Men, Women, and Prostate Cancer: A Medical and Psychological Guide for Women and the Men They Love

Li Liu, MD
Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Last Modified: November 1, 2001

Author: Barbara Rubin Wainrib, Ed.D., Sandra Haber, Ph.D., with Jack Maguire.
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
ISBN: 1-57224-182-9

OncoLink Rating:

Men, Women, and Prostate Cancer: A Medical and Psychological Guide for Women and the Men They Love is authored by Barbara Rubin Wainrib, Ed.D., a clinical psychologist in private practice in Montreal and associate professor at McGill University, and Sandra Haber, Ph.D., a psychologist in private practice in New York City, whose son-in-law had just been diagnosed with prostate cancer Drs. Wainrib and Haber are media consultants and lecture frequently to professional and lay audiences in the United States and Canada.

Prostate cancer is not a joyful topic, yet Drs. Wainrib and Haber, both being psychologists, have written a uniquely thorough and readable account woven together from their patients' experiences of what it is like to be victimized by a life-threatening disease. As they put it: "The more informed you are about prostate cancer as a whole, the better able you will be to manage each and every day of living with it. So little is known for sure about the illness, and no many myths circulate, that every bit of understanding you can bring to your experience of it will be enormously valuable to you, your doctor, and your loved ones."

The book begins by addressing how men usually cope with the discovery of their prostate cancer. In the overwhelming majority of cases, they turn their situation to the women in their lives. The heart of the book centers on women who care for men during their illness.

The book then goes on to describe the development of prostate cancer, detection and diagnosis, treatment options available, how to choose, alternative medicine, and very importantly, coping with post-treatment issues. The authors discussed in detail psychological and emotional issues which arise throughout the course of prostate cancer treatment. They describe how every cancer is a family illness. Familial response plays a role in how a patient feels about the illness and in how a patient selects options and is willing to pursue them.

The book ends with clear and rich recommendations on how to adapt to prostate cancer, which will be valuable to the professional, the family, and the patient. This is a must-read book for prostate cancer patients and their partners. OncoLink highly recommends Men, Women, and Prostate Cancer.