Textbook of Lung Cancer, 2nd edition

Textbook of Lung Cancer, 2nd edition

Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys., Vol. 72, No. 4, p. 1269, 2008 Copyright Ó 2008 Elsevier Inc. Printed in the USA. All rights reserved 0360-3016...

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Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys., Vol. 72, No. 4, p. 1269, 2008 Copyright Ó 2008 Elsevier Inc. Printed in the USA. All rights reserved 0360-3016/08/$–see front matter

doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2008.06.1952

BOOK REVIEW

Textbook of Lung Cancer, 2nd edition

European Organization for the Research and Treatment and Cancer Phase III randomized trial (Slotman et al.), establishing a role for prophylactic cranial irradiation in extensive stage disease, or a discussion of the possible role for thoracic radiotherapy in extensive stage disease. A useful chapter on the ‘‘Complications of Lung Cancer’’ summarizes the presentation, management, and outcome of various situations associated with this disease. However, the subchapter on brain metastases does not cover the role of radiosurgery fully, omitting a Phase III randomized trial (Andrews et al.) that established a role for stereotactic radiosurgery added to whole brain radiotherapy in patients with one to three brain metastases. Ideally, a greater discussion of targeted therapies would be helpful in the next edition of this book. The chapter on mesothelioma provides a very good discussion on the pathogenesis and biology of this disease and its relationship to asbestos exposure; however, the therapy is described too briefly, and the staging systems for mesothelioma are not mentioned. The summary of all chemotherapeutic agents at the end of the book is helpful. Also, the chapter on cost-effectiveness is novel and introduces the general concept of cost analysis to the reader very well. Overall, the Textbook of Lung Cancer is a useful addition to the library of anybody interested in thoracic malignancies, and I recommend it highly.

Heine Hansen, editor Boca Raton, FL, Informa Healthcare/Taylor & Francis, 2008 342 pages, $285, hardcover ISBN 0-415-38510-5, ISBN 978-0-415-38510-7 This is the second edition of this concise, yet comprehensive, textbook. In the preface, the authors state: ‘‘The annual number of new cases of lung cancer is estimated at more than one million and is expected to rise to ten million in 2025,’’ which makes this book an essential reference text. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it as ancillary reading for oncology trainees and for those interested in thoracic malignancies. The initial chapters covering the epidemiology of lung cancer, molecular biology, tobacco policy, smoking cessation, and lung cancer screening are excellent and particularly valuable, because these topics are not always included in books devoted to lung cancer. The authors provide concise overviews of those topics, emphasizing controversies without overloading the reader with unnecessary detail. I would have liked to see more discussion on the World Health Organization’s ‘‘tobacco-free world’’ initiative, which, if successful, might be the ultimate solution to the lung cancer epidemic. The chapters covering treatment of non–small-cell lung cancer are divided by treatment modality (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy) rather than by disease stage. Although the topics are well-covered and include recent pertinent studies, some redundancy is present; for example, preoperative chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for Stage III cancer, which is discussed in three chapters (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy). The treatment of small cell lung cancer is covered perhaps too concisely. Regrettably, no discussion is given of a recent

Maria Werner-Wasik, M.D. Department of Radiation Oncology Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Philadelphia, PA

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