Customer Reviews

Manual of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Third Edition

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was a major disappointment. It attempts to fill an important niche: that of a concise, up-to-date, single volume overview of pediatric hematology and oncology. I bought the book to have a good review of the field and to take advantage of its many reference tables. Alas, the book suffers from an apparent lack of editing. It is littered with typographical errors, most of which could have been identified with the spell check function on any word processing program. There is little distinction between standard therapies and the author's preferences. The worst feature of the book is its brief discussions of pathogenesis, which are often disorganized and irrelevant to clinical practice (which is the book's focus), and in some cases appear to have been written with little understanding of the field. The section on the pathogenesis of Diamond-Blackfan anemia is a prime example of a collection of unrelated observations that provide no deeper understanding of the disease. In every chapter there are sentences that appear out of context. For example, the section on leukemia lists survival rate as a prognostic factor, as if the survival rate is known at the time of diagnosis. Treatment regimens are sometimes mentioned without any sense of whether they actually work. I will keep this book for its reference tables (though the frequency of errors in the text makes me distrust the tables, too). By eliminating the errors and editing the text carefully, this could be an excellent book.

I was very pleased by the scope and practicality of this book.
I think this book is mandatory for anyone seriously interested in taking care of children with hematologic or oncologic issues

The fourth edition of "Manual of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology" has several advantages; the most important is that it remains a concise book. But also in the new edition one can read the latest developments against cancer, specially the new treatment protocols and the newest genetic developments in the etiology of cancer. The malignant tumors in children are one of the leading causes of death and disability, but great progress has rendered many cancers curable, so for the general pediatrician the book becomes an invaluable tool for remaining up-to-date.

This book is written for the practitioner of pediatric hematology and oncology and it admirably achieves its goal. The author has wide academic experience which he brings to the book. It is a must for all professionals involved in the subject-students,residents,nurse practitioners and hematologists and oncologists. The tables are particularly useful for reviews and as teaching aids.The book is designed as a manual for easy reference at the bedside and is essential for candidates sitting the board exams. There is no other book available in its class. The book only contains information of a practical nature without being cluttered with unnecessary theory or basic science-it is indeed for the practitioner who wishes to practice state of the art clinical pediatric hematology and oncology

While I noted a few errors in the text, this book is useful for preparing for the pediatric heme-onc board certification/recertification examinations. It certainly does not substitute for the comprehensive/authoritative references in the field (Pizzo and Poplack, Nathan and Oski), but unlike those it can be read cover to cover in a relatively short amount of time.