Main description:

A clear and comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of clinical oncology, for medical undergraduates and clinicians who want to increase their understanding of the challenges of managing patients with cancer. Including questions for self assessment by the same authors, the reader can learn and test themselves on all aspects of cancer medicine, from epidemiology, aetiology, pathogenesis and presentation, through to diagnosis, staging, management and prognosis.

Contents:

PATHOGENESIS OF CANCER
Genetic factors
Chemical factors
Physical factors
Viral factors
Immune factors
Endocrine factors
Understanding the cause of cancer – the contribution to patient care
PRINCIPLES OF CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND STAGING
Securing a tissue diagnosis
Principles of cancer staging
The TNM staging system
Use of pathological information
DECISION-MAKING AND COMMUNICATION
Treatment options
Quality of life
Communication
Conclusion
Clinical evidence and clinical trials
Conclusion
PRINCIPLES OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY
Management of the primary tumour
Combined surgery and radiotherapy
Management of regional lymph nodes
Palliative surgery
PRINCIPLES OF RADIOTHERAPY
Types of radiotherapy
Other forms of radiation
Biological actions of ionizing radiation
Clinical use of radiotherapy
Side-effects of radiotherapy
Radiation protection
PRINCIPLES OF SYSTEMIC TREATMENT
Chemotherapy agents
Efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy
Clinical use of chemotherapy
Drug resistance
Administration of chemotherapy
Hormone therapy
Biological therapy
Growth factors
Experimental chemotherapy
LUNG CANCER AND MESOTHELIOMA
Lung cancer
Mesothelioma
BREAST CANCER
Epidemiology
Aetiology
Pathology
Natural history
Symptoms
Signs
Differential diagnosis
Investigations
Staging
Treatment
Prognosis
Screening
Prevention
GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER
Carcinoma of the oesophagus
Carcinoma of the stomach
Carcinoma of the pancreas
Hepatocellular cancer
Cholangiocarcinoma
Carcinoma of the gallbladder
Carcinoma of the colon and rectum
Carcinoma of the anus
Tumours of the peritoneum
UROLOGICAL CANCER
Renal cell carcinoma
Prostate cancer
Bladder cancer
Cancer of the testis
Cancer of the penis
GYNAECOLOGICAL CANCER
Cervical cancer
Endometrial cancer
Ovarian cancer
Cancer of the vagina
Cancer of the vulva
Choriocarcinoma
CNS TUMOURS
Astrocytoma
Oligodendroglioma
Meningioma
Pituitary tumours
Craniopharyngioma
Pineal tumours
Germ cell tumours
Ependymomas
Medulloblastoma
Chordoma
Haemangioblastoma
Lymphoma
Metastases
Carcinomatous meningitis
HEAD AND NECK CANCER
Carcinoma of the oral cavity
Carcinoma of the oropharynx
Carcinoma of the larynx
Carcinoma of the hypopharynx
Carcinoma of the nasopharynx
Carcinoma of the paranasal sinuses
Salivary gland tumours
Orbital tumours
ENDOCRINE TUMOURS
Thyroid cancer
Tumours of the parathyroid gland
Tumours of the adrenal glands
Carcinoid tumours
Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN)
SARCOMAS
Soft tissue sarcomas
Osteosarcoma
Ewing’s sarcoma
Other bone tumours
LYMPHOMA
Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)
HAEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCY
Leukaemia
Multiple myeloma
PAEDIATRIC CANCER
Leukaemia
Central nervous system tumours
Bone and soft tissue tumours
Lymphoma
Neuroblastoma
Nephroblastoma (Wilms’ tumour)
Other tumours
SKIN CANCER
Squamous and basal cell carcinoma
Melanoma
Metastases
Rare tumours
AIDS-RELATED CANCER
Management problems
Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS)
Primary cerebral lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Hodgkin’s disease (HD)
Other tumours
CARCINOMA OF UNKNOWN PRIMARY
Differential diagnosis
Investigations
Management
Prognosis
ONCOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES
Hypercalcaemia
Spinal cord and cauda equina compression
Superior vena cava obstruction
Neutropenic sepsis
Tumour lysis syndrome
PALLIATIVE CARE
Pain control
Other symptoms
The dying patient