Overview
This book offers healthcare professionals, academics and anyone affected by cancer a fresh and original approach to the supportive care of people with cancer. It looks at some of the underlying reasons why cancer often leads to high levels of distress. More importantly, it suggests many practical ways distress can be prevented and minimised. The book combines the actual experiences of cancer patients, as recorded in their personal diaries, with theory, research and practical clinical advice.
In each of its seven chapters the book takes a different perspective and a different approach to supportive care in cancer. Chapter 1 considers how people generally manage and adjust to change in their lives and in particular how they react to the threat of cancer. Chapter 2 examines the 'lived experience' of people with cancer as they negotiate the many challenges and changes following their diagnosis. Chapter 3 looks at the impact of cancer on the families, partners and carers of people with cancer. Chapter 4 shows that the social and cultural context of someone's life is critical to an understanding of their resources and responses to serious illness. Chapter 5 considers how professionals can help minimise disruption to their patients quality of life as they endure the notorious demands of oncology treatments. It looks at popular cancer treatments, common treatment difficulties, cancer rehabilitation and palliative care. Chapter 6 provides a summary of the burgeoning area of communication skills within healthcare and, finally, Chapter 7 ponders how professionals can maintain adequate care in light of the evidence of high levels of stress and burnout among cancer staff.
Synopsis
This book offers healthcare professionals, academics and anyone affected by cancer a fresh and original approach to the supportive care of people with cancer. It looks at some of the underlying reasons why cancer often leads to high levels of distress. More importantly, it suggests many practical ways distress can be prevented and minimised. The book combines the actual experiences of cancer patients, as recorded in their personal diaries, with theory, research and practical clinical advice.
In each of its seven chapters the book takes a different perspective and a different approach to supportive care in cancer. Chapter 1 considers how people generally manage and adjust to change in their lives and in particular how they react to the threat of cancer. Chapter 2 examines the 'lived experience' of people with cancer as they negotiate the many challenges and changes following their diagnosis. Chapter 3 looks at the impact of cancer on the families, partners and carers of people with cancer. Chapter 4 shows that the social and cultural context of someone's life is critical to an understanding of their resources and responses to serious illness. Chapter 5 considers how professionals can help minimise disruption to their patients quality of life as they endure the notorious demands of oncology treatments. It looks at popular cancer treatments, common treatment difficulties, cancer rehabilitation and palliative care. Chapter 6 provides a summary of the burgeoning area of communication skills within healthcare and, finally, Chapter 7 ponders how professionals can maintain adequate care in light of the evidence of high levels of stress and burnout among cancer staff.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Marilyn Sample, B.S. and M.S.(Indiana State University)
Description:This book is a resource for providing supportive and palliative care for people with cancer.
Purpose:The purpose of this book is to integrate phenomenology, academic research and clinical practice into a practical guide for providing supportive care to oncology patients. This book is a worthy resource because it mainly focuses on the psychosocial needs of patients, as well as their support systems and the health care providers. The author stayed true to the book's purpose throughout the text.
Audience:Health care providers in any health care discipline will find this book to be a necessary resource that will help them to maximize their caregiving. Professors will be able to utilize this book as an adjunct to a course textbook because it expands the knowledge base of psychosocial needs related to the oncology patient. The author writes in a credible fashion and appears to possess experience in working with oncology healthcare providers and patients. However, no academic credentials or years of experience were mentioned in the book.
Features:This book mainly focuses on the psychosocial needs of the oncology patient and his support system. Concerns related to communication needs, family and partner relationships, and the emerging personal psychosocial struggles following the diagnosis of cancer were expected by this reviewer and well-covered by the author. The chapter related to social concerns such as homelessness, ethnicity, refugees, asylum seekers and gender was very thought-provoking and revealed much depth to the author's experience and research. The last chapter was devoted to caring for the oncology health professional and reinforced the existing fund of information related to stress, burnout, guilt and involvement. This book is not a comprehensive resource by the author's own admission. It does not cover cancer prevention and screening, cancer genetics, psychoneuroimmunology, childhood cancers and euthanasia. The author primarily focuses on the psychosocial needs of people linked to cancer and provides depth and credible information. Unfortunately, the book lacks attractiveness and hopefully the reader will be willing to ignore this finding.
Assessment:This reviewer found this book to be very interesting and thought-provoking. The author included some information that enlightened the reviewer about various social concerns related to the oncology patient. The information will help health care providers to care for patients in a more sensitive and holistic manner.
Editorials
From The Critics
Reviewer: Marilyn Sample, B.S. and M.S.(Indiana State University)Description: This book is a resource for providing supportive and palliative care for people with cancer.
Purpose: The purpose of this book is to integrate phenomenology, academic research and clinical practice into a practical guide for providing supportive care to oncology patients. This book is a worthy resource because it mainly focuses on the psychosocial needs of patients, as well as their support systems and the health care providers. The author stayed true to the book's purpose throughout the text.
Audience: Health care providers in any health care discipline will find this book to be a necessary resource that will help them to maximize their caregiving. Professors will be able to utilize this book as an adjunct to a course textbook because it expands the knowledge base of psychosocial needs related to the oncology patient. The author writes in a credible fashion and appears to possess experience in working with oncology healthcare providers and patients. However, no academic credentials or years of experience were mentioned in the book.
Features: This book mainly focuses on the psychosocial needs of the oncology patient and his support system. Concerns related to communication needs, family and partner relationships, and the emerging personal psychosocial struggles following the diagnosis of cancer were expected by this reviewer and well-covered by the author. The chapter related to social concerns such as homelessness, ethnicity, refugees, asylum seekers and gender was very thought-provoking and revealed much depth to the author's experience and research. The last chapter was devoted to caring for the oncology health professional and reinforced the existing fund of information related to stress, burnout, guilt and involvement. This book is not a comprehensive resource by the author's own admission. It does not cover cancer prevention and screening, cancer genetics, psychoneuroimmunology, childhood cancers and euthanasia. The author primarily focuses on the psychosocial needs of people linked to cancer and provides depth and credible information. Unfortunately, the book lacks attractiveness and hopefully the reader will be willing to ignore this finding.
Assessment: This reviewer found this book to be very interesting and thought-provoking. The author included some information that enlightened the reviewer about various social concerns related to the oncology patient. The information will help health care providers to care for patients in a more sensitive and holistic manner.
3 Stars from Doody