Pocket Guide to Breast Cancer 2nd ed.

By Karen Hassey Dow. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2002. $42.95. ISBN: 0-7637-1814-9. 288 pages.

The Pocket Guide to Breast Cancer (2nd edition) is a quick and user-friendly reference for the health care professional. This updated book is easily referenced and is divided into 4 sections: Epidemiology, Screening, Early Detection and Diagnosis; Treatment of Primary Breast Cancer; Treatment of Recurrent and Metastatic Breast Cancer; and Quality of Life Issues. The text is easy to understand with helpful statistics and links to current Web sites and guidelines.

The book is also full of practical and researched information both for the provider and the patient. For example, Part III, Chapter 11, Treatment of Recurrent and Metastatic Disease, included direct, helpful information on the side effects of radiation therapy for brain metastasis along with patient care guidelines.

Whether or not your focus in your practice is oncology, this book is a great adjunct to reference again and again for care of the patient with breast cancer throughout diagnosis and treatment.