The New Generation Breast Cancer Book: How to Navigate Your Diagnosis and Treatment Options-and Remain Optimistic-in an Age of Information Overload

by Elisa Port

From an expert in the field comes the definitive guide to managing breast cancer in the information age—a comprehensive resource for diagnosis, treatment, and peace of mind.
 
The breast cancer cure rate is at an all-time high, and so is the information, to say nothing of the misinformation, available to patients and their families. Online searches can lead to unreliable sources, leaving even the most resilient patient feeling uneasy and uncertain about her diagnosis, treatment options, doctors, side effects, and recovery. Adding to a patient’s anxiety is input from well-meaning friends and family, with stories, worries, and opinions to share, sometimes without knowing the details of her particular case, when in reality breast cancer treatment has gone well beyond a “one size fits all” approach. Elisa Port, MD, FACS, chief of breast surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital and co-director of the Dubin Breast Center in Manhattan, offers an optimistic antidote to the ocean of Web data on screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Inside you’ll discover
 
• the various scenarios when mammograms indicate the need for a biopsy
• the questions to ask about surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and breast reconstruction
• the important things to look for when deciding where to get care
• the key to deciphering complicated pathology reports and avoiding confusion
• the facts on genetic testing and the breast cancer genes: BRCA-1 and BRCA-2
• the best resources and advice for those supporting someone with breast cancer
 
From innovations in breast cancer screening and evaluating results to post-treatment medications and living as a breast cancer survivor, Dr. Elisa Port describes every possible test and every type of doctor visit, providing a comprehensive, empathetic guide that every newly diagnosed woman (and her family) will want to have at her side.

Praise for The New Generation Breast Cancer Book
 
“One book you need . . . If you’re considering your options for treatment or know someone who is, this step-by-step guide, The New Generation Breast Cancer Book, is essential reading.”—InStyle

“Elisa Port, M.D., is the doctor every patient deserves: brilliant and compassionate. Her book will be a sanity saver and, quite possibly, a life saver.”—Geralyn Lucas, author of Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy
 
“The New Generation Breast Cancer Book helps you sort through all the information you’ve gathered, clarify the terminology, consider the options, and make the right decisions for your unique case.”—Edie Falco
 
“A lifeline for many women in need of today’s most up-to-date choices for treatment . . . Everyone should read this book for themselves, their mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and friends.”—Kara DioGuardi, Grammy-nominated songwriter, music executive, and Arthouse Entertainment co-founder

“The book is teeming with easy-to-understand medical explanations, tips, takeaways, and pro-and-con discussions of various courses of action. Port also includes two extremely useful appendices that respectively take on common myths and answer questions frequently asked by friends and family. This is a vital read that will empower men and women alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 22, 2015

Reviews

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good general, up to date book for the breast cancer patient, and their supporters, written by the chief of breast surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital in N.Y. The book is at its best with planning your course of action to begin your fight, familiarizing yourself with the language of the disease: Sentinel node biopsy, Tamoxifen, Neoadjuvant chemotherapy etc. and correcting all the misinformation that is out there. If you have a family history of breast cancer here is a good place to begin to learn about the disease in case it is in your future. If you are looking for a book because you have just been diagnosed with breast cancer, the first 3 chapters on mammograms, biopsies and who to tell, are already behind you. Considering it is written by a surgeon, there is surprisingly little on surgery and its aftermath. I learned more from: an app. recommended by my surgeons office at Kaiser Permanent; the thick book Choices The most Complete Sourcebook for Cancer Information, written in 2003, (invaluable when putting together a list of questions for my team - someone please put out a new addition of this book.) and from my cousin currently fighting stage 4 breast cancer, who has freely shared all her experiences with me without ever downplaying my situation as a stage 1 patient.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for starting out and planning treatment.

[Stelleri]

Useful in many ways, but does include some inaccurate overgeneralizations (e.g., that one’s hair always grows back after chemo, which isn’t true for 6-10% of women taking taxotere even by the manufacturer’s admission).

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very straightforward and helpful in helping me understand my diagnosis!

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!! I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer! This book was interesting and informative. Most importantly, there is a wonderful sense of calm regarding how the complicated medical terms and procedures are explained.

[Leigh Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same info, different target demographic.

Not a complaint. Different approaches to medical subjects appeal to different people. In previous generations, good medical information was hard to come by because it was rare. Today, the sheer glut of ALL kinds of information -- good and bad -- is enough to stop you in your tracks? Where to start? Who can you trust? Elisa Port's got you covered.

The book is organized in standard format, from screening process to diagnosis / pathology report, to treatment options. The tone is very much as if Port were your really smart and kind college friend, giving you the scoop on what's what in a friendly way that won't upset you too much (I mean, if you have cancer you're going to be somewhat upset, but Port's got you, emotionally). Other topics include breast reconstruction, pregnancy, clinical trials, recurrence, genetic issues, male breast cancer, and even a chapter on the often overlooked 10% who don't survive (hey, better to face these things head on, right?).

The two appendices are great for the frantic and their clueless-yet-trying-to-be-helpful friends, who heard about this treatment or that cause of cancer. One covers common breast cancer myths, and the other tackles frequently asked questions, so if you need a fast fact in the heat of the moment, you don't have to google frantically or remember the URL for Medline. If you're in a hurry and the ACS books are too big, grab this one and take a deep breath. You're in good hands. Recommended for all consumer health collections.

