cover image Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Barbara Wainrib. Dell Publishing Company, $10.95 (298pp) ISBN 978-0-440-50640-9

Recognizing that women commonly end up managing men's illnesses, the authors address their message primarily to women caretakers. Wainrib and Haber (co-authors of Breast Cancer: A Psychological Treatment Manual) draw on their experiences as therapists, interviews with patient/caregiver couples and consultations with specialists to compile advice on the psychological and physical problems that accompany prostate cancer. The approach is basically chronological, moving from detection through treatment to recovery. Although the authors provide substantial practical information to aid in decision making about diagnostic tests and treatments, the emphasis is on emotional issues. They offer numerous suggestions for coping with the fears and anxieties that are likely to arise not just from the illness and its treatment but from complications that may affect quality of life thereafter. Specific tips for dealing with impotence and incontinence are included. These tips, along with a list of questions to ask physicians, make this volume a solid reference for couples and individuals. (June)