Product Description
This booklet has been put together by Johns Hopkins physicians, nurses, patients and community educators to answer the most commonly asked questions about melanoma. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (16)

Clear and Concise - A Good Place To Start
A great source for the individual who has just been diagnosed with melanoma and wants to know where to begin for information on diagnosis, possible treatments, and questions to ask one's doctors. This is also a good resource for friends and loved ones of those who have been recently diagnosed with melanoma. The information is very elementary and somewhat basic, but everyone needs to start somewhere. This book is a better resource for those who have either stage I or II melanoma. Individuals with advanced stages of melanoma, or who have been battling this dread disease for some time, will probably not find this book as useful or informative.

EXCELLENT
Written in a laypersons terms it makes this book so much easier to understand and get a grasp of it all.EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!

Melanoma, P:revention, Detection and Treatment
This books is the best out there on melanoma. It has great photos, and the explanations are so easy to understand. It also makes the diagnosis a lot less scary with factual answers that seem caring.

Very Useful Book
This book was very useful in understanding melanoma. My mother had the disease and I have many moles that on occasion worry me. THe photos and text dispelled many of the myths I had heard about getting melanoma and now I know what to look for when I worry about a mole changing. I don't panic about my moles as much and now I'm armed to discuss anything with my doctor in an intelligent manner.

Save Your Skin and Your Life!
As the managing editor of the popular online family health magazinePinksunrise I had the opportunity to both read Ms. Poole's book and tointerview her.Melanoma is not only a personal issue for Ms. Poole butalso a national warning in the fight to prevent the deadly cancer melanoma. Ms. Poole spends a great deal of time talking about the prevention, earlydetection, and the latest treatments for melanoma.In addition, she haswritten a book that is comprehensive, yet written for everyone tounderstand.Early detection is the real key to warding off melanoma andescaping invasive and potentially dangerous cancer.She includes manyexcellent photos of what "normal" skin marks and moles look likeand what "abnormal" or dangerous marks and moles look like.Thisis an invaluable resource for the whole family. ... Read more

Book Description
This book deals with skin cancer from a doctor's and a patient's perspective. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Book; Great Doctor
This book is a must for any melanoma patient or their family.

As a one-year survivor of Stage II melanoma, this book was great in helping me deal with my diagnosis and what could have been ahead.

Dr. McClay also happens to be my personal oncologist and he's a fantastic and caring doctor.

This book is a must!
If you've been diagnosed with melanoma, this book is a must! The day I was told I had cancer, I was so frightened and confused. The doctor asked me if I had any questions, and I couldn't think of anything! The word "cancer!" just kept going through my mind. After reading this book, I was able to clear my head and not only ask questions, but ask the "right" questions. The only thing it didn't cover is the fact that it is sometimes difficult to diagnose melanoma. Sometimes the results are not black or white...there are also grey areas. But all in all, this book was extremely informative. Highly recomended.

Opened my eyes...
I am at high risk for skin cancer being pale skinned, light eyed, blonde and living in San Diego. I never knew it was better for me to use sunblock and stay out of the sun instead of trying to go for a base tan, especially in a tanner. Tans only have a suncreen of SPF 5, come to find out. And even people with naturally dark skin need to wear sunblock because they can get skin cancer too, often in parts that go unchecked due to the fact people think their darker skin isn't at risk! These are two of the many "myths" brought out in this guide. Everyone should read this book so they know the facts about these horrible diseases.

This book blew my mind. I have found out the difference between UVA and UVB (and UVC) rays, how to protect myself from the sun and how to check myself to make sure I don't have skin cancer.I am not a real sun lover, but I amazed at all the myths people have about how the sun is healthy and how it is ok to hang out in the sun...people worry more about terrorism and serial killers than the sun and more people will die from skin cancer than dying, let's say, in a plane...it confuses me how people can be so little informed.

This book was written well. It is easy to read and it is sectioned in a way that it is easy to get to the answer you need. I was only going to read the first half, since the rest is about what to do if you have skin cancer, but I read that too, because it was interesting and I would rather know and be prepared if it happens in my future than not know. Like I say, this should be given out at schools in the San Diego area since many of them make the kids eat outside, which is the worst thing for them. ... Read more

Product Description
Newly updated and now in its third edition, this handbook is written for melanoma patients, their families and friends, health professionals, and every person with an interest in the disease. This valuable book, written by two eminent dermatologist, tells all about melanoma from the moment of diagnosis through state- of-the-art treatments. Honest and straightforward, but reassuring in tone. Contrary to what many people fear, there is an excellent chance for a long and healthy life after diagnosis.Early warning signs and a step-by-step illustrated guide to self- examination of the skin are presented along with answers to the 25 questions most frequently asked about melanoma. There are specially-complied listing of information sources and support groups, a glossary which defines terms physicians are likely to use, and color photographs and drawings depicting typical melanomas. 80 pages ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book for melanoma patients
This book is an excellent read for any patient faced with the difficult diagnosis of melanoma.This is concise, well written and informative.Many resources are listed for patients with melanoma.Many patientsquestions can be answered by reading this book, and many myths debunked. ... Read more

Book Description
From the founder and Co-Director of the renowned Columbia University Melanoma Center, the first comprehensive guide to help you prevent—and survive—a diagnosis of melanoma.

