Understanding Leukemias, Lymphomas and Myelomas
T. Mughal, J. Goldman & S. Mughal, editors Taylor & Francis, 2006, 252 pp. ISBN: 1-84184-409-8 Price: Hardbound GBP 55.00
This book is written by two highly experienced and internationally recognized specialists in hematology/oncology and a medical student (daughter of one of the senior authors). The aim of the book is to give information about hematological malignancies to patients and their relatives, to non-specialist physicians, junior specialist physicians, medical and nursing students.
The book contains solid, well-documented information on cancer in general, hemopoiesis and blood cells, and the biology, etiology, evaluation, treatment and prognosis of all major (and quite a number of rarer) forms of myeloid and lymphoid malignancies. The authors are clearly stronger on leukemias and medical treatments, in particular the different forms of stem cell transplantation, than on lymphomas (Hodgkin lymphoma in particular) and radiotherapy. However, the information given is sober and very up to date, and given in a language that should be understood by non-specialist physicians and medical students. With regard to patients and their relatives, I suspect this book will prove useful mainly to well educated subgroups, in particular outside of Great Britain and North America as readers need to be fluent in English on a high level.
The book also contains good chapters on acute and long-term side effects of treatment, given in a form that is correct and honest yet (hopefully) not too disturbing for patients and relatives. There are also sections on psychological aspects of these diseases and on communication with patients of different ages. Finally there is an extensive glossary on words used in this complicated field, which should prove helpful for readers.
The book is recommended for selected patients and their relatives, who are able to make use of this book written on a fairly high level. It should be useful for the interested non-specialist physician, and it is certainly a good introduction to the field for students and junior physicians. It might be a good idea to keep one or two copies in specialized departments to lend to relevant persons, and it is a good book to recommend to patients who wish to study their disease in detail, a type of patient seen with increasing frequency. Lena Specht Finsen Center Rigshospitalet Copenhagen Denmark