With chemotherapy scheduled to begin on 31 October 2007 I am using this lead in time to read up as much as possible on my medical condition and likely treatment. The information resources are enormous, including the web, reference and public libraries and the publications of the various cancer support organizations.
Today was a very valuable day. I went to visit the ACT Health Library at the The Canberra Hospital. This library serves the Australian National University Medical School.
I browsed the shelves and read up on gastro-oesophageal cancer surgery and the general treatment of this cancer. With a good medical dictionary I was quickly finding my way through some heavyweight medical texts!! They included:
- Rob and Smith's Operative Surgery 4th edition 1978. Published by Butterworths
- Fundamentals of Oncology 4th edition by H C Pitot. 998 pages. Published by Marcel Dekker 2002 ISBN 0824706501
- Cancer Treatment [5th edition] by C M Haskell published by W B Saunders 2001 ISBN 0721678335
Well, the surgery textbook [admittedly nearly 30 years old now] had some fairly vivid drawings of the different stages of the surgery. Haskell was wonderful in outlining the three pronged [tri-modal] attack on cancer which is surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The other breakthrough was to hear news of a former work colleague of my wife's who was diagnosed with cancer at the gastro-oesophageal junction. She had chemotherapy prior to surgery to remove the oesophagus AND the stomach. She was back at work after just four weeks!!! Now a one year survivor we hope to talk to her soon to see how life is after treatment.
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