From Library Journal
This latest offering from the Gale Group gives lay readers a comprehensive look at the current state of cancer and its therapies, covering specific cancer types, diagnostic procedures, side effects, drugs, and treatments. The two-volume set comprises over 450 signed entries, authored by an array of healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and medical writers. A medical advisory board reviewed each article for accuracy before its final inclusion in the set. All entries follow an information template. Entries covering cancer types, for example, are presented via 12 subtopics that range from a definition to substantive disease basics and additional resources for reading and research, while entries on cancer drugs entail seven subtopics, including definition, dosages, and side effects. Bold-faced words, cross references, and lists of key terms also guide the user. Unfortunately, the alphabetical arrangement, while simple to follow, does not always lead readers to the information they may seek. For example, the entry for choriocarcinoma is found, however logically, under "G" for "Gestational Trophoblastic Disease," which demands either additional knowledge from the reader or a look at the index (available in Volume 2). Better-detailed and more plentiful illustrations would also have enhanced the readable text. Appendixes offer a list of the National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers, a list of national support groups with contact information, and lists of government agencies and research groups. Ultimately, the real value of this work lies in its expansive information about cancer, from the basic science behind oncology, namely, cancer genetics, tumor biology, and carcinogenesis, to the myriad healthcare issues surrounding the cancer patient. This title is recommended for consumer health collections that specialize in cancer. Other health collections that cannot afford this pricey set will benefit from the American Cancer Society's Informed Decisions. Gail Hendler, New York Univ. Sch. of Medicine
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Every year more than one million people in the U.S. learn that they have cancer. This diagnosis is no longer an automatic death sentence. Research has provided improved diagnostic and treatment methods that lead to cures in many cases. Understanding that cancer is in fact a generic name for many different diseases and learning how it occurs and spreads will help patients make decisions about treatment.
This encyclopedia, compiled by physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and medical writers, provides detailed information about the various kinds of cancer (Acute myelocytic leukemia, Ovarian cancer); diagnostic procedures (Biopsy, Upper GI series); drugs (Capecitabine, Marijuana ); treatments (Colectomy, Bone marrow transplantation); and scientific concepts (Cancer biology, Chromosome rearrangements). The signed, alphabetical entries range in length from one paragraph to several pages. The longer articles have shaded boxes with definitions of key terms and questions to ask the doctor. They also have resource lists. More than 200 illustrations, photographs, and charts augment the text. A set of anatomical diagrams highlighting the organ systems appears in the front of each volume. Three appendixes provide lists of National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, national support groups, and government agencies and research groups.
Because this encyclopedia focuses on cancer, it provides more detailed information about specific cancers and their treatments, including alternative and complementary therapies, than the The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (Gale, 2001). Some of the articles on procedures (for example, angiography) are taken from that title. The Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer has more color photographs and scanning electron micrographs. It also has information about rare cancers, like choriocarcinoma, that do not appear in most lay cancer resources.
This set emphasizes scientific and clinical information. It does not address practical considerations and quality-of-life issues in detail. Informed Decisions: The Complete Guide to Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery (American Cancer Society, 2001) does this, along with providing current basic clinical and scientific information at a fraction of the cost. But consumer health collections and large public libraries with sufficient funds and the need for a comprehensive lay cancer source will want to consider the Gale set. RBB
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