Perioperative Care of the Cancer Patient, 1st Edition

By: Carin Hagberg, Joseph Nates, Berhard Riedel, Vijaya Gottumukkala, Donal Buggy

ISBN: 9780323695848

Pub Date: July 21, 2022

Reviewed By:  Robert R. Gaiser, MD (Yale School of Medicine)

Description 

Given the large number of patients with cancer presenting for surgery, the goal of this book is to provide a comprehensive textbook for the perioperative management of this patient population. The book highlights the similarities of various cancers in perioperative management and also provides information specific to the type of cancer. This is the only book dedicated to the perioperative management of patients with cancer as well as providing the basic science of the current controversies in interactions between anesthetics and progression of disease. 

Purpose 

The goal of the book is to provide a single source dedicated to the perioperative management of patients with cancer. Given the large number of patients in various states of health presenting for surgery, the book provides a useful resource for this patient population. The book is more than perioperative management, providing an understanding of the biology of cancer and the impact of various anesthetics on disease progression. 

Audience 

According to the editors, the book is for all providers who provide care for patients with cancer in the perioperative period. Although its intent is for providers, the primary focus on anesthetic agents and anesthetic management renders the book most useful for anesthesiologists and anesthetists. Readers must have a solid understanding of anesthetic principles to understand the specific recommendations as well as the pharmacologic explanations of the impact on the pathogenesis of cancer. As such, the book is intended for those who practice anesthesia and would not be as useful for students. The editors did an incredible job of ensuring similarities of the various chapters by different authors, allowing one to focus on the content as compared to trying to understand the different styles. The editors are true experts in anesthesiology. 

Features 

The intent of the book is to discuss the perioperative management of patients with cancer. Given that many patients with cancer have similar comorbidities, the book focuses on each aspect and then provides information on the specific forms of cancer. The organization based upon organ system helps readers with understanding the concepts. The book also focuses on current controversies such as general/regional anesthesia and progression of the disease. While these topics are clearly timely and important, the problem is that the information is too new and continues to evolve, risking that the information in the book becomes outdated more rapidly than other textbooks. The book liberally uses figures to enhance the learning, with a useful table of contents and index. 

Assessment  

This book is useful for practitioners in anesthesiology. The required baseline knowledge for understanding the various chapters means that the book is not as useful for students and residents. The inclusion of current controversial material enhances the learning yet is risky as the current literature in these areas is not definitive and is rapidly evolving. There are no similar textbooks with editors who are true experts. This is currently a great read and useful book; it is unclear whether it will remain so in the future as the information evolves. 

©Doody’s Review Service, 2022, Robert R. Gaiser, MD (Yale School of Medicine)

Doody’s Score: 93 – 4 Stars!

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