Cancer and emotion : an introduction to psycho-oncology in adults

Cancer and Emotion A Practical Guide to Psycho-Oncology Third Edition Jennifer Barraclough, Consultant in Psychological Medicine, Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust, Oxford, UK Emotional aspects of cancer affect patients, their partners and families, and the staff providing care. Most of those involved experience emotional distress. Some develop severe anxiety, depression or other psychiatric syndromes. Whether emotional factors influence the medical prognosis of cancer remains uncertain, but there is no doubt that emotional aspects of this disease are central to patients' quality of life. Many of the common problems can be prevented or treated effectively, provided their importance is recognised. Cancer and Emotion is a descriptive introduction to adult psycho-oncology. Primarily written for healthcare professionals in oncology, palliative care, general practice and mental health, it will also appeal to interested lay readers including patients. This third edition has been updated throughout, with expanded coverage of some topical issues, including psychological aspects of cancer pain, holistic approaches to cancer and organisation of a psycho-oncology service. The book also contains numerous personal accounts written by patients themselves. Suzanne B. Yellen This is an introductory book (second edition) that discusses psychological aspects of cancer and cancer care in an adult population. As such, it provides an overview of the growing field of psycho-oncology in cancer care. The book is intended as a nontechnical overview of the psychosocial impact of cancer and treatment on patients, families, and staff and how to manage psychological problems that arise with diagnosis and treatment. The author meets these objectives, which are worthy ones. The author states that the primary target audience is physicians and nurses. However, it is secondarily targeted for medical students, interns, residents, staff working with cancer patients, and patients themselves. The book is most appropriate for students (medical and nursing), mental health practitioners entering into the field of cancer care, and patients. The author is a credible authority, having served as a consultant in psychological medicine at a teaching hospital in England and having done research in the field of breast cancer. The lack of summary tables is a limiting feature in this text, which is reader-friendly, but somewhat superficial in depth of information. The references are somewhat dated. Most information is derived from the standard textbook Handbook of Psychooncology, edited by Holland and Rolland (1989), and the author could be more current, particularly in the areas of psychoneuroimmunology and cancer support groups. The table of contents and index are both adequate, as is the general appearance of this book. This is a nice condensation of the classic Handbook in Psychoonocology. Although it has far less depth and breadth thatthe standard text, it is a good introduction to issues in the field and their management. It will be a useful item to carry in bookstores (particularly medical bookstores that also service nursing programs), but it is less useful for medical school libraries. The experience of long-term survival or disease progression in cancer patients, such as diagnosis, screening, and treatment, all can have a marked psychological impact on patients, their families, and the professional staff providing care. Most patients cope successfully with these stresses, but others develop depression, anxiety, and other emotional problems which affect their quality of life and in some cases their physical prognosis too. This book addresses these concerns.