Cancer Nursing: Principles and
Practice is widely considered to
be the basic textbook on cancer nursing. With this edition, every chapter has
been updated to reflect the latest research and references, and many of the
chapters now include website addresses for additional resources. As in past
editions, the revised version of Cancer Nursing continues to present the most
comprehensive information on oncology nursing from leading cancer nursing
experts.
Written by 106 contributors (35 of whom are new since the last
edition), the 85 chapters are divided into nine sections. Part I, The Cancer
Problem, has been reorganized and updated, reflecting the increase in scientific
knowledge regarding genes and cancer. Taking the reader through introductory
material on cancer biology, immunology, carcinogenesis, and epidemiology, this
section is well written and contains clear tables and illustrations that
facilitate our understanding of these complex and continually evolving
phenomena. Indeed, the book is very well illustrated overall, with a total of
327 illustrations, including 16 color plates.
Part II contains six chapters on prevention, detection, and
diagnosis, including a well-organized and beautifully illustrated chapter on the
nurse’s vital role in history assessment, physical examination, screening, and
education. Since early detection and comprehensive diagnostic evaluations
continue to be key for controlling the associated morbidity and cost of cancer,
the reader will find the chapter on diagnostic evaluations, classifications, and
staging to contain important material for review.
Part III offers 16 chapters on treatment, bringing the reader up
to date on the principles of chemotherapy, biotherapy, and bone
marrow/hematopoietic cell transplantation. This discussion provides an excellent
understanding of acute and chronic treatment complications and how they are
managed.
The editors are to be commended on their coverage of
radiotherapy, which includes several extremely well-written chapters that have
been expanded to provide a more comprehensive discussion of this modality. One
chapter permits readers to feel as if they are being given a tour of a
radiotherapy department, with concise information regarding the machines that
deliver the therapy. This chapter is nicely illustrated with 13 figures of
treatment simulators and positioning devices.
Covering symptom management, part IV contains 10 chapters on the
assessment and treatment of cancer pain, infection, bleeding, fatigue,
nutritional disturbances, hypercalcemia, paraneoplastic syndrome, malignant
effusions, and sexual and reproductive dysfunction. The editors might consider
expanding this section to incorporate the prevention, treatment, and management
of toxicities related to therapy.
In response to reader requests, a new section on oncologic
emergencies has been added to this edition as part V. These chapters cover
cardiac tamponade, disseminated intravascular coagulation, septic shock, spinal
cord compression, superior vena cava syndrome, syndrome of inappropriate
antidiuretic hormone, and tumor lysis syndrome. The text includes the scope of
the problem, physiologic alterations, clinical manifestations, physical
assessment, and therapeutic approaches.
Part VI, entitled The Care of Individuals With Cancer, is
comprised of 24 chapters covering 24 diseases, from AIDS-related malignancies to
vulvar and vaginal cancer. These chapters incorporate the most current
information regarding etiology, therapeutic approaches, management of symptoms,
and supportive care.
Part VII, The Cancer Survivor, has three chapters that cover the
psychological responses to cancer, as well as the physical, economic, and social
issues confronting patients and families. The last chapter in this section
delves effectively into spiritual and ethical end-of-life concerns.
Part VIII, Issues in the Delivery of Care, contains six
chapters, four of which are newly revised. One chapter outlines the challenges
to providing quality care in a health-care system that seeks to reduce hospital
stays and health-care costs, and a health-care environment in which large
segments of the most vulnerable members of society (eg, nonwhite, poor, and less
educated) have less-than-equal access to health care. The need for nursing
research in this area is emphasized as a means of improving and refining
practice to ensure optimal outcomes.
Part IX addresses professional issues for the cancer nurse. The
chapter on informatics is timely and provides a foundation of knowledge for
cancer nurses regarding this important area of technology and its impact on
cancer care. A chapter entitled Policy, Politics, and Oncology Nursing
encourages nurses to use national and state professional nursing organizations
as well as specialty nursing organizations to keep abreast of the influences and
resulting legislative priorities and initiatives. The authors point out that
astute nurses who are proactive can influence change and will be better prepared
for roles in the health-care system of the future.
Finally, a chapter on resources for cancer nursing has been
extensively expanded, reformatted, and indexed so that information is readily
available and easily located. The information is current and is compiled from a
variety of health- and oncology-related organizations and Internet resources.