The first few days following a cancer diagnosis are like riding on top of a speeding train. You"re hanging on for dear life and can"t quite see what"s ahead. In The Elephant in the Room: Practical Advice When the Diagnosis Is Cancer, author Bob Riter helps people sort out all of the issues involved with a cancer diagnosis. This collection of previously published columns addresses an array of topics related to the diagnosis, the treatment, and the time after treatment. It provides advice on breaking the news to parents and children, including tips on what to say and what not to say. It also examines nontraditional cancer therapies, doctor-patient interactions, survivor"s guilt, the after-treatment blahs, and cancer as a chronic disease. Articles in the collection also discuss advocating for a loved one, talking about hospice care, and being single with cancer. The Elephant in the Room: Practical Advice When the Diagnosis Is Cancer provides useful tips for cancer patients and their friends and family to help them cope with this life-changing diagnosis.