Stephens: Basics of Oncology






In Western societies and other developed countries, cancer is the leading cause of death, after cardiovascular disease. It is therefore a major component of medical undergraduate curricula and of primary concern to nurses and allied health-workers.
Presently most undergraduate students learn about cancer from a broad range of general and specialist books and journals. Medical students read about cancer in textbooks of surgery, pathology and cancer medicine as well as in general and specialist journals and from time to time in newspaper reports, magazines and from various other sources.
The authors teach, practise and conduct research in different specialty areas in different parts of the world. This book as an easily understood and general overview of cancer for students of medicine, nurse oncologists, students of medical sciences and other health professionals in all parts of the world. It is intended to serve as a basis for more detailed or specialized studies that will be needed in different areas of practice and in different countries. Different countries will emphasize different aspects according to their more specifi c community needs, incidence, traditions and available health-care facilities and systems.

What This Book Is About
This book is intended to give an introduction to the scientific and clinical aspects of cancer, that is the broad range of concepts of causes, pathology, clinical features, possible investigations, treatments and outcomes both for cancers in general and for the common cancers in different countries. It should be a basis for further study as appropriate for all areas of oncology no matter where it is practised or in what particular professional discipline. The purpose of this book is not to cover all social, personal, environmental or fi nancial aspects of cancer nor to discuss details of supportive services available. These important aspects will differ in different countries with different social, medical and administrative services and facilities as well as different traditional practices and requirements. Ideal comprehensive facilities and services may or may not be available. Other books, specifi cally written for students and practitioners in different countries with different curriculum requirements, may be needed to cover these aspects.

Objective of This Book
The objective of this book is to develop graded information from very basic to more sophisticated understanding of present knowledge about cancer. For some students this may well meet all their needs, but for students wishing to undertake further studies in cancer this book will serve as a sound basis for more detailed or specific studies.
To achieve this, the book will :
  • Cover basic medical, scientific and clinical aspects of cancer.
  • Explain how and why people develop cancer.
  • Indicate how the body reacts to cancer.
  • Describe how cancer presents.
  • Outline principles of cancer prevention, investigation, diagnosis and management.
This information applies in all countries. It is the essential requirement for understanding cancer no matter where studied or practised. This basic information about cancer is best introduced early in a student’s career before other details of personal, psychological, social, management practices and traditions are studied in detail in different communities. More detailed and comprehensive information on specialised areas of knowledge, research and practice is expanded in more specialised books and publications, some of which are listed in the fi nal section of this book.

Contents
Part I The Cancer Problem
1 What Is Malignancy ?

1.1 Nature of a Malignancy
1.2 What is the Prevalence of Cancer?
1.3 Tumours Benign and Malignant?
1.4 Dangers of Malignant Tumours
1.5 What Causes Cancer
2 Epidemiology
2.1 Comparative Cancer Incidence
2.2 People Most at Risk
2.3 Viral and Other Infection Associations
2.4 Heredity and Genetic Factors
2.5 Molecular Biological Changes in Controlling Cell Division
2.6 Age
2.7 Predisposing and Pre-Malignant Risk Factors
2.8 Diet and Cancer: Special Dietary Preventive Ingredients
2.9 Stomach Cancer
2.10 Bowel Cancer: Cancers of the Colon and Rectum
2.11 Other Cancers
2.12 Vegetarian Diets
2.13 Special Dietary Ingredients: Phytoestrogens and Lycopene
2.14 Vitamins, Anti Oxidants and Trace Elements
2.15 Race
2.16 Geographic Associations
2.17 Environment
2.18 Occupation
2.19 Habits and Lifestyle
2.20 Psychological Factors: The Possible Role of Stress or Emotion in Cancer Development
2.21 Cancer Registries
3 Summary of Practical Measures to Prevent Cancer
3.1 Smoking
3.2 Viral and Bacterial Protection
3.3 Genetic Protection
3.4 Skin Cancers
3.5 Diets: Stomach and Bowel Cancer, Breast Cancer
3.6 Industrial Cancers
3.7 Ionising Irradiation
3.8 Treatment of Pre-Malignant and Potentially Malignant Lesions
Part II General Features of Cancer-Presentation and Management
4 Symptoms of Cancer: Local and General

4.1 Lump
4.2 Ulcer
4.3 Pain
4.4 Bleeding
4.5 Weight Loss
4.6 Interference with Tissue or Organ Function
4.7 Symptoms of Metastatic Spread
5 Signs of Cancer: Local and General
5.1 Lump
5.2 Ulcer
5.3 Bleeding and Evidence of Blood Loss
5.4 Lymph Node Enlargement
5.5 Other Swellings
5.6 Findings of a General Examination Including Mouth, Throat, Abdomen, Rectum and Anus
5.7 Rare and Seemingly Unrelated Indications of Cancer
6 Clinico-Pathology of Cancers
6.1 Typing, Grading and Staging of Cancer
6.2 Cancer Typing
6.3 Cancer Grading
6.4 Clinico-Pathological Staging of Cancer
6.5 Clinical Decisions Based on Pathology Information
7 Investigations That May be Useful in Detecting Cancer
7.1 Screening Programs
7.2 Screening Tests
7.3 Organ Imaging
7.4 Endoscopic Examinations: Rigid and Flexible Scopes
7.5 Indirect Evidence of Cancer
7.6 Direct Evidence of Cancer
8 Treating Cancer
8.1 Can Cancer Be Cured? An Outline of Prognosis
8.2 In Western Societies More Cancers are Cured than Not Cured
8.3 Methods of Treatment
8.4 Other Important Treatments
8.5 Some Further Treatments Under Study
8.6 General Care
9 Relationship Between Patients, Their Doctors and the Healthcare Team
Part III Most Common Cancers
10 Skin Cancers

