IAHPC BOOK REVIEW

HANDBOOK OF ADVANCED CANCER CARE

Michael J. Fisch and Eduardo Bruera (Eds.)

Cambridge University Press, 2003 510pp ISBN 0 521 01043 8 RRP $ US 65, $AU 150, £ 40.70

This book is written for all the various health care professionals—nurses, junior doctors, allied health personnel and students—who are involved in the care of patients with advanced cancer but have not had specialist training in either medical oncology or palliative care. The first section deals with the principles of cancer care including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, palliative care, communication, and psychosocial care. This is followed by 24 chapters providing an overview of clinical features and treatment of different primary cancers, and another 24 chapters dealing with the management of specific symptoms or syndromes.

The chapters are brief, easy to read, and clearly set out. Most are deliberately not referenced, but there is a list of sentinel articles, best reviews and relevant internet sites at the end of each chapter. Missing is a discussion of the adverse effects of cancer therapy which, unfortunately, remain a major cause of morbidity and suffering in patients with advanced cancer.

I think this book achieves its goals. For palliative care staff without specific training in oncology, the description of the various different tumours will be particularly useful. Likewise, the sections on the principles of care for patients with advanced disease and the management of symptoms will be of benefit in the acute oncology setting. So I think this book will be a valuable resource on both the oncology and the palliative care wards.


Roger Woodruff
Director of Palliative Care, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia
August 2003

Author Information

Michael J. Fisch is Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA

Eduardo Bruera is Professor of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA

Table of Contents

Part I. General Concepts in Oncology

1. Principles of diagnosis and staging

John Kavanagh;

2. Principles of palliative chemotherapy

Michael Fisch

3. Principles of palliative surgery

Barry Feig

4. Principles of palliative radiotherapy

Carlos Centano and Carmen González

5. ABCs of clinical trials

Lynn J. Palmer

6. Principles of cancer rehabilitation

Ki Y. Shin

7. Principles of palliative nursing

Nessa Coyle

8. Ethics of decision-making towards the end of life

Christopher Daugherty

9. Breaking bad news

Walter F. Baile and Robert Buckman

10. The use of complementary/alternative medicine

Mary Ann Richardson

11. Understanding 'hospice'

Jane Ingham

12. Practical aspects of home care

Anna Taube

13. Cultural differences in cancer care

Juan Nuñez-Olarte;

14. Implementing family and social services

Marlene Lockey

15. Pastoral care

Derek B. Murray

16. Bereavement

Stephen King

Part II. Primary Tumors

17. Lung cancer

Suzzy Whelan and Thomas J. Smith

18. Breast cancer

Kathy Miller

19. Colorectal cancer

Charles Blanke

20. Prostate cancer

Christopher Sweeney

21. Pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancer

Edward H. Lin and James L. Abbruzzese

22. Anal cancer

Rob Glynne-Jones

23. Esophageal and gastric cancer

Stephen A. Bernard

24. Head and neck cancer

Merrill S. Kies and Roy S. Herbst

25. Kidney cancer

Lori Wood

26. Bladder cancer

Heather-Jane Au

27. Ovarian cancer

Diane Bodurka-Bevers

28. Gynecologic malignacies: endometrial and cervical carcinoma

William Irvin, Jr.

29. Testicular cancer

David B. Solit and Pamela N. Munster

30. Unknown primary site cancer

Renato Lenzi

31. Mesothelioma

Ralph Zinner

32. Soft tissue sarcoma

Alan Sandler and Laura McClure-Barnes

33. Osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma

David Seitz

34. Melanoma

Mark Harries and Tim Eisen

35. Primary brain tumors

Paul M. DesRosiers and Robert D. Timmerman

36. Thyroid and adrenal cancer

Rae Zyn H. Braña and Douglas Evans

37. HIV-related cancers

Julia Ladd Smith

38. Lymphoma

Craig R. Nichols

39. Leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative disorder

Larry D. Cripe and Cheryl Rutledge

40. Multiple myeloma

Letha E. Mills

Part III. Management of Specific Symptoms and Syndromes

41. Assessment of pain

Larry Driver

42. Drug therapy for pain

Barry Eagel

43. Difficult pain management problems

Robin L. Fainsinger

44. Dyspnea

Sam Ahmedzai and Silvia Paz

45. Loss of appetite and weight

Aminah Jatoi and Charles Loprinzi

46. Fatigue

Hans Neuenschwander

47. Depression and anxiety

Michael Fisch

48. Delirium

Peter Lawlor

49. Constipation

Florian Strasser

50. Fever and sweats

Donna Zhukovsky

51. Bleeding

Isabelle Mancini and J. J. Body

52. Thrombosis Lukas

Radbruch

53. Hypercalcemia

Paul W. Walker

54. Lymphedema

Mabel Caban

55. Skin breakdown and management

Kathryn G. Froiland

56. Infections

Rudolph M. Navari

57. Urogenital complications

Romano De Marco and Richard S. Foster

58. Brain metastases

Doreen Oneschuk

59. Bowel obstruction

Carla Ripamonti

60. Bone metastases

Carlos Centeno

61. Meningeal cancer

Neil A. Hagen

62. Pleural and pericardial effusions

Michael J. Boyer

63. Superior vena cava syndrome

Maria Kelly

64. Chronic nausea

Ahmed Elsayem and Michael Fisch

Index.

 

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