Palliative Medicine: Evidence-Based Symptomatic and Supportive Care for Patients with Advanced Cancer [Paperback]

Roger Woodruff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 2004 | ISBN-10: 019551677X | ISBN-13: 978-0195516777 | Edition: 4

In this thoroughly revised fourth edition of Palliative Care, Roger Woodruff draws on recent research and new developments in treatment to survey the principles of palliative care and related ethical issues. The primary focus is on the management and treatment of pain and other symptoms experienced by patients with advanced cancer. The author contributes to the delivery of better care to more patients with a terminal illness, through thorough analysis and application of methods of pain relief and treatment of other symptoms in the terminally ill patient. All the work is firmly grounded in an evidence based approach and is thoroughly referenced to the latest research in the area.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The fourth edition of this book...in accordance with its theme of evidence-based care, is clearly updated and revised. It is extremely referenced and has as its focus partnerships between patients, families and professional carers...[it] is readable and informative. It never loses its focus of holistic, multi-disciplinary team-driven palliative care, and this fourth edition is an essential text for healthcare professionals working in palliative care. Journal of Advanced Nursing The book is a real pleasure to read. The great advantage of single-author books is the consistency in style. This book excels as an introduction to palliative and will be of great usefulness to starting palliative care fellows and oncology residents. It is also an excellent reference book for internists, medical students, and other health care professionals. It has already been eleven years since the 1st edition of this book was published. For all these years Palliative Medicine has been, and continues to be, the book I recommend to all those health care professionals who are starting their serious reading in palliative care. All of us working in this area are very fortunate to have access to this excellent book. IAHPC Website

About the Author

Roger Woodruff is at Austin and Repatriation Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 520 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 4 edition (March 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019551677X
• ISBN-13: 978-0195516777
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,789,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Palliative Medicine 4th edition, February 2, 2005

By 

R. Woodruff (Malvern, VIC Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Palliative Medicine: Evidence-Based Symptomatic and Supportive Care for Patients with Advanced Cancer (Paperback)

The following reviews are reprinted from the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) website at www.hospicecare.com with the permission of the authors and the Association.

**

Roger Woodruff brings to his writing (for this book is entirely from his hand) a wealth of clinical experience, deep insight into what his readers are looking for and need, and an enviable ability to write comprehensively yet concisely, with authority yet without dogmatism, producing a book which fully merits its title. This is not a reference book primarily for the palliative medicine specialist or library shelf. We have one or two already. Nor it is yet another `recipe' book on pain and symptom management. We have dozens of them. This is a book where every fact and guideline, covering every problem likely to be encountered in palliative medicine, is based on 350 randomised clinical trials (RCTs), dozens of systematic reviews and 45 Cochrane reviews.

It goes without saying that it is up-to-date, rich with tables and figures; that it is comprehensive and insightful, full of practical wisdom; that it is beautifully printed and presented (as we expect from OUP); that it is a delight to handle and to read. I know of no better book for senior medical students, junior doctors and specialists in specialties other than palliative medicine, for all medical and nursing libraries. Never was it more truly said "This book is essential reading for all who care for the terminally ill, wherever they are."

Derek Doyle
Formerly Medical Director/Consultant in Palliative Medicine, St Columba's Hospice, Edinburgh, UK
Editor, The Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine

**

Roger Woodruff has just completed the 4th edition of his classic PALLIATIVE MEDICINE book. This new edition has major improvements and it is likely to remain as one of the most successful, single-authored palliative care books on the market.

The book has a total of 497 pages divided into 5 major sections and 35 chapters.

The initial section provides an excellent introduction to the history and principles of palliative care. This is followed by comprehensive sections on pain and other physical symptoms, a section on psychosocial aspects of care and a short section on complementary and alternative therapies.

This new edition has emphasized a more in depth review of existing evidence and an excellent use of tables and figures.

The book is a real pleasure to read. The great advantage of single-author books is the consistency in style. This book excels as an introduction to palliative care and will be of great usefulness to starting palliative care fellows and oncology residents. It is also an excellent reference book for internists, medical students, and other health care professionals. It has already been eleven years since the first edition of this book was published. For all these years PALLIATIVE MEDICINE has been, and continues to be, the book I recommend to all those health care professionals who are starting their serious reading in palliative care. All of us working in this area are very fortunate to have access to this excellent book.

Eduardo Bruera, MD
Professor and Chair of the Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
Chairman, International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC).

**