Cancer and the Skeleton [Hardcover]

R.D. Rubens (Author), Gregory R. Mundy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 19, 2000

A comprehensive discussion of cancer's effect on the skeleton, this book covers bone tumors, myeloma bone disease and bone metastases. It discusses assessment of these conditions through diagnostic imaging and the use of bone markers and their treatment through the bisphosphonates. The two editors, both experts in the field, have assembled an international team of contributors whose names will be instantly recognized by those specializing in the fields of bone oncology in particular and metabolic bone disease in general.

Editorial Reviews

From The New England Journal of Medicine

This book contains 18 chapters by well-known specialists from the United States, Europe, and Australia. It covers physiology and pathophysiology, diagnosis (imaging and biochemical markers), therapy (radiation, chemotherapy, and surgical procedures), and the care of patients with bone tumors. Although primary bone tumors are mentioned, metastases from solid primary tumors and multiple myeloma are emphasized because of their frequent occurrence. Complete reference lists, updated through 2000, follow each chapter, and the book concludes with a detailed index.

The book contains some inconsistencies and oversights. For example, one author mentions that thyroid and kidney carcinomas commonly metastasize to the skeleton, whereas another author states that these tumors rarely travel to the bone. These differences are probably due to different methods of assessing the frequency and distribution of skeletal metastases; autopsy studies and bone scintigraphy may yield different results. The chapter entitled "Radiology and Magnetic Resonance Imaging" fails to mention that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can easily reveal the trabecular pattern of metastasis. Furthermore, recent publications describe the use of MRI for examining the skeleton (including coronal imaging of the pelvis, proximal femur, and proximal humerus), thereby obviating the need for bone scintigraphy with technetium-99m-labeled methylene diphosphonate as a method for detecting osseous metastases. Unfortunately, this MRI technique is not mentioned in the book.

The book is lavishly illustrated. The quality of the printed radiographs and bone scans varies from moderate to good. Apart from one figure, in which an MRI scan is printed in reverse, I could not find any flaws in the illustrations or legends.

I asked some of my colleagues their opinion of this textbook. An orthopedic surgeon, a radiation therapist, and an oncologist agreed that this monograph provides an attractive introduction but that more experienced specialists might find it somewhat superficial. There are not many books on osseous metastases. Because of the frequency of this condition and the emergence of new therapeutic strategies (especially the use of bisphosphonates), books of this kind are important to the medical community. I can recommend Cancer and the Skeleton to anyone looking for an introductory textbook on this subject.

Paul R. Algra, M.D., Ph.D.
Copyright © 2000 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Informa Healthcare; 1 edition (January 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853177563
• ISBN-13: 978-1853177569
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,874,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)