Clinical Problems in Oncology: A Practical Guide to Management is an easy-to-use, compact reference with essential, practical information on managing oncological emergencies, as well as the side effects and complications of cancer and its treatment. Because patient responses can vary widely, depending on the type of treatment prescribed, this resource offers medical professionals the specific information they need to improve the evaluation and treatment of cancer patients at the point of care.
The compact format includes a wide range of clinical information, from the dose of drugs that would typically be used, through guidance on the practical procedures that are frequently used to treat oncology patients. Some of the books highlights include:
Toxicity grading and management, including at-a-glance summaries of the most common toxicities associated with chemotherapy Prescribing guidelines, including how to write up electrolyte replacement properly Information on specialised oncology procedures (such as SIR spheres), and how to manage complications Types of vascular access lines and how to check their position, access them and troubleshoot problems With an expert team of writers who have contributed materials in their areas of expertise,ClinicalProblems in Oncology is an ideal reference for oncologists in training, oncologists in non-training positions, oncology registrars and general practitioners.
List of contributors, ix
Preface, xi
Acknowledgements xii
List of abbreviations xiii
1 Introduction to clinical problems in oncology 1Sing Yu Moorcraft
General approach to the management of oncology patients 2
Performance status 6
Tumour markers 6
2 Oncological emergencies 13Daniel L.Y. Lee
Anaphylaxis and hypersensitivity reactions 13
Bleeding 16
Central airway obstruction and stridor 19
Extravasation 23
Febrile neutropenia 28
Hypercalcaemia 30
Non-neutropenic sepsis 34
Raised intracranial pressure and seizures 36
Spinal cord compression 41
Superior vena cava obstruction 45
Transfusion reactions 48
Tumour lysis syndrome 50
3 Side effects and complications of cancer and its treatment 53Alexandra Pender, Sing Yu Moorcraft and Daniel L.Y. Lee
Overview of toxicity management 54
Abnormal liver function tests 57
Alopecia 60
Anaemia 62
Anorexia and nutrition 66
Ascites 69
Bone metastases and osteoporosis 71
Bowel obstruction 75
Breathlessness 77
Chest pain and other cardiac complications 81
Confusion and decreased conscious level 86
Constipation 91
Dental disorders 93
Diarrhoea 95
Dysphagia 100
Fatigue 104
Fertility and pregnancy 106
Haematuria 113
Hearing loss 115
Hiccups 117
Hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia 119
Hypertension and hypotension 123
Lymphoedema 127
Mucositis 129
Nausea and vomiting 133
Neuropathy 138
Neutropenia 142
Proteinuria 145
Pruritus 146
Psychiatric disorders 149
Rash 154
Renal failure and hydronephrosis 163
Sexual dysfunction 166
Thrombocytopenia 170
Thromboembolism 173
Vaccinations and immunoglobulin 178
Visual symptoms 180
4 Introduction to radiotherapy 185Emma Dugdale, Alexandra Gilbert and Robin Prestwich
Introduction to radiotherapy 185
Methods of delivery of radiotherapy 186
5 Radiotherapy side effects and their management 193Alexandra Gilbert, Emma Dugdale and Robin Prestwich
Overview of radiotherapy toxicity 193
Overview of radical radiotherapy treatment and side effect management by anatomical treatment site 195
Brain 195
Head and neck 196
Breast 200
Thorax 200
Abdomen 204
Pelvis 205
Skin toxicities 211
Total body irradiation 214
6 Endocrine therapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapies 215Samantha Turnbull
Endocrine therapy 215
Immunotherapy 218
Targeted therapies 220
7 Electrolyte abnormalities 225Sing Yu Moorcraft
Hypocalcaemia 225
Hyperkalaemia and hypokalaemia 227
Hypermagnesaemia and hypomagnesaemia 231
Hypernatraemia and hyponatraemia 234
Hyperphosphataemia and hypophosphataemia 237
8 Palliative care and pain management 241Karen Neoh
Pain management 241
Overview of pain management 241
Opioid prescribing in palliative care 245
Opioid toxicity 251
Syringe pumps 252
End-of-life care 253
9 Oncology procedures and their complications 257Juanita Lopez
Ascitic drains (paracentesis) 257
Biliary drains and stents 259
Central venous access devices 261
Chemoembolisation 265
Chest drains and pleurodesis 266
Enteral feeding tubes 269
Nephrostomies and ureteric stents 270
Oesophageal stents and dilatation 272
Radioembolisation (SIR-spheres®) 273
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) 275
10 Cancer drug development and funding 277Sing Yu Moorcraft
Clinical trials 277
Funding of cancer drugs 280
Personalised medicine 282
Appendices 287Sing Yu Moorcraft and Daniel L.Y. Lee
Chemotherapy regimes 287
Drug toxicities 287
Useful resources 296
Index 301
