The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Intraocular Melanoma: A Revised and Updated Directory for the Internet Age [Paperback]

Icon Health Publications (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 18, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0597833540 | ISBN-13: 978-0597833540

This sourcebook has been created for patients who have decided to make education and Internet-based research an integral part of the treatment process. Although it gives information useful to doctors, caregivers and other health professionals, it also tells patients where and how to look for information covering virtually all topics related to intraocular melanoma, from the essentials to the most advanced areas of research. The title of this book includes the word official. This reflects the fact that the sourcebook draws from public, academic, government, and peer-reviewed research. Selected readings from various agencies are reproduced to give you some of the latest official information available to date on intraocular melanoma. Following an introductory chapter, the sourcebook is organized into three parts. PART I: THE ESSENTIALS; Chapter 1. The Essentials on Intraocular Melanoma: Guidelines; Chapter 2. Seeking Guidance; Chapter 3. Clinical Trials and Intraocular Melanoma; PART II: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND ADVANCED MATERIAL; Chapter 4. Studies on Intraocular Melanoma; Chapter 5. Books on Intraocular Melanoma; Chapter 6. Physician Guidelines and Databases; PART III. APPENDICES; Appendix A. Researching Your Medications; Appendix B. Finding Medical Libraries; Appendix C. Your Rights and Insurance; ONLINE GLOSSARIES; INTRAOCULAR MELANOMA GLOSSARY; INDEX. Related topics include: eye cancer, Eye tumor, Malignant melanoma choroid, Malignant melanoma eye, Ocular melanoma.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This is a "must have" reference book for patients, parents, caregivers, and libraries with medical collections. This sourcebook is organized into three parts. Part I explores basic techniques to researching intraocular melanoma (e.g. finding guidelines on diagnosis, treatments, and prognosis), followed by a number of topics, including information on how to get in touch with organizations, associations, or other patient networks dedicated to intraocular melanoma. It also gives you sources of information that can help you find a doctor in your local area specializing in treating intraocular melanoma. Collectively, the material presented in Part I is a complete primer on basic research topics for patients with intraocular melanoma. Part II moves on to advanced research dedicated to intraocular melanoma. Part II is intended for those willing to invest many hours of hard work and study. It is here that we direct you to the latest scientific and applied research on intraocular melanoma. When possible, contact names, links via the Internet, and summaries are provided. In general, every attempt is made to recommend "free-to-use" options. Part III provides appendices of useful background reading for all patients with intraocular melanoma or related disorders. The appendices are dedicated to more pragmatic issues faced by many patients with intraocular melanoma. Accessing materials via medical libraries may be the only option for some readers, so a guide is provided for finding local medical libraries which are open to the public. Part III, therefore, focuses on advice that goes beyond the biological and scientific issues facing patients with intraocular melanoma.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Though many physicians and public officials had thought that the emergence of the Internet would do much to assist patients in obtaining reliable information, in March 2001 the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: "The number of Web sites offering" health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading." Since the late 1990s, physicians have seen a general increase in patient Internet usage rates. Patients frequently enter their doctor's offices with printed Web pages of home remedies in the guise of latest medical research. This scenario is so common that doctors often spend more time dispelling misleading information than guiding patients through sound therapies. ... This book has been created for patients who have decided to make education and research an integral part of the treatment process. ... While this sourcebook covers intraocular melanoma, your doctor, research publications, and specialists may refer to your condition using a variety of terms. Therefore, you should understand that intraocular melanoma is often considered a synonym or a condition closely related to the following: eye cancer; Eye tumor; Malignant melanoma choroid; Malignant melanoma eye; Ocular melanoma.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: ICON Health Publications (November 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0597833540
• ISBN-13: 978-0597833540
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,510,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Visually Impaired, May 7, 2008

By 

See A Cure "Eye Cancer Nonprofit" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Intraocular Melanoma: A Revised and Updated Directory for the Internet Age (Paperback)

Medical resources for the patient need to meet three criteria. They must be affordable, accessible and accurate. This so-called "official patient sourcebook" on intraocular melanoma fails all three criteria and deserves a zero rating.

Affordability: This soft-cover, less than 200-page, widely-spaced manual is overpriced. At a minimum, it should have come with a CD-ROM.

Accessibility: Means easy access. Most of the URLs exceed 100 characters. There are no eye graphics, comparison charts or images of the different types of eye cancer. Many of the references the authors cite, such as Ophthalmology and Archives of Ophthalmology are subscription-only access. The authors have largely cribbed the language of the ocular specialists without translating it into a patient's vocabulary or perspective.

Accuracy: This manual is a shockingly ignorant and inaccurate work. Their most alarming mistake is to constantly compare eye melanoma to skin melanoma. According to ocular oncology pathologist Daniel Albert, "There is a common misconception that ocular melanoma and skin melanoma are essentially the same disease. This is not the case. The two differ in their systemic symptoms, metastatic patterns, and susceptibility to treatment."

Bottom line: this is an amateur and dangerously misleading work. Intraocular melanoma, particularly the common choroidal version, is a cancer that threatens both a patient's sight and life. Skip this book and simply type "choroidal melanoma, eye cancer, eye melanoma, uveal melanoma, intraocular melanoma or ocular melanoma" into any one of the various search engines. Or check out the patient-advocacy organization of seeacure.com for affordable, accessible and accurate information.