American Cancer Society Atlas of Clinical Oncology: Brain Cancer (Book with CD-ROM) [Hardcover]

Prados (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2001 | Series: American Cancer Society Atlas of Clinical Oncology

Part of the "American Cancer Societys Atlas of Clinical Oncology" series, this volume offers an expert overview of all brain tumors. From molecular genetics of malignant glioma to radiosurgery, the work provides thorough examination of all brain cancers. Basic concepts of epidemiology genetics and neuropathology are also included. Both adult and pediatric tumors are covered. Medical surgical and radiation oncologists contribute their expertise to this comprehensive work.

Editorial Reviews

From The New England Journal of Medicine

This book, a compendium of current concepts in neuro-oncology, is part of the American Cancer Society Atlas of Clinical Oncology series. It consists of 23 crisply presented and well-illustrated chapters written by 42 contributors, many from the University of California, San Francisco. The chapters can be broadly divided into the demographics of brain tumors (epidemiology, histopathology, familial syndromes, and genetics), imaging (magnetic resonance imaging and positron-emission scanning), and current treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, and irradiation). The book also includes chapters covering the special circumstances presented by childhood tumors, meningiomas, spinal tumors, metastases, and paraneoplastic syndromes. The strengths of the book are several. The chapters are concisely written and are well edited in a uniform manner by a well-respected expert. Color illustrations enliven the text; even most of the tables are in color. Most impressive is the CD-ROM that accompanies the book: it contains the entire text and illustrations, presented in PDF format for easy searching with Adobe Acrobat. Some of the individual chapters are extremely useful. A very good chapter on familial brain tumor syndromes summarizes recent findings on this topic. The illustrations in this chapter are particularly good. The chapter on external-beam radiotherapy is useful and complete, and the chapter on radiosurgery provides a comprehensive overview with a practical, manual-like approach. Systemic chemotherapy, clinical trials, and experimental approaches based on gene therapy are covered sufficiently. Specific aspects of the surgical management of brain tumors in both adults and children are all covered in detail. For instance, the management of low-grade gliomas in adults never fails to stir up heated debates, and the role of surgical exploration, radiation therapy, and even chemotherapy at any stage of the initial diagnosis in these patients is reviewed in great detail. The results of treatment of neoplastic meningitis illustrate its poor prognosis. The chapter on this complication discusses the possibilities of newly developed agents, such as liposomal conjugated drugs, for its treatment. The chapter on paraneoplastic syndromes highlights the latest developments in these poorly understood disorders. The limitations of this book are relatively few. Some of the micrographs and clinical images of tumors are of suboptimal quality, and macroscopical photographs are of uneven value. Discussions regarding the techniques of magnetic resonance spectroscopy and relative cerebral-blood volume are limited. Brain Cancer is meant for a broad audience, one that includes specialists who deal with brain tumors on a daily basis (neurologists, neurosurgeons, and radiation oncologists) as well as generalists who encounter these problems only occasionally. Although the book may be slightly too general for specialists with large neuro-oncology practices, residents in the neurosciences will particularly benefit from it. Neuro-oncology is a rapidly evolving field of both clinical and basic scientific research. There has been progress in the understanding of most tumors of the central nervous system at a molecular level, and advances in neurosurgical and radiotherapeutic techniques have yielded improvements in the management of gliomas. The role of any form of medical therapy (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or gene therapy) has been controversial, and medical therapy has added only slight benefit in terms of survival. Brain Cancer reviews progress in neuro-oncology better than many books twice its length, and we enthusiastically recommend it. Hendrikus G. Krouwer, M.D.
Copyright © 2002 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 434 pages
• Publisher: B C Decker (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550090984
• ISBN-13: 978-1550090987
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,808,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)