A Dietitian's Cancer Story : Information and Inspiration for Recovery and Healing

Katrina Claghorn, RD, Oncology Dietitian
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Last Modified: November 1, 2001

Author: Diana Dyer, MS, RD, CNSD, dianadyermsrd@provide.net
Publisher: New 5th edition, March, 1999, Diana Dyer, P.O. Box 130221, Ann Arbor, MI 48113 (734)996-9260
Price: $8.00 + $2.00 S/H. MI residents add $.48 sales tax. Canadian Residents send $12.00 (US). Other Countries send $13.00 (US). Bulk pricing available for orders of 10 or more.

OncoLink Rating:

Diana Dyer is a clinical dietitian who has survived cancer three times. She now exclusively counsels cancer patients on nutrition and diet. This book is a compilation of nutrition information and complementary therapies that have benefited the author and her patients. However, it is also a personal story since Dyer interlaces the text with her own experiences of the recovery process.

The book's forty pages are crammed with informative and useful recommendations for developing a healthy diet that can also reduce the risk of cancer. This is an ideal book for anybody wanting to start "eating right", but who has no idea where to begin. Dyer provides specific diet recommendations such as the amount of fat and fiber to include daily and then gives information on how to achieve these goals with sample menus, realistic suggestions for incorporating nontraditional foods and ways to integrate the diet into family meals. She even provides a grocery list of healthy items to stock, most of which are available at regular grocery stores.

In addition to nutrition Dyer also cites complementary therapies that may be beneficial in recovery and provides practical recommendations on dietary supplements. The resource list includes both medically based literature and many of the better known books on complementary therapies. Dyer provides a brief synopsis with her personal observations on each book referenced.

While the book focuses on breast cancer many of the suggestions are useful and applicable for all cancer patients. This is an ideal book for the person attempting combine medical information with alternatives therapies.