Book Review

Practical Pediatric Oncology

N Engl J Med 1993; 328:1579May 27, 1993

Article

Practical Pediatric Oncology
Edited by Giulio J. D'Angio, Davendralingam Sinniah, Anna T. Meadows, Audrey E. Evans, and Jon Pritchard. 417 pp. New York, Wiley-Liss, 1992. $69.95. ISBN: 0-471-58835-0

Practical Pediatric Oncology, a succinctly written 400-page textbook, provides the physician with a practical data base for the diagnosis and day-to-day management of cancer in children. It contains three major divisions encompassing 41 informative chapters, each followed by a brief selected-reading list and commentary. The commentary provides a candid view of management issues, drawing on the expertise of a respected senior oncologist and his colleagues at the Hospital for Sick Children in London.

The first eight chapters detail the proper use of tumor markers and genetic studies for diagnosis and prognosis. The management of metabolic, thoracic, surgical, and neurologic emergencies, which often occur as part of the initial presentation of a child with cancer, is well described. The next six chapters provide guidelines for supportive care and cover the side effects of multimodal therapy, including bone marrow transplantation. Principles of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and pain control are discussed in a section entitled “Basic Management Concepts.” The chapter on each contains practical guidelines for planning treatment. The psychological responses of the child or adolescent with cancer and his or her family are briefly discussed, as is the care of the unfortunate child whose disease is refractory to therapy and who needs compassionate palliative care either at the hospital or at home. Dr. D'Angio provides some thoughts on social and ethical attitudes toward the child with cancer in another chapter.

Therapeutic protocols and tables of drug dosages and schedules are provided for all pediatric cancers in the second part of the book. The last part contains a potpourri of informative items. The reader is given insight into the methods used so successfully for the past several decades by pediatric oncologists, who organized themselves into cooperative groups for the design, implementation, and analysis of clinical trials. The correct techniques for procedures such as bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, lumbar puncture, and placement of indwelling catheters for venous access are well described. Finally, the appendix provides a compendium of information on chemotherapeutic agents, antibiotics, and analgesics.

Practical Pediatric Oncology is meant for physicians and members of health care teams charged with the responsibility of caring for the child with cancer. The clinical pearls shared by the authors should make the physician's job easier and lead to a higher level of care for such children and their families.

This informative book should be of real value to all physicians and other health care providers who see children in their practice, especially to those engaged in the care of children with cancer.

Robert L. Baehner, M.D.
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033