Great News...new book out now... Oncology - An Introduction for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals

I am pleased to announce the arrival of my new book

Oncology – An Introduction for Nurses and Healthcare professionals

Almost 20 years on from the publication of Notes on Anatomy and Oncology the general sentiment of its need persists, which has prompted this re-write. Much has changed in this time, not least our knowledge of cancer and how this knowledge has given rise to many exciting new treatments and treatment strategies. Although given a new title, Oncology: An Introduction for Nurses and Health Professionals is an update of the first publication and draws upon much of what is great about the 1^st Edition.

I still believe probably more than ever, there is an overwhelming need for those working within cancer services to understand about cancer as a disease. With the ever-changing knowledge base and treatments for cancer, it is important that we keep up to date with our cancer knowledge. Our colleagues expect it, and our cancer patients deserve it.

Oncology: An Introduction for Nurses and Health Professionals is still written in a way that non-clinicians can understand. It is still a great resource for those new to cancer services or indeed for those who want to update their understanding of cancer and its treatments. It still brings together anatomy and oncology, something that I have not seen any other text do. Having taught about cancer for the over 30 years, I feel this combination continues to be essential in understanding cancer. Often the signs and symptoms of cancer are related to the anatomy of the organ of origin. Often, disease progression and metastases will be influenced by relational anatomy and ‘staging’, in particular, involves the anatomical extent of the tumour. Without anatomy alongside the oncology, it is difficult for the uninitiated to understand these things. This book continues to bridge this gap, and for this reason alone, is a very useful reference text.

So, what is new…well, this book reflects the advances in cancer knowledge. Many cancers are driven by specific mutations in key genes which change the way a cancer cell behaves. These ‘genetic fingerprints’, as I call them, allow us to stratify cancers into smaller, more specific variants. Take lung cancer for example. It is not good enough to talk solely about lung cancer, we want to know if it is EGFR positive, or demonstrates mutated KRAS (read the book to find out what these are!). Such knowledge is allowing for a more targeted treatment strategies leading to a more personalised approach to our treatments and ultimately improve the outcome for these patients.

We have known for a long time that our immune system detects many cancer cells and destroys them. But of course, some cancer cells persist. Our understanding of how cancer cells may remain undetected has gained ground, leading to the knowledge around ‘immune checkpoints’ and as a result the development of ‘checkpoint inhibitor’ drugs. Also, the role of T cells in immune detection has allowed for the development of treatments like CAR(T). Utilisation of the immune system to fight cancer is not new, but it has now been taken to a new, and very exciting, level.

Oncology: An Introduction for Nurses and Health Professionals, as with the original version, is not meant to make you an expert in cancer, but rather it covers the science of the disease in a way that is easily accessible. It will provide examples of how to communicate complex information to your peers and patients alike, in a way that they can understand. If specialists in the field of cancer find the information in this book useful, then I am honoured. However, this book is not primarily aimed at such professionals as there are many other, more specialised works on the market that will suit their needs. Years of teaching those from a non-cancer, non-academic or science background has allowed me to tailor my teaching, bringing across this information in an understandable way. Oncology: An Introduction for Nurses and Health Professionals is the fruit of this experience and will be essential reading for those struggling to get to grips with cancer and its terminology and can be used as a handy tool for comprehending and contextualising the information that you read daily.

Simply click on the picture to order your copy today.