The fastest rising form of cancer worldwide, melanoma can strike at any age. Although rates of cure are higher than they used to be, experts often disagree about the best course of treatment and patients face a bewildering array of possibilities—often with precious little time to choose. Drawing on his years as one of the nation’s foremost researchers and specialists in the field of melanoma treatment, Dr. Howard L. Kaufman shares his easy- to-follow, whole-life plan for detecting melanoma early, making informed decisions after a diagnosis, and taking an active role in treatment.

Praise

“The Melanoma Book provides a well-organized and thorough discussion of melanoma development, diagnosis and treatment that is geared at the patient level. It is sufficiently comprehensive, however, to also be of use the primary care practitioner... I predict that this unique book will serve as an invaluable resource for anyone personally, or with a family member or loved one, diagnosed with melanoma.”
--Michael B. Atkins, M.D.
Director of Biologic Therapy and Cutaneous Oncology Programs
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School

“This book fills an important gap and provides a wealth of information for melanoma patients and care givers. It is a comprehensive and state-of-the-art summary of current knowledge, in which questions and concerns of patients are addressed in a clear and concise way. Many summaries and tables help the reader to grasp the complexity of the disease.”
--Meenhard Herlyn, D.V.M., D.Sc.
President, Society for Melanoma Research
Professor and Program Leader, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, The Wistar Institute

“Information combined with experience and expertise yields knowledge; Dr. Kaufman’s book provides the knowledge required for successfully coping with melanoma!”
--Stephen S. Roman
Advisor to the Board, SynCure Cancer Research Foundation

“The melanoma field continues to advance rapidly making it increasingly difficult for patients and families to find the information they seek. Here Dr. Kaufman has compiled a vast amount of information and personal experiences into one, clearly written volume that will serve as an important resource for anyone looking for information on melanoma.”
--Paul B. Chapman, MD
Head, Melanoma Section
Clinical Immunology Service
Department of Medicine
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

“Information is the weapon that patients and physicians alike depend upon in our common war upon melanoma, and Dr. Kaufman is to be commended for assembling this formidable resource for patients and families.”
--John Kirkwood, MD
Professor and Vice Chairman, Department of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

“Dr. Kaufman has written a book that spells out in easily understood language what is known about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of one of the most rapidly increasing cancers in our country - melanoma. Most importantly, he provides a guide for the newly diagnosed patient and his or her family to assist in their discussions with their doctors to make the most informed decision possible at a very difficult time. Well done Dr. Kaufman!”
--David C. Momrow, MPH
Senior Vice President of Cancer Control
Eastern Division, American Cancer Society
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Easy to Understand, Up to Date...a Great Resource!
When my husband was diagnosed unexpectedly with malignant melanoma last fall, I scoured the internet and available books for all the information I could find re: interpreting his symptoms, stage and prognosis.

This book was a God-Send. In very succinct, non-alarmist (but non-sugar-coated) easy-to-comprehend speech, Dr. Kaufman presents an accessible resource for those whose lives are impacted by melanoma. This text has been invaluable for interpreting and assimilating information given in the appointments with the numerous caregivers involved in melanoma management/eradication.

Dr. Kaufman's suggestions and directives also help us to be pro-active in our questioning, and affirm the need for continual vigilence and monitoring.

Thankfully, my husband's prognosis is very good...and periodically I pick this book up to remind me that it is!

I'd heartily recommend this book to anyone who needs a sound perspective on melanoma, and on doing what can be done to prevent recurrence.

Good Help
Finally, a skin book with all the info you never seem to get time to ask your doctor. Or in my case recently, my HMO Dr. just casually reassures me there's no problem. I have too many friends/relatives that got the same treatment only to end up with serious skin melanomas. This is a very good refrence.

Informative and Current.
Very informative. Easy to read. It includes the most recent information for 2005.

Thorough, helpful, and reader-friendly
Dr. Kaufman's book is an educational and invaluable discussion of the facts of melanoma, both its prevention and its treatment. His work is relevant to everyone, since melanoma's number of victims is rising faster than that of any other cancer. His advice on how to prevent the disease, backed up by informative graphs and statistics, is practical and useful. He competently reviews many possible treatment options, letting the reader know what is available to her and the costs and benefits of each option. He even ventures into the realm of melanoma research, describing and commenting on progress being made in its treatment. No melanoma patient should be without this book. ... Read more

Book Description

The interpretation of melanocytic tumors represents one of the most important topics and probably the most difficult challenge in the field of dermatopathology.

