Cancer Stories: On Life and Suffering

Each of us will be touched by cancer in the course of our lifetime - as a person diagnosed with the disease or as a family member or friend who must witness its course in someone we love. For all of us, this encounter with cancer will entail an exploration of the margins of life and death. Too often, especially once the curative stage is passed, patients and their loved ones make this journey in silence and without the full support of a medical system whose chief mandate is to "win the battle" against cancer.

In Cancer Stories five people share their journeys, their stories, and the suffering they faced before their deaths. These narratives chronicle the despair, hope, and love they experienced while living and dying with cancer, giving the power of the human spirit full voice. Lessons learned are presented as "gifts" at the conclusion of each of the five narratives.

This book is for people living with the disease and their caregivers. Nurses and physicians, students in any health-related discipline, as well as persons engaged in qualitative research will also find this an invaluable resource. The importance of incorporating qualitative, research-based approaches in caring for the dying emerges from the narratives. Cancer Stories points toward a more holistic research/treatment agenda, one that bridges the medical and social sciences.