Cancer Simply Explained: What Is Cancer and What Can We Do Against It?
By Dr. Visar Vela, Dr. Laurence Favet, Dr. Günther Spahn

Despite all the new treatments and the increasing longevity with the disease, the word “cancer” can still invoke fear in many. The statistics feel grim: “In the United States in 2020, 1,603,844 new cancer cases were reported and 602,347 people died of cancer. For every 100,000 people, 403 new cancer cases were reported and 144 people died of cancer.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website, March 2024.)

But there is hope and, the more you know, the better your chances of avoiding cancer. There is no guarantee that it will work, as some cancers are hereditary, but if you can do your best to prevent getting sick, why not try?

The book Cancer Simply Explained: What Is Cancer and What Can We Do Against It? explains in some detail just what cancer is, then details the various treatments, and what someone can do to hopefully avoid the disease. The book also covers what one can do after cancer treatment to prevent recurrence.

For the most part, the book is written and aimed at an audience who is interested in learning more about what cancer is, but the explanation of how cancer can develop may be a bit too technical for most readers. But the book has a good bibliography for those readers who are interested in taking a deep dive into the subject. Many of the sources cited are available on the Internet, making it freely accessible to readers.

I’d recommend Cancer Simply Explained: What Is Cancer and What Can We Do Against It? for anyone interested in what cancer is, current treatments, how to best avoid cancer, and if stricken what to do during and after treatment to avoid a recurrence. Given the serious nature of the subject matter, I found the writing to be accessible and the casual reader will gain a lot of knowledge after reading the book.

4/5 stars

[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion which I have given here.]