Book Review

Surgical Oncology: Multidisciplinary Approach to Difficult Problems

N Engl J Med 2002; 347:1124-1125October 3, 2002

Article

Surgical Oncology: Multidisciplinary Approach to Difficult Problems
Edited by Howard Silberman and Allan W. Silberman. 788 pp., illustrated. London, Arnold, 2002. $198.50. ISBN: 0-340-76242-X

A multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation and treatment of patients with solid tumors gives the best chance for a favorable outcome. New diagnostic, staging, and therapeutic advances require collaboration among experts in several areas. This book deals with multidisciplinary surgical oncology in an innovative manner. Treatment is well described, and the descriptions are accompanied by treatment algorithms, diagrams, and carefully chosen tables. Each chapter ends with experts' commentary and a number of abstracts selected by the editors. This gives the reader updated information (up to 2001), which is complemented by the availability of the latest abstracts on a Web site (http://www.silberman-oncology.com). The Web site also offers a template for users to submit their own commentaries on the chapters. This option makes the book unique and offers readers added perspective.

The editors did not attempt to provide a comprehensive textbook of surgical oncology (for example, endocrine tumors are not included, but laparoscopic surgery for cancer is), and technical descriptions of many operations are scarce. Although the editors were able to achieve uniformity throughout the book, the predominance of authors from the United States has the disadvantage of slighting new developments in Europe. Nevertheless, Surgical Oncology provides an integrated description of what surgical oncology is about: leadership in multidisciplinary care.

C.J.H. van de Velde, M.D., Ph.D.
Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
c.j.h.van_de_velde@lumc.nl