Cancer is a bitch of a disease. Every single person who’s experienced being diagnosed and treated is a hero. There are a lot of cancer books out there. What’s different about this one? Maybe nothing. Maybe a lot. I’m a psychologist by trade. About fifteen years back, I started writing novels. Unfortunately, there’s not a scrap of fiction in Alive. There are also no dragons, unicorns, or magical worlds. This book was tough to write. In places, it will be equally tough to read. In addition to my personal saga, it includes stories from other brave souls who volunteered to be part of this project. There are also chapters about the etiology of cancer, cancer as big business in America (and elsewhere), avoiding scams, and integrative oncology. Like most, I started my cancer journey believing the MDs had my best interests at heart. A few did, but to so many others I was nothing but a number, a statistic, many steps removed from a human being. My hope for Alive is it will empower others to stand up for themselves, to ask questions, to do their own research. Ultimately, everyone’s life is precious and worth the effort of self-advocacy.

If this were a normal nightmare, I’d wake up, dust myself off, and forge a path. Nightmare, yes. Normal, not so much. After the world imploded, none of the usual rules applied. They say finding your roots is freeing. In my case, it was like nailing a coffin shut. Everyone has a few rotten relatives. Mine created me to serve their purposes millennia ago. Except nobody bothered to tell me, not until my world shattered. When I rebelled, they labeled me extraneous, so now I’m on the lookout for them along with every other evil thing that’s risen to populate Earth. All the mortals seem to be dead. In theory, those like me, mages, survived, but outside our small group, we haven’t stumbled on any of them beyond a lone skinwalker. Rhys is a bright spot. Who’d have thought I’d find love amidst the ashes of civilization. Sometimes, I want to cling to him and run away, but Earth needs us. And there it is. Along with love, I’m coming into the full extent of my power. The more I push it, the brighter it burns. We tried to alter the cataclysm that ended everything. It didn’t work, but we haven’t given up. Between Rhys and an eldritch griffon tasked with protecting me long before my birth, we’ll tackle my masters. Everything points to them blowing up the world. If we could figure out why, we might turn the tides in our favor.

Gone. Everything. In one fell swoop. Maybe it didn’t happen quite that fast, but it sure seemed like it. I remember everything like it was yesterday. Or, more accurately, I couldn’t forget even if I tried. And I have, tried that is. With every fiber of my being. But the damned tape reel has an automatic replay button, and it blasts through my brain over and over again. I was just nineteen then. One very long year ago. I’d finished my first year at university and was on vacation between semesters. We were in Mexico at a sorcery retreat when our phones beeped and screamed warning of impending doom. Details didn’t emerge for a long while, but our relative isolation in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains saved us from immediate annihilation. We should have remained there, but hindsight is always twenty-twenty. In an ill-conceived attempt to escape, we finally gave up navigating clogged roads, left our bus, and teleported back to the States. I’m not sure if that was the beginning because it felt like the end of everything I’ve ever known. Survival has reduced me to someone I barely recognize. Some days, I wonder why I bother, but then I pick up the banner and face another day. Better not to think too hard or pick reality apart. If I did, I’d loose my power and burn down the world.

"Readership: trainees in medical and radiation oncology, cancer researchers at all levels and any healthcare professionals with a need to understand oncology and oncological terms."--BOOK JACKET.

Modern Thoracic Oncology is the first comprehensive publication on thoracic oncology. Contributors who are world experts have authored concise, relevant and current topics in this field. Whether one desires information regarding lung cancer screening, esophageal cancer staging, mutational analysis, targeted therapies, stereotactic ablative radiation with real-time imaging, minimally-invasive and robotic surgery, combination immunotherapy, microwave/cryoablation, or methods of early cancer detection, this set of three volumes, encompass all of the latest information in the field of thoracic oncology. A rapidly advancing knowledgebase has led to dramatic improvements in individualized or 'personalized' care of patients. However, the myriad of rapid changes has also made it more challenging for thoracic oncologists to comprehend and incorporate these improvements into their daily practice. This staggering and rapid change requires a comprehensive thoracic oncology publication designed to keep clinicians, including pulmonologists, pathologists, radiologists, surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and gastroenterologists, well-informed and up-to-date. To meet such needs and to ensure that all areas of thoracic oncology are covered indepth, Modern Thoracic Oncology is published in three volumes.Volume 1 entitled General Principles of Thoracic Oncology provides a comprehensive introduction to thoracic oncology. Principles of thoracic oncology care are discussed in detail and include topics such as thoracic anatomy and embryology, medical evaluation of cancer patients, appropriate imaging modalities with a specific discussion of lung cancer screening, and the basic principles underlying the various treatment modalities. Volume 2 entitled Trachea, Lung, and Pleura addresses lung cancer, one of the most common and deadliest malignancies in the world, as well as two relatively rare respiratory tumors. Volume 3 entitled Esophagus, Mediastinum, Chest Wall and Diaphragm covers esophageal cancer, one of the most rapidly growing malignancies in the world and which still poses significant challenges to thoracic oncologists. Esophageal squamous cell tumors are discussed by experts from Asia where this disease is endemic and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus is detailed by oncologists in the West who face this challenge on a daily basis.

This book is a valuable source for oncologists and all other physicians dealing with cancer survivors. It provides detailed information on the evidence-based benefits and forms of intervention, with contributions by a highly prestigious and well recognized panel of experts. Chapters deal with all features of survivorship outlining the role of the oncologist and other caregivers and discusses survivorship care in different countries and different settings. The book addresses new challenges and complex issues broader than medical issues faced by patients who are cured highlighting that cancer is no longer a death sentence. It provides evidence-based management guidance and addresses issues such as symptom management, palliative care, screening for recurrence, rehabilitation, fertility issues among others. This is an indispensable resource for oncologists, oncology nurses and other professionals dealing with cancer patients as well as patient advocacy groups and cancer leagues.

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