[Linda Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book I wanted to read but as my 54 year old daughter was just diagnosed with invasive carcinoma of no special type (ductual), I chose this book to help me understand what she is going to be dealing with. It’s a well written book that follows the sequence from diagnosis to surgery to post surgery treatment and is presented in easy to understand term. It also defines the different type of breast cancers and makes it easy to skip chapters that do not pertain to your specific type. I also found the information in the appendix to be equally helpful. Rarely do I give a book five stars but this one deals with a painful topic in an easier to understand manner.

[MD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author is a breast cancer surgeon. She seems to be extremely knowledgeable and writes with a warm and reassuring tone - very welcome! As a surgeon, she has focused the book around surgery. For most breast cancer patients that will correspond to their treatment. A much smaller number of patients have a type of breast cancer (such as HER2 positive) which may be treated first by an oncologist. For those patients, while this book would still be helpful I would recommend supplementing it with one that includes more information on neoadjuvant treatment.

[Wally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been studying a lot on this subject lately and I wish that I found and read this book first, it would have saved me some research. The book gives a concise description of what the the process will be and what some of the technical language is, particularly in the pathology report. I would like to see an updated version of this book, but having said that, the process described is exactly what we have encountered. Lastly, I don’t pass out 5 star ratings unless the book is exceptional or the best one on the subject. I highly recommend this book.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good book about breast cancer treatment and stuff. I found the sections on risks/ things you can do particularly comforting and the pathology report helpful
This is the second or third breast cancer book I’ve read in the past couple months since diagnosis. This one is a bit older than the handbook given by my clinic. My understanding is that Breast cancer research is moving so fast that 5 years out of date May mean some stuff has changed

[Ljosephson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad but highly informative must-read for people going through this. Luckily treatments are improving everyday, so there may be newer books out there more up-to-date. The section on the variety and scope of treatment options was very helpful. Also, explanation/decoding of test results was invaluable.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

It was very informative and easy to read.

[Lori Ferrarini Geiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource after my early stage breast cancer diagnosis. I loved all the topics covered!!!!

[IU_read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

[S Modi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick overview of breast cancer and what to expect with a new diagnosis. Accessible and to the point. 10 yrs old so not sure if there are newer updates.

[Juliet Garcia Nunez · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve been newly diagnosed, get this book! It covered all of the necessary information in an accessible and helpful way. Even though I had outstanding doctors during my diagnosis, I found myself reaching for this book while making difficult decisions: mastectomy or oncoplasty/partial mastectomy? What does my future look like? I found answers to these questions and others in this book.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The New Generation Breast Cancer Book by Elisa Port, M.D. is an informative book for anyone with breast cancer or who has family and friends with it. My Mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer several years ago, now is battling Metastatic Breast Cancer, so this book was very interesting to me. The author covers all of these subjects, letting us know what to expect and what can be done.

Each chapter can stand on it's own or can be read cover to cover. Easy to understand for the layperson.
I recommend this book to anyone with a loved one battling this terrible disease or battling it themselves.

I received an ARC (advanced reader's copy) from LibraryThing in exchange for my honest review.

[Darlene Ran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The New Generation Breast Cancer Book by Elisa Port, MD is a fantastic source of information for those who have been affected by breast cancer. It is particularly informative for newly diagnosed patients as they are facing decisions and treatments and are often bombarded with too much information from sources that may or may not be reliable or helpful. Dr. Port explains testing, surgery options, pathology reports, treatments, and much more. I would highly recommend this book to answer questions one has about breast cancer and as an excellent reference written by a breast cancer surgeon specialist.

[Lori Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on breast cancer that I have read! Port gives you information that you can understand in simple language. She is up on all of the latest research and scientific information and she cuts through all of the myths about breast cancer. Port gives you hope and after reading it, you feel that you can get through the diagnosis.I HIGHLY recommend this book for breast cancer patients as this book is a necessity after diagnosis. I received this book from Library Thing in exchange for an honest review!

[DL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through a First Reads giveaway and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time. I had just recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and this book was the perfect introduction to an overview of everything I needed to know. The information was presented in a very easy to understand format, and after having read the book, it left me feeling much more confident and prepared to tackle everything ahead of me. Thank you Good Reads for the opportunity to win this book.

[Dolores · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel blessed to have found this book at the library where I work. After one night of reading, I went out and bought it because I knew it was something I would always want to reference since my fall breast cancer diagnosis. It is informative and calming, written in terms that are easily understood. This book came into my life at a time when there were a lot of decisions to be made, and is a true winner. It truly is a one-of-a-kind breast cancer book.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough good about this book. Today I finished reading this book and today is my 1 year anniversary since I had a mastectomy. I wish I would have had access to this book when I was first received my diagnosis, but even 1 year later I learned a lot. If you have the facts, the future is not nearly so frightening - and this book will give you facts without frightening you. I have been singing the praises of this book to everyone!!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say that I read this book out of choice; that said, it did provide a lot of useful information about what to expect when faced with breast cancer. If you or someone close is diagnosed, this is a very good place to start.

(Caveat: I skipped a couple chapters; I didn't read the male breast cancer or the cancer-while-pregnant sections.)

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful resource for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Clearly written with easy to understand and scientifically sound information.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

FTC Disclosure: I received this book free from Goodreads hoping I would review it.

[Machelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for the average lay person. Well written and easily understandable. Good resource book for the want to know information on breast cancer.

[Leslie Barrett Garel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covers all the basics and a little more that you will need to know when dealing with a diagnosis. A very good resource.

[Hanna Melangton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very straight forward, up-to-date and helped me understand my diagnosis and options.