Book Review

Colorectal Cancer

N Engl J Med 2007; 356:1189-1190March 15, 2007

Article

Colorectal Cancer
Edited by Jim Cassidy, Patrick Johnston, and Eric Van Cutsem. 349 pp., illustrated. New York, Informa Healthcare, 2007. $199.95. ISBN: 978-0-8247-2835-9

For the clinician or scientist steeped in the details of a disease, single-topic books on the disease can often be disappointing. By their very nature, books of this sort take months or even years to appear on bookstore shelves, making it nearly impossible to include recent developments. Moreover, an effort to generalize may shorten and oversimplify the discussion of complex and controversial issues.

Despite those handicaps, Colorectal Cancer is a successful effort at highlighting what is known, and what is not known, about this disease. Edited by three European medical oncologists with expertise in colorectal cancer, the book is, as described in the preface, a collection of succinct chapters written by international experts and designed in such a way that nonspecialists “can pick it up and access the topics that [are] of most interest to them without feeling overwhelmed.”

The book begins with a discussion of the genetics of colorectal cancer and then provides a critical examination of the literature and recommended guidelines for screening. Since adherence to these guidelines could have a greater effect on the management of colorectal cancer than treatment, the commitment of 5 chapters (of a total of 12) to screening is appropriate, emphasizing the value of early detection. Indeed, the chapters on genetic susceptibility and the management of familial cancers should be mandatory reading for all physicians, because early recognition of persons at risk is probably the single most important step in managing colorectal cancer.

For the generalist, the remainder of the book provides chapters on surgical management and radiation therapy that provide important information without harping on unnecessary details. Oncologists will be interested in the chapter on the path of drug development for advanced colorectal cancer, starting with the recognition of 5-fluorouracil — still the backbone of treatment for the disease — as an active drug in 1957. A chapter on pharmacogenomics offers a glimpse of what cancer care will probably be like in the future.

Developments in the identification and management of colorectal cancer are coming at a dizzying pace, but the fundamentals are not likely to change. Colorectal Cancer is an excellent resource for the ABCs of the disease.

Alan P. Venook, M.D.
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94115