About this item
In 2014, an estimated 1.66 million people will receive a diagnosis of cancer. They will join a pool of 13.7 million Americans already living with a history of cancer. Almost 600,000 Americans will die from cancer. For some, cancer will be only a short divergence. For others, however, it will be a dramatic fork in the road. And for still others, the beginning of the end of the line. This book guides cancer patients along their journey where no one knows the duration or the destination. Divided into the three parts of being a cancer patient - the diagnosis, initial treatment, and on to survivorship - the book will help the newly diagnosed cancer patient navigate a complex health care system, make astute decisions at difficult junctures, and manage the emotional turbulence that can rock his or her world. Lastly, it shares the story of how the author and his wife, as well as other cancer patients, have confronted their disease.
About the Author
John Leifer has more than 30 years of experience as a senior health care executive, consultant, academician and writer.
An outspoken advocate for patients' rights, he is a frequently cited expert on health policy issues by numerous national publications and he is the author of The Myths of Modern Medicine: The Alarming Truth About American Health Care (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014) , and After You Hear It's Cancer: A Guide to the Difficult Journey Ahead (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015) .
John has worked with major hospital systems, physician groups, managed care organizations and governmental agencies across the nation. In the mid-1980s, he founded and published The Leifer Report, a cutting-edge healthcare journal that included contributions from President Bill Clinton and Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as well as Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists.
In 2009, he completed a master's degree in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania with a thesis focused on addressing the psycho-social, spiritual and functional needs of cancer patients.
