Risk assessment and management in cancer genetics
F. Lallo et al., editors Oxford University Press, 2005 ISBN: 0-19-852960-0 Price: Paperback GBP 35.00 This legible book that can easily be read from cover to cover provides an efficient overview of clinical, molecular genetic, epidemiological, ethical and legal aspects of a broad range of hereditary cancer syndromes. It is also likely to serve a purpose as a reference especially for less frequent hereditary cancer syndromes. Most chapters of the book are written in a European or more specifically a UK perspective.
After an introduction describing the general principles of oncogenetic counselling, the most prevalent syndromes in the clinic (breast-ovarian cancer and colon cancer) are covered on fully 100 pages regarding risk assessment, molecular genetic diagnostics and follow-up. Some unnecessary iteration could have been avoided in this part. In the otherwise useful chapter on risk-assessment in breast cancer one would have appreciated references to some of the diagrams provided and an even more accurate proofreading. Less frequent diagnoses are covered in a chapter reviewing mainly the epidemiological evidence for inheritance in different diagnoses. Hereditary prostate cancer would have deserved a more detailed description.
The third part of the volume gives an excellent overview of diagnostics and clinical follow-up of some less prevalent inherited cancer syndromes such as neurofibromatosis type 1 and 2, von Hippel-Lindau disease, Li-Fraumeni syndrome and others. A more comprehensive set of color plates of clinical features of these different cancer syndromes would have added value to the book, and could perhaps be added in a future edition?
The book can be recommended for young clinical geneticists and oncologists as well as other interested colleagues exposed to individuals from possible cancer families. Niklas Loman Department of Oncology Lund Swden