Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book

Starred review from February 27, 1995
This second edition of Love and Lindsey's comprehensive 1990 title has been so thoroughly revised that, Love notes, only the anatomy chapter remains untouched: ``The breast, I'm glad to report, is still located on the chest!'' New information includes that on mammography screening, the breast cancer gene, the metastatic phase of breast cancer, the connection between mind and body, prevention and the importance of political awareness and action. Also updated are discussions of every conceivable aspect of the breast: from its health and development to such common concerns as normal tissue lumpiness and breast feeding, to issues surrounding breast cancer-its screening, diagnosis, causes, treatment, prevention and the directions of current research. Hormone therapy, silicone implants, breast biopsy, lumpectomy, reconstruction and bone-marrow transplants are also explained. With Lindsey (Friends as Family), Love, who is director of the Comprehensive Breast Center, associate professor of clinical surgery at UCLA School of Medicine and co-founder of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, offers a highly readable book that educates, supports and encourages women to become their own advocates of breast health.

June 5, 1990
More than an up-to-date advisory for the reportedly one-in-eleven women stricken with breast cancer, this is a candid, comprehensive, splendidly well-written guide to a part of the body about which most women know surprisingly little. Originally a general surgeon and now a specialist in breast problems, Love teaches at Harvard Medical School and is affiliated with Boston's Beth Israel Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. With writer Lindsey ( Friends ), she devotes two-thirds of the text to breast cancer, thoroughly covering all aspects of the disease from relative risks to diagnosis (and its emotional impact) and the gamut of treatment options. The authors survey breast development and physiology, appearance (their discussion of plastic surgery is straightforward and nonjudgmental), breast-feeding and common noncancerous conditions, telling all in a tone at once wise and warm. Quotes from Love's patients lend additional scope, as do appendices ranging from recommended reading to lists of support groups and treatment centers. BOMC selection; first serial to Good Housekeeping

September 1, 2010

The woman who almost singlehandedly brought public attention to the mammillary part of our bodies keeps the updates coming. With studies and research advancing at warp speed, this latest tome addresses genetics, how the cell environment influences treatment, new imaging protocols, breast density considerations, and "personalized medicine," approaching each woman's cancer individually. The review of the fourth edition (LJ 9/1/05) said that no library should be without it. Ditto that.

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