Diagnosed with Cancer? Harvard MD Provides Guidance in Booklet Packed with Tips and Advice

An inexpensive new booklet from a Harvard physician guides cancer patients through the treatment process and beyond.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) November 6, 2008 -- A cancer diagnosis can be frightening and life-altering, but an inexpensive new booklet from a Harvard physician helps minimize the emotional and physical impact by guiding cancer patients through the treatment process and beyond.

"Being Treated for Cancer? A Doctor's 137 tips to Keep Your Life Healthy & Manageable" by Gail Gazelle, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, offers compassionate and expert advice for topics ranging from the importance of having a health care advocate to communicating with your doctor, treatment options, and pain and symptom management. Each of the booklet's 11 sections is packed with specific tips designed to help patients navigate through the health care system in a way that generates the care they need.

"Many cancer patients feel like they're on a roller coaster," says Dr. Gazelle, assistant clinical professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "They often have to make critical care decisions in a short period of time or they feel overwhelmed by their disease and uninformed about their options. Many would like the guidance of a physician who advocates for them through the treatment and recovery process. This booklet does that for them."

For example, the section on health care advocates provides specific advice on how to select and recruit an individual to help, while the section on pain management tackles such concerns as the common worry about addiction to pain medications. Dr. Gazelle uses her years of experience with cancer patients and the health care system to offer essential insider information and advice.

The 32-page booklet is available as an instantly downloadable e-book for $6.97 or via the U.S. mail for $9.97. To purchase "Being Treated for Cancer? A Doctor's 137 tips to Keep Your Life Healthy & Manageable" visit http://www.mdcanhelp.com/onlinestore.html# or send a check for $9.97 made payable to MD Can Help, P.O. Box 669, Brookline, MA 02446.

(Note to editors: To receive a complimentary media copy of the booklet so you can see Dr. Gazelle's advice firsthand, please send a request to Dr. Gail Gazelle and note that you are a journalist.)

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