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent reference to be familiar with
The field of melanocytic lesions is far from precise, but this book attempts to break down the individual criteria necessary to render a diagnosis on nearly all of the pigmented lesions. The writing is very easy to read along with and many times, it almost feels like you are double-scoping the case with the author. I'm sure there are some points within the text that others would consider controversial, but from a 'broadening my point of view' approach - I have enjoyed this text immensely. ... Read more

Book Description
An excerpt from "Pathology of Melanocytic Nevi and Malignant Melanoma, Second Edition", Pathology of Malignant Melanoma provides a highly practical approach to the histopathological diagnosis of melanoma of the skin. Emphasis is placed on the differential diagnosis of major forms of conventional melanoma, and the book also discusses unusual or rare variants that are difficult to recognize. This portable, user-friendly handbook addresses epidemiology, criteria for diagnosis and classification of melanoma, risk factors, and other morphological and cytological variants. More than 30 easy-to-read tables provide at-a-glance reference and over 100 full color illustrations complement the text. ... Read more

Book Description

Throughout the world, the incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing at an alarming rate. This dramatic rise is largely due to more frequent and prolonged exposure to intense sun, the result of major changes in clothing styles, recreation, and lifestyle (including widespread access to midwinter resort vacations). Significantly, recent scientific studies have shown an increased number of moles on, and a higher rate of melanoma in, people with the greatest sunscreen use, pointing out the mistaken belief that using sunscreen means getting a "safe" tan. The truth is that most sunscreen provides protection from UVB rays--the rays that cause the sunburn you see and feel--but not from UVA rays--the cancer-causing rays that penetrate deeper into the skin.

In this book, physicians Jill R. Schofield and William A. Robinson team up to provide comprehensive information about melanoma for patients and family members as well as those who are concerned about getting the disease. They provide the latest information on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and follow-up, and answer a host of questions, such as:• I use a number 15 sunscreen. Is that enough? • I have been under a lot of stress lately. Did that make me get melanoma?• If the melanoma comes back, when will it happen?• Is there a blood test to tell if the melanoma has spread? • Is a mole more likely to turn into melanoma if it's in a place where my clothes rub?

In addition, the authors describe who is at risk and tell readers how to determine their level of risk; describe skin warning signs and unusual forms of melanoma; talk about melanoma in children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems are compromised; and take a look at what's on the horizon in diagnosis and treatment. The book is fully illustrated with color photographs and line drawings and includes a glossary and a guide to resources--support and advocacy organizations, and web sites--for people with melanoma.

Customer Reviews (10)

IRM
This book provides an accurate reference for someone interested in this subject. It can be too truthful for someone faced with this awful disease. Therefore beware of giving it to a sufferer or carer whom you wish to shield from the facts.

Good help
this book was full of good info and good photos of stages of skin problems. This is a must own book for all Southern Californians.

The book on moles and melanoma
I got this book because I have moles and wanted to learn more about them and understand the diagnosis and treatment for melanoma.

The glossary and index were very helpful.The best aspect for me was the photos of moles and the chapter on skin warning signs.

Part I of the book starts with recognizing and preventing melanoma.Part II of the book focuses on Melanoma and the treatment.Part III is the less common types along with research.

I found this book to be a wonderful resource as I hit 45.The diagrams are useful as well.

Just what I needed!
This book was an encellent source for me and my family regarding my recent diagnosis of Melanoma.I read the entire book in one day and refer back to it very often!Highly recommended reading that is on a level everyone can understand.

Great book
This book is for anyone who has been diagnosed with Melanoma. It is written in a way that is easy to understand. Knowledge is needed with this disease since it is so different from other cancers. I found answers I haven't been able to find from my husbands oncologists. Excellent book! ... Read more

Book Description
Leading researchers and clinicians join forces to explain how malignant melanoma develops from its benign precursor cell type. The authors focus on the molecular mechanisms involved in melanogenesis, in the malignant transformation of melanocytes, and in the further progression of primary melanomas into invasive and metastatic melanomas. They also review recent advances in our understanding of the basic biology of melanocytes and the development, migration, and differentiation of melanoblasts into melanocytes. The book provides an up-to-date understanding of the progressive mechanisms of oncological development in malignant melanoma, a likely model of malignant progress for other types of cancer, and the ongoing development of novel therapeutics. ... Read more

Book Description

Melanoma is explored fully in the medical literature, but this text will become the standard reference on the disease. It distinguishes itself by its scholarship, its comprehensive treatment of all aspects of the disease, its accessibility and especially its focus. Textbook of Melanoma presents the latest information on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of this increasingly common type of cancer. The expert authors profile everything from prevention strategies to gene therapy. Fully illustrated throughout with color photographs and commissioned graphics, this volume provides an important reference work for clinical oncologists, dermatologists and surgeons with an interest in skin cancer.

