Breast Cancer Husband
How to Help Your Wife (and Yourself) Through Diagnosis, Treatment and Beyond  
By Marc Silver

     Breast cancer. Those two words often strike fear in a woman's heart, but what of her significant other? Perhaps unaccustomed to sharing emotions, perhaps used to being "Mr. Fix-it", the typical husband/partner frequently becomes terrified, too, but not just about the diagnosis. He's worried he'll say or do something that will further upset his mate.

     Author Marc Silver readily admits he fell into an abyss of ignorance with his wife's diagnosis. While myriad books aimed at women exist, the lack of information written by a man for men spurred him to pen Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (and Yourself) Through Diagnosis, Treatment and Beyond.

      As the title suggests, Mr. Silver covers every aspect of breast cancer. How is the diagnosis made? What role does the husband play amongst the many members of the treatment team? What are the treatment options? How can a husband help alleviate the side effects of chemo? How does he cope with a pitted or removed breast and does cancer mean the end of intimacy? For time-crunched readers, the detailed contents page allows for immediate access to pertinent-to-the-moment information, and each section ends with valuable tips.

     However, this book is not just a layman's guide to medical terms. Mr. Silver has conducted numerous interviews with oncologists, social workers, nurses and therapists, who share stories of both loving and misguided male responses. "Guy Talk", counsel from other breast cancer husbands, is also interspersed throughout the guidelines. Advice, such as don't use sports analogies when talking to your wife, is straightforward and concise.

     Though doctors have not yet discovered a way to prevent breast cancer, I'd say Mr. Silver has found the way to avoid foot-in-mouth disease. If the woman in your life has the tragic misfortune of suffering from this dreaded disease, do yourself a favor. Keep a copy of Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (and Yourself) Through Diagnosis, Treatment and Beyond handy. While the book may not keep you out of the doghouse, it will probably help you lighten the sentence.