Dr Susan Love’s Breast Book, supposedly the best book to use on breast cancer, is not all that it’s cracked up to be. Of course, it is not a complete waste of print. It may help to know what to expect ahead of time, though .

The first problem is an obvious one. That is, too much of the book covers basic anatomy of breast tissue and development instead of the information that women who read the book need the most. Women who are looking for answers do not want to have to sift through half of the book before they find them. Particularly when one’s life hangs in the balance.

The next difficulty lies in the fact that the book was published only as recently as 2005. This has to take its toll on the accuracy of the survival and mortality statistics quoted within its pages. In the cases of chemotherapy, antibodies, and hormonal therapies, advances are often realized much more quickly than a five-year span. Consequently, the statistics on ten-year survival rates are especially suspect.

Worse yet, Dr. Love only dedicates one paragraph to guiding women on how to interpret the statistics! How can they possibly move forward in their fight when they are ill-prepared and fearful?

Another flaw with the book is that there is much too much detail about rare complications of surgery and recurrence. At a time when most readers are looking for cold hard facts about their options in order to make treatment decisions, the author agonizes over how many lives have been lost and the imperfections of the medical system. Again, to a woman looking for information right now: not necessary.

Even when Dr. Love does have some good information for the reader about how dangerous chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can be, she still recommends it wholeheartedly. And that is in the face of the evidence that chemotherapy is only 2-9% effective when given to non-metastatic women and that many of the side effects of the big three treatment options are permanent and life threatening in themselves!

Not the kind of person I want giving me advice on matters that directly affect my health and ultimate quality of life. After all, she is still a doctor, and has a very cold, calculating way of assessing the treatment plans.

Again, I am not saying that no one should read the book. Dr Susan Love’s Breast Book contains a respectable amount of material on breast cancer. But most women need real advice on what to do next, what will happen next, and how to detect (and prevent) recurrences.

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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