Radiation Oncology in Palliative Cancer Care (PDF)

"This textbook, Radiation Oncology in
Palliative Cancer Care, represents the full evolution of
radiation therapy, and of oncology in general. ( ... ) [It] is
an acknowledgment that palliative radiotherapy is now a
sub-specialty of radiation oncology. This formally makes palliative
radiotherapy a priority within patient care, academic research,
quality assurance, and medical education." - From
the Foreword by Nora Janjan, MD, MPSA, MBA, National Center for
Policy Analysis, Dallas, TX, USA

Palliative Medicine is the professional medical practice of
prevention and relief of suffering and the support of the best
possible quality of life for patients and their families,
regardless of the stage of the disease or the need for other
therapies. The most common cause for palliative care referral is
terminal cancer, and a large proportion of those referrals include
patients who will need palliative radiotherapy during the course of
their disease. Still, there are barriers to coordinated care
between radiation oncologists and palliative care physicians that
differ from one country to another. Until now, one overarching
limitation to appropriate concurrent care between the specialties
across all countries has been the lack of a comprehensive yet
concise reference resource that educates each of the specialties
about the potential synergistic effects of their cooperation. This
book fills that void.

Radiation Oncology in Palliative Cancer Care:

* Is the first book-length treatment of this important topic
available on the market

* Is authored by world-renowned experts in radiation oncology and
palliative medicine

* Uses a multidisciplinary approach to content and patient
treatment

* Features decision trees for palliative radiotherapy based upon
factors such as patient performance status and prognosis

* Pays careful attention to current best practices and
controversies in the delivery of end-of-life cancer care

This book is an important resource for practicing radiation
oncologists and radiation oncologists in training, as well as
hospice and palliative medicine physicians and nurses, medical
oncologists, and geriatricians.