Tumours of Childhood

Abstract

In this short treatise, the author, consulting radiation therapist for the Hospital for Sick Children, London, attempts to present concisely current management for all major and most minor childhood neoplasms. He is aided by five other authors who write on coordination in treatment, parent counseling, nursing, leukemia, and intracranial tumors. Chapters devoted to general principles of pediatric tumor surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are too brief, with several omissions pertaining to pediatric and surgical practice, such as the central role of anesthesia and unique importance of patient monitoring during surgery. Conversely, the extraordinary capacity of children to rapidly recover from major surgical procedures is not stressed. No section is devoted to basic principles of cellular biology and cell kinetics. Although briefly mentioned, the importance of supravoltage radiotherapy devices and sophisticated treatment techniques utilizing rotation, wedge filters, compensators, and isocentric planning is not emphasized. The effects of combinations of radiation with chemotherapy,