Fran Drescher's book, "Cancer Schmancer, is extremely informative reading for patients suffering from cancer, or family members of cancer patients. It is a personal story with considerable important advice on how to deal with doctors, treatment, and the cancer itself.
1. Make certain you get second, third and fourth opinions from doctors. Ms. Drescher visited nine doctors before discovering she had uterine cancer;
2. Her ninth doctor performed a D&C on her and discovered uterine cancer by performing a biopsy. Her sister, Nadine, suggested she do a second biopsy to be certain of the results of the first biopsy. One biopsy suggested Ms. Drescher was in stage one or two of uterine cancer, while the second stage 3 and 4. In the end, it was determined , her cancer was in early stages;
3. Ms. Drescher did her homework: She got multiple expert opinions about her cancer; she visited several hospitals to make certain she was receiving the correct treatment, and at every step during her treatment, when an important decision had to be made, Ms. Drescher did her homework! She searched the web and found an extraordinary amount of information about her cancer and the various treatments. At one point, Ms. Drescher was confronted with the choice of having radiation treatment, an important decision. She searched the web, consulted with many expert doctors, and eventually came up with the right decision. She elected not to do radiation because her doctor told her that her cancer had a 95% chance of going into remission without the radiation. Important point: she did her homework and refused to listen to one doctor;
4. Learn all there is to know about your cancer. The Internet is a great tool and a wealth of information. Use the Internet to manage your treatment. If you are not comfortable managing your own treatment, get someone you trust who is intelligent, has considerable medical experience, and is close to you. Ms. Drescher took advice. She was not stubborn, did not listen to one voice, and pursued as many avenues of information as was possible. She was determined to find the right answers. Her determination in pursuing knowledge is a lesson for all of us;
5. After her cancer went into remission, her doctors prescribed a strict schedule of follow-up exams. These included blood tests, CT Scans, and any and all other tests during the remission period. Tests were performed initially at three month intervals, then at six month intervals , and so on. Important point to remember is this: after one's cancer enters into remission, don't forget that you still have cancer even though it went into remission! It may return, and if it does, a cancer patient wants to know as early as possible that it has returned, and not when the cancer has spread and grown beyond doctor's ability to stop its growth;
6. Exercise: once your cancer has gone into remission , it is important to stay healthy and strong by keeping your body in as good a physical condition as one can. Stay healthy by eating the right foods, exercising, getting a good night's sleep, and keep on studying cancer research.
7. Ms. Drescher was determined to beat her cancer. She did her homework. She pursued many voices, listened to many options, and ultimately became an expert of sorts in treatment. She saved herself by working hard to beat the cancer. She learned to stop pitying herself. She learned courage. She learned to deal with this terrible disease. Above all, do not be afraid of dealing with the treatment. Do whatever it takes to beat the cancer. Be not afraid. Have hope and courage!
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