When the Focus is On Care »

Kathleen M. Foley, MD, is an attending neurologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a professor of neurology, neuroscience, and clinical pharmacology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Anthony Back, MD, is an associate professor at the University of Washington and an affiliate member at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Eduardo Bruera, MD, is a professor of medicine and the F. T. McGraw Chair in the Treatment of Cancer at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Nessa Coyle, PhD, FAAN, is the director of the Supportive Care Program of the Pain and Palliative Care Service, department of neurology, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Matthew J. Loscalzo, MSW, is the director of patient and family support services at the Rebecca and John Moore University of California San Diego Cancer Center and is on staff at the UCSD Medical School. John L. Shuster Jr., MD, is a research physician at the Tuscaloosa Veterans Administration Medical Center and teaches at the University of Alabama. Bonnie Teschendorf, PhD, is the director of quality of life science at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta. Jamie H. Von Roenn, MD, is a professor of medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and is in the hematology/oncology division at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chicago.

Explaining how cancer patients can benefit from palliative care—care that addresses the psychological, social, and spiritual needs of the seriously ill patient—this book provides the information, support, and tools needed to cope and live well with cancer, even when the disease is not responsive to treatment. Written in a sensitive and conversational fashion, this book addresses questions about progressive illness, making informed decisions and getting good medical care, accessing supportive care resources, and managing symptoms and side effects. It discusses issues such as coping strategies, performing a life review and leaving a legacy, talking to loved ones about cancer and dying, and coming to terms with your mortality.

Library Journal

Palliative care is more than hospice care. As the editors note, it is "a comprehensive, family-centered care approach that addresses the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of the seriously ill person, as well as the needs of their loved ones and caregivers." This thoughtful work, produced by a team of healthcare professionals from the American Cancer Society, is not a medical book about cancer; instead, it is a guide to living and dying with the disease. Therefore, there is a strong psychological bent here, with an emphasis on the emotional and physical care of both patients and their caregivers. But the practical is not forgotten: chapters on finances, legal issues, and end-of-life planning are included. Interspersed with the factual material are conversational vignettes and direct quotations from cancer patients and their loved ones. This excellent guide to a sensitive topic belongs in public libraries, consumer health collections, and academic libraries in venues where health professionals are trained.-Ellen G. Detlefsen, Ctr. for Biomedical Informatics, Sch. of Medicine, Univ. of Pittsburgh Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.