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Assistant Dean, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe Shreveport Campus, Shreveport, LA
Published Online, February 13, 2007. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1H577
Audience: Both clinicians and students will find this reference book valuable. The text is authored by physicians and pharmacists but would be a valuable addition to the library of any healthcare professional with a practice in oncology and hematology.
Purpose: The editors state that the "original inspiration" for this text is "the practical need for a readily accessible, up-to-date, comprehensive therapy resource, supported by referenced literature and the opinion of experts." The text is organized in such a way as to facilitate quick retrieval of pertinent information for both office- and hospital-based clinicians. This book will also be an excellent reference for students at all levels of training, from undergraduates to residents and fellows; it would also be a good supplemental text for any of these programs.
Content: Hematology-Oncology Therapy is organized into 3 main areas. Section I is titled "Oncology" and consists of 38 chapters with concise detailed information on epidemiology, pathology, survival statistics, work-up, staging, and the most common treatment regimens used in various cancer types. The treatment part of each chapter lists the standard regimen for that cancer type, with doses of individual agents, dosing schedule, emetogenic potential, toxicities, treatment modifications based on adverse effects, and therapy monitoring. Also included are clinical trial efficacy data and the patient population studied. There is a place for caveats and notes detailing information such as maximum cumulative doses, disease interactions, and supportive care. The breast cancer chapter lists 24 chemotherapy and hormonal therapy regimens, subdivided into adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and metastatic. All regimens and clinical data such as pathology and work-up are referenced.
In Section II, the authors address topics that include supportive care, drug preparation, complications, and screening. There are chapters on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, drug preparation, dose modifications, extravasation prevention and management, growth factors, transfusion therapy, oncologic emergencies, fever and neutropenia, catheter-related infections, catheter-related thrombosis, complications following stem cell transplant, radiation complications, cancer pain, and hospice issues, as well as cancer screening and genetics. The drug preparation chapter discusses approximately 65 agents with regard to product identification, preparation, storage, and stability. In this chapter, the authors also make recommendations on drug administration and ancillary care. The chapter on dose modifications details dosage adjustments needed, if any, in both hepatic and renal dysfunction. The chapter on oncologic emergencies discusses spinal cord compression, superior vena cava syndrome, and tumor lysis syndrome, as well as other emergencies; the fever and neutropenia chapter has detailed information on empiric antibiotic therapy for febrile neutropenia.
Section III is devoted to selected hematologic diseases. Covered in this final section are hemophilia, hypercoagulable states, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, myelodysplastic syndromes, aplastic anemia, sickle-cell anemia, and other hematologic disorders. The hypercoagulable state chapter discusses risk factors, evaluation, and treatment of thrombotic events, with specific regimens and therapies presented.
Usability: This reference text would make a better supplemental text than a primary text in a graduate medical or pharmacy program. The references are up to date and incorporate recognized clinical practice guidelines. The relatively inexpensive price makes it possible for smaller clinics and pharmacies to obtain copies for their libraries.
Highlights: The authors have taken great care to use recognized clinical practice guidelines from primary literature as well as the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The material is organized for quick retrieval in an easy-to-read format. The text could also be used as a review for board certification examinations in many different disciplines. The authors do an excellent job of addressing a large amount of the practice of oncology and hematology in one reference book. The fact that the text is well referenced adds to its appeal because it allows the readers to go to the original references to gain additional information if they wish. The author list includes practicing clinicians from many of the major cancer centers in the US and worldwide.
Limitations: This text is not comprehensive, and readers looking for an all-inclusive text will be disappointed. There are some typographical errors, such as those found in the table of contents with regard to page numbers. (Numbering is off in at least one instance by a page.) In the section on fever and neutropenia, the table detailing desired vancomycin peaks and troughs has the peak and trough values reversed.
Comparison with Other Related Books or Products: There are many full-sized texts and smaller pocket-sized oncology texts on the market for clinical use. Some cover areas dealing only with chemotherapy preparation and not treatment regimens. Others cover the disease state and treatments but not preparation and supportive care issues. None seem to cover everything that the clinician desires. Although this reference is not an all-inclusive oncology text, it does provide a great deal of information that is readily accessible. If more information is needed than the text provides, the references allow the reader to draw upon the original publications.
Reviewer's Summary: The authors have accomplished their goal of producing a readily available hematology and oncology reference for office- and hospital-based clinicians. Clinicians of all disciplines involved in the treatment of patients with hematology and oncology disorders would benefit from the addition of Hematology-Oncology Therapy to their library. It would also be beneficial to pharmacies specializing in chemotherapy preparation in both community clinics and hospitals. Students and postgraduate residents and fellows would also benefit from this reference book.
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