Facing Cancer with Hope:
Suggestions for Patients, Caregivers,
and Patient Advocates
Based on a Surgeon’s Own Cancer Journey
Getting an initial diagnosis of cancer, or a diagnosis of cancer that has recurred after treatment, can be devastating.
The authors have written this book to try to help.
Facing Cancer with Hope shares:
- a surgeon’s own journey facing Stage 4 metastatic cancer
- an accessible review of the biology of cancer and its treatments
- a detailed set of suggestions for cancer patients, their family members and caregivers, and patient advocates supporting individuals with cancer.
Topics Covered Include:
- The burden of cancer on individual patients, families, and society
- Overcoming paralysis after getting a cancer diagnosis and taking first steps after receiving the diagnosis
- A review of the biology of cancer and its effects on our bodies
- Tactics for getting through major cancer surgery as safely and comfortably as possible
- Suggestions for recovery after surgery and preparation for post-op chemotherapy
- Tips for navigating chemotherapy
- Dealing with a diagnosis of recurrent cancer
- Coping strategies for cancer patients and their caregivers and for children of individuals facing cancer, including ways to remain hopeful
- Shared decision-making when dealing with advanced cancer
- An overview of the roles of individualized medicine-based approaches, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy in cancer treatment
- Strategies for identifying, selecting from, and pursuing clinical trials
- Basics of radiation therapy and stem cell transplantation
What Readers Are Saying:
I wish that I had this amazing book when I was diagnosed with lymphoma. And once again when my disease took a turn for the worse and I went through aggressive chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. At those two key moments in my illness, I was in search of books and articles I could read on the nature of my disease, my prognosis, and my treatment options – what positive steps could I take for me, for my partner, and for our two young children? More than that, I yearned for stories of survivors, beating the odds in predicaments like mine, that might fill me with hope, at a time of darkness and despair. This expertly written book is all of these in one. Whether you are a patient, a caregiver, or a provider, Facing Cancer with Hope is a must read – and a must reread through the course of your illness.
–Malcolm Baker, PhD, Robert G Kirby Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
Dr. Woog has done something very selfless, and very special. He has tapped into his vast experience as a physician and writer, combined with his experience from his long and complex cancer journey, to develop a “must read” for cancer patients and/or their loved ones. From discussing the origins of the biology of cancer to what to expect at each step of the cancer journey, Dr. Woog provides key practical take home points for cancer patients and their loved ones. As a NCI-designated Cancer Center Director, I plan on recommending Facing Cancer with Hope to our patients.
–Ruben A. Mesa, M.D., F.A.C.P., Professor of Medicine, Leukemia Cancer Specialist, Executive Director of the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson
My best friend was recently diagnosed unexpectedly with metastatic stomach cancer (like Dr. Woog). Neither my friend or I have medical backgrounds, and Facing Cancer with Hope provided both a crash course in understanding cancer and a template in how to navigate Stage 4 cancer from diagnosis to seeing an oncologist to undergoing treatment. We appreciated the authors’ suggestions about how to select an oncologist, and their step-by-step recommendations were instrumental in helping us prepare for the first consultation and get the most out of our visit. This book was indispensable in helping me help my friend, who has limited health insurance, get accepted into a clinical treatment trial under the care of an excellent oncologist at a major cancer center.
–Deborah Annibali, Malibu, California
I wish that this book had been available to me at the time that I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Facing Cancer with Hope is a remarkable resource for cancer patients and their families. A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, but this book can provide you with a way to understand and become educated about the disease and how you can play an active role in your treatment. Not only is it full of valuable information and insights but it also conveys hope and humanity through the story of the experience of the authors’ and their family with cancer. The chapter on coping strategies really resonated with me, and should be required reading for all cancer patients, their families and medical professionals.
–Linda Rochford, PhD, Fulbright Scholar, Associate Professor Emerita, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Facing Cancer with Hope: Suggestions for Patients, Caregivers, and Patient Advocates based on a Surgeon’s Own Cancer Journey, is an incredibly valuable book for patients, their loved ones, and their health care providers. The authors, highly respected surgeons, shares their own remarkable experiences as they persevered in the face of staggering challenges. As Drs. Woog and Destro write, surviving cancer is a team sport. You need to build a deep bench and you need to be ready to change your strategy as the battle unfolds. In the end, the take home message is to be an active resource and participant in your own care, helping your providers to help you.
