Book dossier

Cancervive

by Susan Nessim, Judith Ellis

For this country's five million cancer survivors, the good news is that they are cured; the bad is that they cannot put cancer behind them. They are ostracized by old friends and former lovers, discriminated against on the job, refused insurance, left with physical and psychological effects from the cancer, often unable to have children, and always fearful of recurrence. Yet because they have been "cured," they have difficulty communicating their problems to friends and relatives or to the medical profession. Susan Nessim, who had cancer in her late teens, faced many of these hidden problems. Several years ago she founded Cancervive, a support group that deals with the problems of survivorship. This book is based on the experiences of Cancervive's members and the advice of experts in the field. In recent years, recognition of the needs of former cancer patients has led to the formation of support groups in ten major hospitals across the country. Other survivor groups are regularly being founded as former cancer patients and their families become an increasingly vocal constituency. Addressed to the individual cancer survivor, this book, with its expert advice and its understanding, empathetic tone, will also be a resource for the growing postcancer community.