Principles and Practice of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology

Abstract

The first edition of this book was published in 2003. The editors state that this latest edition ‘‘has been thoroughly updated by a team of world leading head and neck surgeons, oncologists and allied healthcare professionals.’’ The book is current, involves more than 70 contributors, and is well illustrated with a large number of color pictures that account for its relatively high price. The book appears to be directed toward surgeons, based upon the titles and affiliations of the authors and the content. The book describes surgical techniques for various head and neck subsites that may be of limited interest to the nonsurgeon reader. Moreover, although the book aims at being ‘‘a comprehensive evidence-based account of the current scientific knowledge about head and neck tumors and their management,’’ unfortunately, we lack ‘‘evidence’’ for much of our daily clinical practice, and in this volume, surgical treatment is emphasized over other treatment modalities. However, with this in mind, there is no question that this book is a valuable resource, even for the nonsurgeon who wants to know more about surgery or seeks another viewpoint. The book is organized into three parts: general principles, treatment approach by subsite, and complication/reconstruction/rehabilitation issues. The first part, on general principles, is comprehensive and sufficiently detailed for both the student and the practitioner. The chapters on molecular biology, anesthesia, chemotherapy, nursing, nutritional support, and dental management of the head and neck cancer patient are clear and exhaustive. In my opinion, the chapter on imaging is too limited and concise, although this reflects the extent of the topic. Nevertheless, some issues, like the role of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in reevaluat-