–Mark A. Varvares M.D., F.A.C.S., The John W. Merriam and William W. Montgomery Professor and Chair, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Chief, Departments of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Massachusetts General Hospital; Director Emeritus, St. Louis University Cancer Center
Facing Cancer with Hope, is much more than a story of “the doctor has cancer.” Throughout this book, Dr. John Woog and his wife Dr. Maryanna Destro, weave details of their own personal cancer journey along with their suggestions for patients, patient advocates, and treatment providers.
This comprehensive treatise covers every aspect of their journey, including understanding the basic biology of cancer, preparing for your first oncology consultation, experiencing major surgery and chemotherapy, speaking with kids and family, facing cancer recurrence, researching clinical trials, and even deciding what movies you and your family can watch to keep up your spirits. At once both incredibly compelling and deeply moving, using accessible language even when discussing complex medical principles, this stand-out book will serve as the source of knowledge, inspiration, and hope for patients, family members, caregivers, and patient advocates alike.
–Morris Hartstein, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor, Tel Aviv University
Facing Cancer with Hope by Drs. Woog and Destro is a tremendous resource for anyone with cancer or their family members. You can learn how Dr. Woog researched treatments for his Stage 4 metastatic cancer and how, working with his health care providers, he ultimately found a treatment that worked. It was through his advice that I realized that everyone must become an advocate for their own health. This ended up saving my own life.
–Steven Leibowitz, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor, University of California-Los Angeles School of Medicine
This book is the kind of thoughtful, patient-focused cancer guide I wish I’d had during my own battle with cancer. In grappling with a life-threatening disease, Drs. Woog and Destro couple the expertise and probing insight of research physicians with the humanism and wisdom of expert clinicians and patient advocates. Facing Cancer with Hope is a compelling, must-read addition to the cancer treatment canon.
—M. Roy Wilson, M.D., M.S. , President, Wayne State University
Written by two surgeons, Facing Cancer with Hope is a highly personal, inside look at the difficult journey of cancer, as traveled by the authors. Their detailed explanations of what is cancer, what are possible treatment options, and what patients may expect at every step along the way provide valuable insights for patients, their family members, and their advocates.
A big focus of this book is patient advocacy. As a physician myself, I can attest to the importance of patients taking an active role in their own health care. An effective health care team’s most important member is the patient, and by advocating for oneself, the patient can help their providers help them.
Amid these inspirational teachings, this book also beautifully portrays the importance of family, friends, and faith in the process of coping with cancer. In short, Facing Cancer with Hope is a masterpiece that tackles a challenging subject with expertise and grace.
–Eric Diamond, M.D., Medical Director, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Westwood
Facing Cancer with Hope: Suggestions for Patients, Caregivers, and Patient Advocates based on a Surgeon’s Own Cancer Journey candidly recounts the incredible cancer story of a two-physician family, offers suggestions and lessons learned, and empowers readers with guidance to intelligently navigate the increasingly complex landscape of modern cancer treatments. The authors combine a methodical approach to problem solving with easily understandable language, allowing the book to read both as a thoughtful recounting of a personal cancer story as well as a highly inclusive medical guide, complete with links to additional resources. A wide range of issues are addressed, including strategies for personal and family coping, what to expect at various office visits and surgeries, what questions to ask your doctors, and comprehensible overviews of a wide variety of medical topics. Most importantly the book encourages those living with cancer to maintain hope, with an emphasis on providing tools to allow for careful decision making and feeling that you are doing all that you can in your cancer battle.
–Suzanne K. Freitag, M.D., Director, Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Co-Director, Center for Thyroid Eye Disease and Orbital Surgery; Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
As respected surgeons and teachers as well as husband and wife, it’s no surprise that this collaborative effort between Drs. Woog and Destro has resulted in an elegant, detailed, and “must read” book. This work skillfully intertwines the story of Dr. Woog’s cancer diagnosis and treatments with a detailed explanation of the science of cancer and its therapies and a step-by-step explanation of their research and decision-making processes. This “how-to” guide, carefully written for readers with or without a medical background, is informative, educational, and filled with compassion and love. Thank you, Drs. Woog and Destro, for sharing your journey with us.
–Rand Rodgers, M.D., Director, Oculofacial Surgery Northwell Health System, NY
Facing Cancer with Hope is a tour de force of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival! The authors not only “talk the talk” but have indeed “walked the walk”. Dr. Woog was an inspiration to me in my cancer struggle, and with this book the authors will inform and inspire patients in a similar fashion. This is a must read for every cancer patient and their family members.
