Cancer: A Beginner's Guide

Beginner's Guide (Oneworld Publications)

by Paul Scotting

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and one of the most feared diagnoses a patient can face. The number of new cases is expected to rise by 70% over the next two decades, but few of us understand what it is, how it affects the body or what can be done to treat and even prevent it.

In this illuminating introduction, Dr Paul Scotting explains the science behind the disease and explores the factors that can increase our risk of developing cancer. Fully revised and updated, A Beginner’s Guide details the latest breakthroughs, cutting-edge developments and promising new strategies that will help us combat and cure cancer in the future.

Genres: Science, Health, Biology, Medicine, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2011

Reviews

[Am Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adequate book with regards to learning more about cancer in general. Covers most topics in the cancer spectrum: e.g. how cancer develops, risk factors, treatment, etc. I found interesting the theories involving childhood cancer and why it is different from adult cancers.

[Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely aimed at people with a background in biology as it focuses on cells division and development into cancerous. I would say that minimum GCSE Biology but preferably at a higher level such as GCE Biology or First Year Undergraduate in Medical/Healthcare field. In the beginning it does briefly go over explanations but it is considered presumed knowledge later on which may make the book hard to follow.

However, for me who does have a background in this, this book was easy to follow and provided some interesting theories into childhood cancers and talked about a variety of cancers and their risk factors. It provided a large overview of cancer as a whole and the history of cancer.

However, I did not like how this book mainly used statistics about men. Perhaps it's the feminist in me but I did find it grating that when not talking about female specific cancers - the statistics for cancers that are prevalent in both genders were statistics about men only. Perhaps it was due to a lack of data as the statistics were old and from different regions around the world making comparability hard.

[Kunal Patankar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read.

You don't have to be a biological, medical major in order to know the basics of something that seems to be affecting at least one person amongst the people we know.

This book was an eye opener ... And I recommend this gor anyone to read, regardless of gender or age or country.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book. 🙂

[giel · Rating 3 out of 5]

my bus book of the week. there were some very interestint ideas/concepts that i will read more about later .

[Alec Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, definitely read if you're studying/thinking of studying Cancer Biology!

[Any Length · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok. Although this book is for beginners you do need a basic idea of how cells divide otherwise you can't follow the book. It becomes more and more technical as things explained at the beginning as presumed knowledge later on, like any text book. If you don't get it first up, read that section again so you can follow later.
For the novice who does know about cell division this book is priceless. It helps the reader get a good idea how cancer starts, what haas to happen, how it happens, how rare and common certain cancers are and how likely or otherwise we are to get it.
The book also explains methods of treating various cancers and their success rates.
Very informative and a good read for anyone with a little prior knowledge, high school kids and anyone in their first year of medicine. I read the audio book version so I don't know whether the book as illustrations. The book is very well written and with a basic knowledge of cells and cell divisionI was able to follow the audio book pretty easily.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book written by my lecturer :) Was a good summary read before starting Cancer Genetics module. Mum has read it too, proving it can be understood by someone with no science background

[Sam Shingleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though very broad, an extremely good introduction to canceer.