قراءات إضافية | السرطان: مقدمة قصيرة جدًّا

(١) اعتبارات عامة

There are many books about cancer on the market, mostly split between books aimed at patients and their carers and books aimed at health professionals. I do not propose to list books in the first category as they are extremely numerous, needs are personal, and also vary by country of residence. I have listed books on the technical side, and again these vary hugely – the needs of a nursing student are different from the sort of reference tome required by an oncology researcher or consultant. I have split the list into reference books and more accessible paperback works.

(٢) تفصيل المراجع

Vincent T. DeVita, Theodore S. Lawrence, Steven A. Rosenberg, Robert A. Weinberg, and Ronald A. DePinho, DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology, 2 vols, 8th edn. (Philadelphia and London: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2008). This is a very substantial textbook covering all aspects of cancer from causation to treatment of specific diseases.
Edward C. Halperin, Carlos A. Perez, and Luther W. Brady, Perez and Brady’s Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology, 5th edn. (Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2008). Another comprehensive text giving in-depth coverage of the technical background to radiotherapy and the detailed clinical application by disease.
Leslie H. Sobin, Mary K. Gospodarowicz, and Christian Wittekind, TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours: UICC International Union Against Cancer, 7th edn. (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). Cancer cases are categorized using standardized systems to allow comparison of results from different studies. This reference book gives the most widely used classification system for all the recognized groups of cancers.
Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, and Peter Walter, Molecular Biology of the Cell, 5th edn. (New York: Garland Science, 2008). Probably the definitive reference book on cell biology.
Robert A. Weinberg, The Biology of Cancer (New York: Garland Science, 2006). Probably the definitive text on cancer biology by one of the world’s leading cancer researchers.
M. P. Curado, B. Edwards, H. R. Shin, J. Ferlay, and M. Heanue, Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, vol. 9 (Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2009). Detailed reference book on patterns of cancer incidence.

(٣) كتب أقصر وأسهل

Terrence Priestman, Cancer Chemotherapy in Clinical Practice (London: Springer, 2008).
Anthony J. Neal and Peter J. Hoskin, Clinical Oncology: Basic Principles and Practice, 4th edn. (London: Hodder Arnold, 2009).
Margaret Knowles and Peter Selby (eds.), Introduction to the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Cancer, 4th edn. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005).
Betty Kirkwood and Jonathan Sterne, Essential Medical Statistics, 2nd edn. (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2003).
Trisha Greenhalgh, How to Read a Paper: The Basics of Evidence-Based Medicine, 4th edn. (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010).
Nicholas Bosanquet and Karol Sikora, The Economics of Cancer Care (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010).

(٤) قراءات أخرى

Ben Goldacre, Bad Science (London: Harper Perennial, 2009). A superb exposé of the world of alternative medicine and quackery.

(٥) مواقع الويب

I have not included recommended books for patients and carers as these are rather a personal thing. For recently diagnosed patients, or those seeking information for relatives or other loved ones, the best initial source is probably the Internet, as information there is likely to be up to date and accurate, if sensible websites are used as sources. Factors to be considered when looking at websites should include the provider of the information. In particular, is the site selling or supporting a viewpoint or is it independent? Many large private hospitals, particularly in the United States, put up sites that include information for patients but may be biased towards treatments they themselves provide. Charities are less likely to be biased in this regard as they should have no financial interest in treatments, but may be slanted by fundraising needs. Government-backed sites may have different agendas again, perhaps with a need to downplay demand for expensive emergent therapies. It is also worth noting that treatment patterns (and hence emphasis) will vary somewhat by country; for example, surgery is the mainstay of therapy for advanced bladder cancer in most countries but accounts for only about half of the treatments in the UK. With all this in mind, it is worth consulting a few websites to compare information. Suggested initial sites:

CancerHelp UK (www.cancerhelp.org.uk/) (accessed 21 January 2011). UK-based site supported by Cancer Research UK with comprehensive information on all aspects of cancer and its treatment. The site includes a listing of all trials recruiting in the UK. The site is written in plain English for a lay audience but is multi-layered, allowing considerable depth of information. The site includes links to websites in other languages and countries.
The US National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov) (accessed 21 January 2011). Very comprehensive site with, of course, an American perspective. Includes a large clinical trials database for those seeking entry into a study. Also includes information in Spanish, as well as educational materials, and sections for physicians.