Diseases of the Breast

Abstract

The second edition of Diseases of the Breast, edited by Harris, Lippman, Morrow, and Osborne, is a comprehensive single volume reference book that achieves its stated goal to “summarize the current knowledge of breast diseases, including their clinical features, management, and underlying biologies and epidemiologies.” As in the first edition, authors from around the world have contributed their experience and expertise. This 1,152 page book has been reorganized into 18 sections. The revised organization combined with a change in the layout of the index make the second volume much easier to use as a reference book. The first three sections deal with breast anatomy and development, management of benign disease, and imaging techniques. The remaining sections cover basic aspects of breast cancer including epidemiology and treatment, as well as issues in breast cancer survivorship. The chapters themselves are well written, up to date, and of reasonable length for a review. Especially helpful for clinicians are chapters covering site-specific therapies, management of recurrence, and new therapeutic approaches. The chapter on medicolegal aspects of breast cancer evaluation and treatment is dry but a necessary read for most physicians, in light of the high incidence of lawsuits concerning delay in diagnosis. The sections on pathogenesis and on basic tools for advancing knowledge in breast cancer are excellent reading for clinical and basic scientists who are interested in developing collaborative research projects. Overall, this second edition provides a good review of basic knowledge as well as current information on advances in basic science and clinical care, and it would be a useful addition to the library of any surgeon that deals with breast disease.