Michael J. Fisch – författare

Patients with advanced cancer increasingly receive end-of-life care from a variety of health care professionals, physicians and nurses. These professionals need to be able to assess the original diagnosis and the appropriateness of patient referral, set a treatment or palliation program, and recognise and plan for the clinical problems associated with specific primary tumors. This is the first comprehensive source of information available at a level between specialist oncology texts and nursing texts. Two eminent physicians from one of the world's foremost cancer centers have drawn together a remarkable team to provide a handbook which covers the full range of problems the healthcare workforce caring for these patients will encounter. This highly accessible text covers general principles in oncology, the primary tumors one by one, and management of specific symptoms and syndromes. It will be invaluable to primary care physicians, surgeons, nurses, therapists and trainees.

Cancer Symptom Science is the first interdisciplinary compilation of research on the mechanisms underlying the expression of cancer-related symptoms. It presents innovations in clinical, animal and in vitro research, research methods in brain imaging, and statistical-descriptive approaches to understanding the mechanistic basis of symptom expression. This volume also provides perspectives from patients, government and industry. By collecting and synthesizing the developing threads of new approaches to understanding cancer-related symptoms, the book promotes a pioneering framework for merging behavioral and biological disciplines to clarify mechanisms of symptom evolution, incorporating new technologies, testing novel agents for symptom control, and improving patient functioning and quality of life both during and after cancer treatment. With an expert editorial team led by Charles S. Cleeland, an internationally-recognized leader in cancer pain assessment and treatment, this is essential reading for surgical, clinical and medical oncologists, academic researchers, and pharmaceutical companies developing new agents to control symptom expression.

A clinical case-based handbook has a role in general clinicians’ practice of caring for patients with serious or life-limiting illness. The explosion of the field of Hospice and Palliative Medicine impacts all physicians and healthcare providers. Fellowship trained s- cialists graduate in greater numbers annually. These and more seasoned specialists are now certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties as subspecialists. Research in this field is expanding in scope and quantity, and peer reviewed journals devoted to this work are multiplying. Moreover, peer reviewed journals in primary care and other subspecialties of medicine regularly include papers that focus on end-of-life care, quality of life issues, and symptom management. Overall then, access to clinical information necessary to care for patients with life-limiting illness is not only essential, but also increasingly available. This case-based clinical book aims to help with the actual practice of caring for patients with life-limiting illness. Numerous texts and journals exist to provide the data to inform care, yet there remains a need to find practical points and information about the practical application of the principles of palliative care. Thus, we hope that the cases, key points, and practical tips will help health care providers who are not experts already in palliative care in the care of patients with serious illness and challenging problems. Some chapters follow one patient through the course of an illness to highlight the applicability of palliative care throughout the disease process.