Neuro-oncology

Abstract

Cancer Neurology in Clinical Practice is a comprehensive review of the neurological complications of cancer and appropriate therapy for clinicians and trainees across a range of disciplines, including medical oncology, neurology, and neuro-oncology. Now in its second edition, this text has rapidly become the most complete work of its kind. Prior to publication of the first edition in 2003, the most widely read and cited reference for the neurology of cancer was Neurologic Complications of Cancer by Posner, published almost a decade before. My own copy of Posner's tome still holds a prominent place on my bookshelf, only an arm's length away, many of the pages frayed and stained from frequent use. The simple elegance of this single-author treatise set a high standard for books to come.This standard has been easily met by Cancer Neurology in Clinical Practice. What this reference understandably lacks in readability with the departure from a single voice is more than made up for in breadth and detail on a wide range of new subjects. A total of 31 chapters fall under one of six main subject headings: diagnostic studies, neurological symptoms, direct and indirect complications of cancer, complications of cancer therapy, and neurological complications of specific malignancies. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on imaging, which presents a thorough discussion of the diagnostic approach to a new brain mass in patients with and without a pre-existing cancer diagnosis. The chapter on seizures summarises new information on the interaction of enzyme-inducing anticonvulsant drugs with chemotherapeutic agents and the subsequent implications for drug selection in cancer patients. Although a few chapters are overly dense and in need of a heavier editorial brush stroke, most are well-organised, well-referenced, and up to date.As the cancer population ages and therapeutic options expand, the overlap between cancer and neurology will only broaden. Neurologists, neuro-oncologists, and medical oncologists alike must be equipped to assess and treat these patients, and this textbook will serve as an invaluable resource for clinicians for years to come. Cancer Neurology in Clinical Practice is a comprehensive review of the neurological complications of cancer and appropriate therapy for clinicians and trainees across a range of disciplines, including medical oncology, neurology, and neuro-oncology. Now in its second edition, this text has rapidly become the most complete work of its kind. Prior to publication of the first edition in 2003, the most widely read and cited reference for the neurology of cancer was Neurologic Complications of Cancer by Posner, published almost a decade before. My own copy of Posner's tome still holds a prominent place on my bookshelf, only an arm's length away, many of the pages frayed and stained from frequent use. The simple elegance of this single-author treatise set a high standard for books to come. This standard has been easily met by Cancer Neurology in Clinical Practice. What this reference understandably lacks in readability with the departure from a single voice is more than made up for in breadth and detail on a wide range of new subjects. A total of 31 chapters fall under one of six main subject headings: diagnostic studies, neurological symptoms, direct and indirect complications of cancer, complications of cancer therapy, and neurological complications of specific malignancies. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on imaging, which presents a thorough discussion of the diagnostic approach to a new brain mass in patients with and without a pre-existing cancer diagnosis. The chapter on seizures summarises new information on the interaction of enzyme-inducing anticonvulsant drugs with chemotherapeutic agents and the subsequent implications for drug selection in cancer patients. Although a few chapters are overly dense and in need of a heavier editorial brush stroke, most are well-organised, well-referenced, and up to date. As the cancer population ages and therapeutic options expand, the overlap between cancer and neurology will only broaden. Neurologists, neuro-oncologists, and medical oncologists alike must be equipped to assess and treat these patients, and this textbook will serve as an invaluable resource for clinicians for years to come.