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Lung Cancer

A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment

In this second edition, Scott, Chief of the Division of Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery at Fox Chase Cancer Center, delivers a must have resource for lung cancer patients and their family members. The author describes in his introduction that his reason for writing the book is to take away the fear of the unknown and to answer pressing questions that patients reading the book may have about lung cancer.

Chapter 1 begins with an overview of how lung cancer develops and provides patients with a background knowledge of the condition. He follows with an overview of symptoms and diagnostic tools, succinctly describing each. The author provides a detailed but easy to read explanation of lung cancer staging.

An overview of the treatment methods for each cancer stage is explained. Types of treatment including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are each described. For patients interested in or wanting to learn more about clinical trials, the author provides an overview of clinical trials, how they work, and the trial types and phases.

The book contains suggestions for dealing with the emotions of fear, anger, and anxiety which often accompany of diagnosis of lung cancer. Additionally, the author emphasizes that it is not too late to stop smoking and provides some tips on how smokers can quit. An appendix containing the TNM classification system, resources for finding additional information, glossary of terms, and an index are included.

Overall, this book is highly recommended, particularly for those newly diagnosed with lung cancer. The resource is easy to read and medical terms are defined. The black and white illustrations accompanying the medical content are useful and aid in understanding the material. Lung Cancer: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment is highly recommended for public libraries and consumer health collections.

Dana Ladd, Community Health Education Center, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, VCU Libraries. Richmond, VA.

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