Book Description
Highly acclaimed and considered the leading reference in the field, Pathology of Melanocytic Nevi and Malignant Melanoma has now been fully revised and updated to accomodate rapid advances in the field of melanoma pathology. Drs. Michael Piepkorn and Klaus Busam have now joined Dr. Barnhill, world-renowned expert in dermatology and pathology, to expand the text with new sections on the genetics and cytogenetics of melanoma,sentinal lymph node biopsy, the new AJCC TNM staging system for melanoma, the mechanisms of melanoma metastasis. The successful focus and format of the first edition have been preserved. Each lesion and diagnosis is clearly illustrated, now with more than 340 new, digitally enhanced full-color photomicrographs and over 125 tables. A corresponding precis, or concise description of the clinical features, histopathology, differential diagnosis, and outstanding characteristics of each lesion provides readers with a quick yet comprehensive overview of each topic covered. With the inclusion of recent advances in cancer research and new techniques, the second edition of Pathology of Melanocytic Nevi and Malignant Melanoma is the essential reference for every practicing dermatopathologist, pathologist, dermatologist, and cancer research scientist today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The best review of melanocytic lesions
I humbly think this text, which can also serve as an atlas (great photos--many in color), is the finest available review of melanocytic lesions. Pricey, but a wonderful, conside book. ... Read more

Book Description
Melanoma is the most life threatening form of skin cancer, the incidence of which has been rising in the developing world due to its link with sun exposure. The increase in incidence had made it imperative that clinicians managing these patients keep up-to-date with the latest advances, allowing them to provide optimal treatment.

As with the other Challenges books, Challenges in Melanoma assumes a certain level of knowledge and builds on this by discussing only areas of controversy and uncertainty in the basic science and clinical management of the disease. Authors aim to provide a balanced answer based on the scientific evidence, but ultimately draw some conclusions that will be of relevance to clinical practice.

The content is organised into three sections: aetiology; diagnosis, screening and prevention; and management. All the chapters ask practical and pertinent questions. The book takes a global view of melanoma as a public health risk as well as looking at management issues. ... Read more

Book Description
Ernest C. Borden, MD, has assembled a multidisciplinary team of established and emerging leaders to detail the clinical problems and factors influencing the therapeutic deployment of these biologicals. The contributors focus on providing the rationale and background for translating the many promising biologically targeted therapies via clinical trials into effective new therapies. Among the interventional agents treated are: cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, targeted inhibitors, cellular therapies, and angiogenesis inhibitors. Special attention is given to adjuvant therapies for melanoma in patients staged as being at high risk for recurrence. These include interferons, vaccines aimed at stimulating T cell response, and therapies targeted at abnormal melanoma cell proliferative signaling and angiogenesis inhibitors. Among the cutting-edge therapies discussed are novel cytokines that influence dendritic NK and T cell function, an allogenic cellular extract vaccine, and new targets (Nf-kB and IL-8) for anti-angiogenesis therapies. ... Read more

Book Description
In Melanoma Techniques and Protocols: Molecular Diagnosis, Treatment, and Monitoring, a broadly diverse group of researchers and clinicians offer not only reviews of the most important recent advances in melanoma oncology, tumor immunology, and pathology, but also state-of-the-art molecular techniques for probing its basic biology. These readily reproducible methods can be used to develop new diagnostic approaches, therapeutics, and status monitoring of patients suffering both early- and late-stage melanoma. With emphasis on the experimental details critical to experimental success, each method is described in step-by-step fahion by hands-on masters, often those who have developed hem in their own laboratories. Comprehensive and highly instructive, Melanoma Techniques and Protocols: Molecular Diagnosis, Treatment, and Monitoring offers both clinicians and basic scientists concerned with malignant melanoma both new clinical perspectives and the wide ranging experimental protocols essential for achieving more rapidbreakthroughs in this near-epidemic disease.
... Read more

Product Description
This is the true story of a young mother who prevailed through three cancer diagnoses and treatments (breast cancer twice and melanoma once).It describes how she juggled cancer treatments with the many other daily demands of working full-time and mothering.The story is set against the backdrop of a close friendship in which two women, both touched by disease and tragedy, gain strength from each other.The narrative takes us through the friend’s death, and the author’s attempt to come to terms with this loss.The author’s feelings about her cancer experiences are mirrored in her evolving view of a pair of pink-ribbon earrings that come to represent a badge of courage for her.Finally, the author describes the closure that she has attained following her family’s relocation to her hometown, and she offers several lessons that she learned from these cancer experiences. ... Read more