–Steven Dresner, M.D., Professor, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
Drs. Woog and Destro have sailed the Dark Ocean on an unplanned voyage. Facing Cancer with Hope, with its masterful interweaving of the medical and the personal, is a chart showing the shoals and the deep passages, the winds and the calms.
It is an eminently readable comment on illness, life and the importance of family, friends, pets and above all, Faith. It is not just for those facing cancer, as all can learn much from the practical, philosophical and spiritual wisdom contained herein.
–Russell S. Gonnering, M.D., M.M.M, Clinical Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin
About the Authors:
Dr. John Woog completed his undergraduate studies at the Pennsylvania State University as a recipient of the President’s and Evan Pugh Awards. He then graduated as class valedictorian from Jefferson Medical College. Dr. Woog then completed an internship in internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, prior to pursuing ophthalmology residency training at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary-Harvard Medical School. He then pursued fellowship training in eye plastic, lacrimal, and orbital surgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a Heed Fellowship recipient.
Dr. Woog then returned to Boston where he entered private practice and served on the clinical faculties of the Tufts-New England Medical Center and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary-Harvard Medical School. After relocating with Dr. Destro and their family to Minnnesota, Dr. Woog has served as a Consultant and Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. He has been active in medical student and resident education at the University of Wisconsin, Harvard Medical School, the Tufts University School of Medicine, and the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, and has served as a Preceptor and Fellowship Director for fellowship programs in oculoplastic and orbital surgery sponsored by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Massachusetts and Minnesota. Dr. Woog is a recipient of Teacher of the Year Awards from the Departments of Ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary-Harvard Medical School and the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and the Oliver Smith Award for Patient Care at the Tufts University School of Medicine-New England Medical Center.
Dr. Woog has performed basic and applied clinical research and has presented his work at regional, national, and international scientific meetings. He is the recipient of the Research Award from the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Woog has contributed over 60 original articles and 30 book chapters to the medical literature and has edited two books. He has served as a peer reviewer for multiple medical journals and as a member of the editorial board of the journal Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Dr. Woog has served administratively as Acting Co-Director and Co-Director, respectively, of the Eye Plastic Surgery services of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary-Harvard Medical School and the New England Eye Center-Tufts University School of Medicine, and as Clinical Practice Chair for the Department of Ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic-Rochester. He has been an active member of numerous professional societies including the American Academy of Ophthalmology from which he received the Senior Achievement and Secretariat’s Awards, and the American Society of Ophthalmic and Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, from which he received the Leadership Award.
Dr. Maryanna Destro completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota where she graduated summa cum laude from the College of Biological Sciences. She then attended the University of Minnesota College of Medicine, where she was voted the outstanding woman of her graduating class. Dr. Destro completed her internship at the Hennepin County Medical Center and did her residency training in ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was selected to serve as Chief Resident. She then completed a two-year specialty fellowship in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary- Harvard Medical School. She was selected for the prestigious Heed and Knapp research fellowships as well as a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health for her basic laboratory and clinical research in vitreoretinal diseases.
Following completion of her fellowship training, Dr. Destro was a member of the Retina Service at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary-Harvard Medical School, served as Associate Surgeon while teaching medical students, residents, and fellows, and also provided vitreoretinal specialty services to private practice ophthalmology groups in Boston. She also held the position of Clinical Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine-New England Medical Center. Following relocation with Dr. Woog and their family to Minnesota, Dr. Destro served on the Retina Service staffs of the Departments of Ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic in Austin and Rochester, Minnesota.
Dr. Destro has been a member of multiple professional ophthalmology organizations and has been invited to present her work at meetings of regional, national and international organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the Retina Society, the American Society of Retina Specialists, the New England Ophthalmology Society, and the Massachusetts Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, in addition to medical teaching institutions including the University of Wisconsin, Harvard Medical School, Tufts New England Medical Center, and the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.
Dr. Destro has performed basic and clinical research in the field of vitreoretinal surgery, and has authored numerous papers and book chapters in this field. She has been a contributor to Ask Mayo Expert, a leading clinical practice resource for staff at the Mayo Clinic and at institutions that are part of the worldwide Mayo Clinic Care Network. Dr. Destro has served as a peer reviewer for multiple medical journals, has served as an examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology, and has served as a member of multiple hospital committee groups.