A Physician's Guide to Pain and Symptom Management in Cancer Patients [Paperback]

Janet L. Abrahm MD (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0801862469 | ISBN-13: 978-0801862465 | Edition: First Edition, First Printing

Cancer imposes severe physical, psychological, social, and spiritual burdens on patients and their families. In A Physician's Guide to Pain and Symptom Management in Cancer Patients, Dr. Janet Abrahm argues that this suffering should be prevented or treated at all stages: at diagnosis, during curative therapy, in the event that cancer recurs, during the final months. To help primary care physicians, advanced practicenurses, internists and oncologists alleviate distress, she provides a detailed guide both for the difficult discussions and for the treatment of the symptoms that are likely to occur.

In Part I, Dr. Abrahm reviews a variety of important issues facing cancer patients and their families, focusing particularly on the "unasked questions" they are afraid to raise but that weigh heavily on their minds. She reviews, for example, how to break bad news; how to discuss advance directives and living wills; how to answer requests for assisted suicide; how to overcome misconceptions and persuade patients to take the opioids they really need; and how to help patients and families cope when cure is no longer possible.

Part II is a comprehensive guide to controlling pain, managing other symptoms, providing comfort during the patient's last days, and helping the bereaved survivors. This thorough and compassionate manual is symptom-oriented and patient-focused, featuring the input of all members of the health care and hospice teams, as well as useful case histories, extensive tables of medications, illustrations of pain assessment scales, "practice points" for easy reference, and bibliographies for physicians and for patients and their families.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Family physicans who look after cancer patients will find this book helpful. It would be a useful addition to a hospital or clinic library." -- Canadian Family Physician

"This book is important for all dimensions of patient care -- not just cancer. Every doctor in clinical practice needs this book. Every patient will benefit from it." -- Christine Cassell, M.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine

"Writing as a seasoned clinician, Dr. Abrahm provides a clinically practical, user-friendly textbook to help physicians address the hidden fears, multiple symptoms, and difficult decisions that patients with advanced cancer face in the course of their illness. The textbook reads like an 'on the phone consultation' with Dr. Abrahm. The case vignettes, useful algorithms for drug therapy, and practical 'how to' information for discussing end of life care make this book a unique resource for all practicing clinicians who care for seriously ill patients." -- Kathleen M. Foley, M.D., Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

"For clinical sophistication, insight into the complexities of doctor-patient communication, and detailed guidance on the treatment of a wide range of distressing symptoms, clinicians will turn again and again to this practical and concise guide as they accompany patient and family through the late stages of illness." -- Diane Meier, M.D., Mount Sinai Medical Center

"Based on the long experience of an obviously careful practitioner, this book is filled with practical hints and ideas for how to deal with all aspects of symptoms for the cancer patient and many others. It is a delight to read and will be a helpful reference for the office shelf." -- Margaret Bowman, M.D., University of Pennsylvania

"Every healthcare professional needs this book. A practical and concise guide, it is an excellent resource that should be used to prevent and treat suffering as healthcare professionals accompany the patient and family through the experience of living with cancer." -- Oncology Nursing Forum

Review

"This book is important for all dimensions of patient care -- not just cancer. Every doctor in clinical practice needs this book. Every patient will benefit from it." -- Christine Cassell, M.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; First Edition, First Printing edition (March 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801862469
• ISBN-13: 978-0801862465
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,734,145 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

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Approach to This Issue Ever, April 22, 2000

By 

E. Slavitt (Malden, Massachusetts USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Physician's Guide to Pain and Symptom Management in Cancer Patients (Paperback)

For years, doctors have focused on curing the objective aspects of illness or disease, but have ignored -- or downplayed -- the subjective aspects, principally pain. Society's hypersensitivity to the misuse of drugs has only made the problem worse. Finally, one of the country's leading oncologists takes the problem seriously. This book, although designed for clinicians, should be read by every person who must confront pain either in themselves or a friend or relative. Written clearly and compellingly, this book now becomes the authoritative source on this important and overlooked subject. Put another way, any physician who is not familiar with this book simply is not being fair to his or her patients and is not staying current on a central part of current medicine.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom is rarely so practical, July 16, 2001

By 

C. Barnett (St Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Physician's Guide to Pain and Symptom Management in Cancer Patients (Paperback)

Dr. Abrahm has written a book that is at once clinically sound and widely accessible. The premise is plain: "Suffering can be prevented or treated whenever it occurs, whether at diagnosis or during curative therapy, or if the cancer recurs."

In the chapters to follow, Dr. Abrahm makes good on this claim, not only by answering practical technical questions with skill, but also by including specific experiences and verbatim dialogue. Communicating with patients is no small part of helping them and their families.

The book contains basic information about common pain types and treatments. It also includes careful discussion of how to manage difficult pain syndromes and other symptoms of cancer.

Because the chapters are well-referenced, one quickly gains guidance beyond pharmacological symptoms and treatments. The inclusion of information about nonpharmacologic care; the importance of the care team (nurse, social worker, oncologist, pain specialist); and, finally the specifics about religious considerations, advance directives, and grief and bereavement give the book its true handbook value for clinicians.

If you are early in your medical career, or interested in understanding pain and other symptom management, or if you are trying to understand and help a loved one with cancer, this book is a wise investment.

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read., January 30, 2012

By 

SDM2011 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Physician's Guide to Pain and Symptom Management in Cancer Patients (Physician's Guide to Pain & Symptom Management in Cancer Patients (Abrahm)) (Paperback)

This is an amazing book for anyone that is suffering from a terminal disease, works in nursing (hem/onc, PC), or a practitioner (NP/PA/MD) that wants to understand their terminal patients and how to approach them and treat them. A must read.