diagnosed with breast cancer. The fact is, no one wants to wade through a bunch of non-essential material in order to find the answers to their most pressing questions. Particularly when one’s life hangs in the balance.

Secondly, Dr Susan Love’s Breast Book was last published in 2005. This has to take its toll on the accuracy of the survival and mortality statistics quoted within its pages. The speed of medical advances in areas such as chemotherapy, antibodies, and hormonal therapy is usually a lot more swift than can be measured in five year increments. Consequently, the statistics on ten-year survival rates are especially suspect.

Even worse than that, Dr. Love takes a measly paragraph to the very sensitive topic of interpreting the data so that readers may relate it to their own situations! How are they supposed to prepare to live well and fight hard when they are left with feelings of resignation and fear?

In addition, descriptions of rare complications of surgery and recurrence are given too much space. Instead of focusing on the facts on which to base decisions, the author belabors the number of lives lost as well as medical inadequacy. Again, to a woman looking for information right now: not necessary.

In the rare case that she has helpful information about the dangers of radiation, chemo, and/or surgery, Dr. Love insists on recommending it. Even though she says herself that 2-9% of non-metastatic women experience benefits from chemotherapy and that these three treatment options carry devastating and often permanent side effects!

Thanks, but I’ll pass on that advice. At least without a second or third opinion. After all, she is still a doctor, and has a very cold, calculating way of assessing the treatment plans.

It is not that you can’t get some good information from the book. Dr Susan Love’s Breast Book contains a respectable amount of material on breast cancer. However, I would not put all of my time into reading it, especially if I wanted to be able to take any kind of action right away in order to save my own life.

Looking for practical information about preventing breast cancer in yourself and the women you love? Visit the preventing breast cancer page on Holistic-Medicine-MD. Better yet, check out the book Breast Cancer: Reduce Your Risk With Foods You Love by Dr. Robert Pendergrast.

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