10.1 Skin Cancer Prevention
10.2 Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
10.3 Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
10.4 Melanoma
11 Lung Cancer (Bronchogenic Carcinoma)
11.1 Symptoms
11.2 Investigations
11.3 Significance of Histological Findings
11.4 Treatments
11.5 Mesothelioma
11.6 Metastatic Cancer in the Lung
12 Breast Cancer
12.1 Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
12.2 Symptoms
12.3 Inflammatory Breast Cancer
12.4 Cancer of the Male Breast
12.5 Signs
12.6 Investigations
12.7 Treatments
12.8 Prevention
12.9 Pathology
12.10 Early Breast Cancer
12.11 Locally Advanced and Metastatic Breast Cancers
12.12 Physical and Emotional Needs
13 Cancers of the Digestive System (Alimentary Tract)
13.1 Cancer of the Oesophagus
13.2 Cancer of the Stomach
13.3 Cancers of the Liver
13.4 Cancer of the Gall Bladder and Bile Ducts
13.5 Cancer of the Pancreas
13.6 Cancers of the Small Intestine
13.7 Cancer of the Large Bowel (Colon and Rectum)
13.8 Cancer of the Anus
14 Head and Neck Cancers
14.1 Cancers of the Lips
14.2 Cancers of the Floor of the Mouth (Under the Tongue), Anterior Two-Thirds of the Tongue, and Buccal Mucosa (Inside the Cheek)
14.3 Cancer in the Posterior Third of Tongue, Tonsillar Region and Pharynx
14.4 Cancers of the Post-Nasal Space (The Air Passage at the Back of the Nose)
14.5 Cancer of the Larynx
14.6 Salivary Gland Cancers
14.7 Cancers of the Thyroid Gland
15 Cancers of Female Genital Organs
15.1 Cancers of the Uterus
15.2 Cancer of the Cervix
15.3 Cancer of the Body of the Uterus (Endometrial Cancer)
15.4 Choriocarcinoma
15.5 Cancer of the Ovary
15.6 Cancer of the Vagina
15.7 Cancer of the Vulva
16 Cancers of the Male Genital Organs
16.1 Cancer of the Penis
16.2 Cancer of the Testis
16.3 Cancer of the Prostate Gland
17 Cancers of Bladder and Kidneys
17.1 Bladder Cancer
17.2 Kidney Cancers
18 Cancers of the Brain and Nervous System
18.1 Brain Cancers
18.2 Secondary Cancers in the Brain
18.3 Nerve Cell Cancers
18.4 Retinoblastoma
19 The Leukaemias and Lymphomas
19.1 The Leukaemias
19.2 The Acute Leukaemias
19.3 Chronic Lymphocytic (Lymphatic) Leukaemia
19.4 Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML)
19.5 The Lymphomas
19.6 Hodgkin Lymphoma
19.7 Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas
19.8 Multiple Myeloma
20 Soft-Tissue Sarcomas
20.1 Classification: Pathological Types
21 Malignant Tumours of Bone and Cartilage
21.1 Osteosarcoma
21.2 Osteoclastoma (Central Giant Cell Tumour of Bone)
21.3 Ewing’s Tumour
21.4 Chondrosarcoma
22 Metastatic (Secondary) Cancer
Part IV Making Progress
23 Techniques and Evidence of Progress
23.1 Evidence-Based Medicine
23.2 Clinical Trials
23.2.1 Ethics Approval
24 Future Directions
24.1 Prevention
24.2 Improved Cancer-Screening and Diagnostic Techniques
24.3 Vaccines
24.4 Improved Treatment Agents
24.5 Self Rescuing Concept (SRC)
24.6 New Agents
24.7 Therapeutic Viruses
24.8 Targeted Therapies
24.9 Improvements in Radiotherapy
24.10 More Effective Use of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Integrated with Surgery
24.11 Prevention of Metastases
24.12 Heat Therapy
24.13 Other Physical Treatments
24.14 Immunotherapy
24.15 Stem-Cell Research
24.16 Studies in Cell-Mediated Anti-Cancer Activity
24.17 Genetic Engineering and Gene Therapy
24.18 Developments in Antibody Treatment
24.19 Molecular Characterisation in Future Cancer Treatment
24.20 Gene Expression Profiling for Prediction of Response to Chemotherapy
24.21 Molecular Heterogeneity
24.22 Learning from Alternative and Naturopathic Practices
24.23 Improved Palliative Care and Supportive Care
24.24 Hope for the Future
Further Reading
Glossary
Appendix
Index

Book Details

  • Paperback: 399 pages
  • Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (June 25, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 354092924X
  • ISBN-13: 978-3540929246
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
List Price: $69.95
 

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