When Anni Matthews was diagnosed with cancer, she decided to do something really valuable with the experience: she produced a book that is a friendly companion for those who must face the disease. Of huge practical help to anyone diagnosed with cancer and those who care for them, this book is a one-stop guide to making sense and use of the orthodox treatments, complementary therapies, and psychological, spiritual and holistic options available. Subjects ranging from the most current major advances in treatments and diagnosis to the small but effective ways of relieving the side-effects are explained clearly and concisely, often with humour and always with warmth. Written by a bright, articulate woman, who was determined to have an informed say in what happened to her, Anni's Cancer Companion marks a new generation of books about cancer. It is that rare thing: a reference book that is human.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Professor Karol Sikora. Introduction. About Anni. Useful Organisations. Sources of Nutritional Supplements. Acupuncture. Adjuvant therapy. Allergy. Aloe Vera. Alternative and complementary therapy. Antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Aromatase inhibitors. Aromatherapy. Art and music therapy. Astragalus. Aura. Ayurveda. Balance. Beauty. Biofeedback. Biopsy. Blame. Blessings. Bowel (colorectal) cancer. Brachytherapy. Brainwave therapy. Breast cancer. BRCA 1 and 2. Breath and breathing. Bristol approach. Carctol. Catechins. Cat's claw. Causes of cancer. Chemicals. Chemotherapy. Chemoembolisation. Choices. Clinical trials. Coenzyme Q10. Cold Cap. Colonic irrigation. Control. Cryoablation. Crystal healing. Curcumin. Cure. Delegation. Dental toxins. Deodorants. Depression. Detox. D-glucarate. Diagnosis. Diet. Drugs (targeted). Echinacea. EEG neurofeedback. Emotions. Energy. Essiac. Exceptional or expert patient. Exercise. Fatigue. Fear. Flower essences. Folic acid. Food. Friend. Garlic. Genes and gene therapy. Gerson therapy. Hair loss. Healing. Herbal medicine. Histology. Holistic. Homeopathy. Hope - real and false. HRT. Hormone therapy. Hypnotherapy. Hyperthermia. Immune system and immunotherapy. Interleukin and interferon. IP6 and inositol. Journey. Juicing. Laetrile/apricot kernels. Laser therapy. Leukaemias. Life. Lumpectomy. Lung cancer. Lymphomas. Macmillan Cancer Care. Maggie centre. Mammogram. Massage. Mastectomy. Meditation. Mind, body and spirit. Monoclonal antibodies. Mistletoe. Naturopathy. Nausea. Neoadjuvant therapy. Neurolinguistic programming. NICE. Noni Juice. Nursing. Nutritional therapy. Peace. Penny Brohn Cancer Care. Personality. Photodynamic therapy. Pilates. Placebo. Polarity therapy. Power and patient power. Prayer. Presents. Prostate cancer. Psychoneuroimmunology and the Power of Positive Thought. Qigong. Quantum healing. Reflexology. Reiki. Radiotherapy. Reconstruction. Screening. Scanning. Shark cartilage. Soul work. Spirit. Spiritual healing. Statistics. Supplements. Surgery. Symptoms. Tamoxifen. Thermography. Traditional Chinese Medicine. Ultrasound. Vaccines. Visualisation. Weight loss. Wigs. Work. Yoga. Zulu warrior. Index.

About the Author

Anni Matthews was a city executive in charge of running a busy property development company in London. Following her diagnosis and research, she became a dedicated spokesperson for cancer sufferers, lecturing to Glaxo Smith Kline staff and Womens Institutes, as well as being an active trustee of the Bristol Cancer Care Centre. She fielded countless phonecalls from anxious cancer patients and friends, providing answers to a spectrum of questions and worries, her philosophy always being 'think positive challenge, not negative acceptance'. Karol Sikora is Medical Director of CancerPartnersUK which is creating the largest independent cancer network in the UK. He was Professor and Chair of the Department of Cancer Medicine at Imperial College and is still honorary Consultant Oncologist at Hammersmith Hospital, London. He chairs the scientific advisory board of SourceBioscience PLC, Britain's leading cancer diagnostic company. He is Dean of Britain's first independent Medical School at the University of Buckingham and is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.