Book Reviews: Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy and Cancer and Natural Medicine

"The author has invested substantial amount of time on converting otherwise difficult to dissect information into a pleasingly easy to read format for readers of all levels. The books starts with a very thorough introduction on major aspects of cancer and cell biology and biochemistry. In particular, the chapters on growth factors, signal transduction, and natural inhibitors of angiogenesis are fascinating to read. ...This press is of a professional text book quality and is a fine reference book for research and clinical scientists in all areas of cancer therapeutics and management."
Journal of Experimental Therapeutics and Oncology

"A feast ...an eye-opener for researchers...this book is a must...an authoritative text....very useful for the patient-physician team to enhance care...a powerful starting point to develop the protocols [needed for] scientific work...highly recommended."
Pharma Times, Journal of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association

"This book is by far the most comprehensive I have seen regarding the use of natural compounds in cancer therapy. It is a welcome addition to the literature and will soon become indispensable to anyone working in the area."
Phytotherapy Research

"Because of Boik's committed plan, fine organization, good diagrams, figures, schemes and composite tables, and above all his lucid language, this book shall be regarded as a handbook for a wide range of readers, from oncologists to cancer patients, from clinicians to nurses, from scientists to common men. Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy is a pioneering contribution to the medical literature. This book is highly recommended."
Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology

"This book is full of carefully examined science and comes as close as one can imagine to giving a balanced view of the efficacy of plant extracts in cancer therapy. [It is] a highly scientific treatment of the subject."
Natural Products Reports

"I cannot recommend this book highly enough; it is the ideal reference for every professional—clinicians and researchers, as well as general readers and patients... This book by John Boik ... is a masterpiece and massive work..."
Positive Health Magazine (U.K)

"The search is on worldwide, in a major way, to identify anticancer agents from natural sources. Boik must be commended for summarizing most of this evidence in this major textbook. It is a most valuable source of information and will be a useful text for researchers in this field."
Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies

"John Boik's Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy is a meticulous, scholarly, comprehensive, invaluable review of the actions and potential clinical use of more than three dozen carefully selected natural compounds."
Midwest Book Review

"The use of natural compounds in cancer therapy is a field still in its infancy, but this well-referenced book represents a large step forward. ...a groundbreaking reference."
Northeastern Naturalist

"For any practitioner treating oncology patients, this book will prove invaluable. It will also be of interest to cancer researchers, pharmacologists, and investigative patients."
Alternative Medicine Review

"Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy must be considered the ultimate reference for all those interested and working in the area of medicinal botanicals. The painstaking scholarship is evident in every page, and the detailed references underscore the veracity of the claims and comments made. It is a must for anyone interested in the use of natural botanical compounds in the treatment of human diseases."
William R. Fair, MD
Former Chief Urology Department
Florence and Theodore Baumritter/Enid Ancell Chair of Urologic Oncology
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

"Congratulations to John Boik on writing Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy. This is the definitive text on natural medicine and cancer. This book magnificently shares with the reader a wealth of exciting information that will be used by the patient-physician team to enhance the clinical care of the patient. This book also is a powerful starting point for cancer protocols involving vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other natural products. Wow, what a contribution."
Stephen B. Strum, MD, FACP
Medical Oncologist, Specialist in Prostate Cancer
Prostate Cancer Research Institute
Los Angeles, California

"For patients and practitioners searching for a scientific guide to natural cancer therapies-look no further. John Boik has created a unique reference that organizes the information about complementary treatments and presents it clearly and objectively. This is a welcome sequel to his first book, Cancer and Natural Medicine. I will continue to recommend both to my patients."
William M. Buchholz, MD
Medical Oncologist
Mountain View, California

"Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy is a welcome addition to the oncology literature for patients, physicians, and investigators alike. Daily, in our practices, oncologists are faced with patients who wish to supplement their cancer treatment with natural substances. Often we have only our prejudices to guide us in assisting them. This masterful book provides a much-needed compendium of bench research, human trials, and hypotheses. John Boik's honest and evenhanded approach delineates clearly the state of knowledge regarding natural therapies. The elucidated gaps between theoretical considerations, laboratory studies, and human trials cry out for investigation of these potential therapies. This book, as one might expect, raises more questions than it provides answers, but it gives us a rational place to begin in advising our patients."
Joe Mason, MD
Chief of Medical Oncology at Kaiser Permanente
San Jose, California

"Mr. Boik has done an excellent job of reviewing and synthesizing the available science on the use of natural compounds in cancer therapy. However, this book goes beyond a simple review, as he makes a cogent argument for the need for additional research in this field and presents a framework for pursuing further understanding in this area, which will hopefully stimulate other scientists to take up the challenge. I would recommend this book to all those who wish to familiarize themselves with the vast untapped potential of the use of natural compounds in the treatment of malignancy."
David Ungar, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Penn State College of Medicine

"Anyone interested in a solid scientific basis for natural compounds in cancer treatment should read this pioneering book. Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy provides a wellspring of inspiration and guidance for both researchers and doctor-patient teams alike. If I were diagnosed with cancer tomorrow, this would be among the first references I would turn to."
James Duke,
Economic Botanist
Author of The Green Pharmacy

"This is a brilliant book...it may be the finest resource currently available on natural and alternative medicine in cancer therapy. Nutritherapy is now being heralded throughout the world as the 'frontier of science and health.' In Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy, Boik has provided the road map to this brave new world of nutritherapy in cancer."
Frank D Wiewel, Founder, People Against Cancer, Former Co-Chairman, Pharmacological and Biological Treatments Committee, Office of Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health

Additional journals and magazines are now reviewing this book. Reviews will be excerpted here as they become available.

