Prostate cancer for the layperson | |
All about prostate cancer. Frederick O Stephens. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2000 (xvi + 136 pp). ISBN 0 19 551404 1. |
All about prostate cancer is an ambitious title for a book that discusses a complex and at times controversial subject, particularly when the author is trying to write for the layman. Emeritus Professor Fred Stephens (surgeon and oncologist) has tried to create a book that is both easy to read and comprehensive, but, as is sometimes the case, his treatment of the subject can make this difficult area appear a little too simplified. His sympathetic writing style makes this a good book, which the non-medical public can use as a starting point to gain some understanding of prostate cancer.
At only 136 pages it is a brief overview of the subject, but the progression of chapters is well laid out. It takes the reader through a general discussion of cancer and its causes, into the specifics of prostate disease and the available treatment options. The book contains few diagrams to illustrate surgical procedures and this is a minor drawback. It is factually accurate, although one gets the impression from the text that most patients die with rather than of the disease, whereas we know that this is not the case and up to 25% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will die of the illness. Not everyone working in the field will agree with the advice on dietary supplements that the author offers. Throughout the book Professor Stephens emphasises the need for the patient to be treated as a whole person, and for those diagnosed with the disease to be active partners in the decision-making process. Reading this book is a good first step in achieving this aim. Kim L Moretti
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