Cancer: Increasing Your Odds for Survival, a Resource Guide for Integrating Mainstream, Laternative and Complementary Therapie

When Bognar's girlfriend, Cindy, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1988 he began investigating cancer treatments. After her death in 1990, Bognar (an independent video and TV producer) stepped up his research, and the result is this book and a four-part public television documentary of the same title, narrated by Walter Cronkite. After a brief discussion of dealing with a cancer diagnosis, getting second opinions and gathering information, Bognar explains treatment options. He considers conventional therapies first, but when these fail, or offer extremely low odds of success, Bognar sees little downside risk in trying unconventional therapies--as long as an independent testing agency is available to monitor one's progress. Options range from herbs and diets to acupuncture and detoxification regimens, even medical astrology and channeling. Bognar breaks down the treatments in such categories as alternative, mind/body complementary/ supplemental, interventions and spiritual healing. He also includes interviews with such relevant individuals as Dr. Bernie Siegel. Although this guidebook (which lists additional sources of information such as research services, organizations, Web sites, phone numbers and books) helps users make their own therapy decisions in a bewildering world of choices, readers who have been newly diagnosed may want to turn to more traditional books written for their specific type of cancer. (Nov.)