Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book

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

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.

Starred review from September 1, 2015

Six times is the charm, with this sixth edition of the title people turn to with questions about breast health as well as disease. This latest iteration by Love, clinical professor of surgery at UCLA and author of Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book, with journalist and researcher Elizabeth Love and author Lindsey (Divorced, Beheaded, Survived: A Feminist Reinterpretation of the Wives of Henry VII), addresses metastatic breast cancer and the longer survival rates of its sufferers, making breast cancer more and more like a chronic disease. New to this edition is the use of "liquid biopsy," blood tests that trace metastases, and ways of lessening the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Love recommends "watchful waiting" with regard to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), rather that immediate treatment; considers research on the benefits (if any) of soy products; and puts forth the efficacy of hormonal therapeutic approaches. Regarding treatment, immunotherapy and vaccines may begin to supplant chemo and radiation; changing the immediate environment of a tumor will be of more significance than targeting the tumor itself. VERDICT Love her or not, Love is the go-to for all matters of the breast.--BLF

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