Reviews for Cancer and Natural Medicine -(up to top)

"For an academically trained medical oncologist, this is an astonishing discourse... In fact, reading it is quite rewarding as it provides insight into the border zone between scientific and traditional cancer medicine. ...The textbook is a useful reference for people interested in natural medicine and especially Traditional Chinese Medicine."
Annals of Oncology

"John Boik deserves the accolades of the medical and scientific community for his efforts in assembling the present knowledge of natural therapies and combining it with current knowledge and beliefs about the mechanisms of cancer development. This soft-backed volume is well produced with masses of information tables and figures. It is exceptionally well referenced."
Cancer Letters

"This book by John Boik gives many professional and lay persons a readily available source of information. ...Overall, this book is of value as a reference book to physicians and researchers. Mr. Boik's research is extensive and his book well-referenced. With the interest in natural remedies increasing, it does provide a source of references for the physician, pharmacist, nurse, and researcher."
ONCOLOGY

"[John Boik] has undertaken a rigorous and immensely valuable literature search on the effects of natural medicine on cancer. ...A comprehensive list of references completes a remarkably informative and instructive textbook. ...It...can be recommended as a useful source of information in an increasingly important area of cancer treatment."
Journal of Advanced Nursing

"This is not a good book, it is a great book. This is a complete technical manual on understanding the cancer process and how natural agents may be able to prevent, slow, or reverse the cancer continuum. John Boik has put forth a Herculean effort in gathering this invaluable work. If implemented widely, then Boik’s work will be partly responsible for a more enlightened approach to cancer treatment."
HerbalGram, Journal of the American Botanical Council

"This ...work is an excellent reference for the potential use of natural remedies in cancer treatment.  The book is well-researched, well-organized, and well-written." Score: 92/100--Four Stars."
Review by Doody Publishing, independent reviewers of books on nursing, clinical medicine, and allied health

"This book provide a thorough, scholarly review of the use of herbal and other complementary, alternative, or nontraditional therapies in the prevention and treatment of cancer. This text fills an important gap in the literature…and would be of value for clinicians, educators, and researchers looking for a scholarly resource concerning alternative therapies. Science-minded, sophisticated patients will also find this text valuable because it can assist individuals in evaluating alternative/complementary therapies that are of interest to them."
Oncology Nursing Forum

"It is not surprising that people have turned to 'alternative' ways of preventing and dealing with [cancer]. But to do so in an intelligent manner requires individuals to educate themselves both about the disease and its potential treatments. That’s why Cancer and Natural Medicine by John Boik is such an important addition to anyone's library."
Healthy & Natural Journal

"Interesting and fact-filled. The book is clear to read, well produced and packed with further references, from aconitum to zanthoxylum. Those involved in cancer treatment should have this information available. To practitioners of herbal medicine, it is an excellent primer on research methodology. Either way, it will stimulate dialogue that can only be of benefit to future cancer patients."
Complementary Therapies in Medicine

"The textbook is a useful reference for health professionals interested in learning more about the biological effects of natural remedies in the treatment of cancer."
Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal

"Cancer and Natural Medicine is a fascinating attempt to outline the scientific basis for the treatment of cancer by natural means. ...This book is a very worthwhile investment for any doctor interested in the scientific background of alternative medicine."
Australian Doctor

"Cancer and Natural Medicine is full of well-organized graphs, tables, and statistics worthy of any good medical library reference text. ...The writing style is comparable to that seen in Scientific American Medicine. ..Medical students looking for good reasons to learn their basic science subjects well might be better motivated by taking a look at this excellent reference work. Highly recommended."
Health Naturally (Canada)

"I first came across a copy of Cancer and Natural Medicine on a colleagues desk. I picked it up, and could not put it down. I had to have my own copy. This is a must book for any professional who works with cancer patients. Also, I would not hesitate to recommend it to patients who are questioning conventional therapy for their particular type of malignancy. Even though there is a wealth of technical information, the use of charts and cross-referencing makes this book extremely user-friendly. I would hope that every oncologist in America would want a copy of this book and that medical schools would use this book as part of their oncology course--maybe I will see this in my lifetime."
Review by Shari Lieberman, Ph.D., appearing in the newsletter for the American Preventive Medical Association

"This new reference may prove to be a useful tool to nurses and others providing care to patients with cancer who have sought or are seeking alternative [therapies]. ... I recommend this book as an important source of additional information for the nurse working with cancer patients."
WholeNurse

"As a traditionally trained medical oncologist, I have found this book to be invaluable as a review of the basics of my field and as a tool to learn of other complementary components. It definitely has its place on my reference shelf and is becoming a valuable tool in my practice."
Roy R. Hall, M.D.

"This book is superbly written and well researched.  It thoroughly describes the biological aspects of natural anticancer agents."
Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute For Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon

"...Mr. Boik approaches his subject matter in a comprehensive and scholarly fashion.  I would definitely recommend this book to the health practitioner and sophisticated patient who want to gain a better understanding of alternative therapies."
David Ungar, M.D. (pediatric oncologist)

"...As a medical oncologist familiar with many aspects of 'alternative' cancer medicine, I found this book to be accurate and objective in its presentation, up-to-date, and well-referenced.  This book reads very well and is highly recommended."
Stephen B. Strum, M.D., F.A.C.P.

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