Children With Cancer: A Comprehensive Reference Guide for Parents

by Jeanne Munn Bracken

Overview

Children can and do survive cancer; the last decade has seen many major advancements in treatment. Written honestly, yet in a reassuring tone, by a reference librarian whose child has survived cancer, Children with Cancer draws together a wealth of up-to-date information essential for anyone who wishes to help a child or family through this ordeal--including relatives, friends, teachers, and clergymen, as well as doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals. The information ranges from sophisticated, hard-to-find medical facts to practical tips on how to handle side effects, and much more. Describing in detail the whole range of childhood cancers, Bracken explores how they affect the child, the treatments available, how to cope with the changes this diagnosis will bring to the entire family, and where to go for both medical and emotional help. It also includes an appendix of common medical tests, a glossary of terms, and comprehensive lists of organizations, clinics, and cancer centers, complete with names and addresses. Reviews of the previous edition: "A remarkable job....The technical information is clearly stated, up to date and accurate.....But most of all, this is a human book."--Los Angeles Times "Comprehensive, well written, accurate, and compassionate.... Bracken's book can serve as a primary reference for parents and can be used as well by health care professionals and teachers." --Science Books and Films

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199758654
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/01/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Jeanne Munn Bracken is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, with a major in German Language and Literature and a minor in Speech and Drama. She also graduated from Simmons College with a Master of Science in Library Science. She worked at the UNH Dimond Library, at the Boston University School of Medicine Library, at the Research Library at Arthur D. Little, Inc., and at the Acton Memorial Library. She currently is Reference Librarian at the Lincoln (MA) Public Library.

Table of Contents

Section I: What we're up against: the diseases 1. Introduction 2. Genetics of childhood cancer 3. Leukemia 4. Lymphoma 5. Hodgkin Disease 6. Neuroblastoma 7. Wilm tumor 8. Bone cancers 9. Brain and central nervous system tumors 10. Retinoblastoma 11. Soft tissue sarcoma 12. Germ cell tumors 13. Testicular cancer 14. Rare (including HIV/AIDS related cancers) Section II: What we can do about childhood cancer: the treatments 15. Introduction: where to seek treatment; clinical trials 16. Surgery 17. Radiation 18. Chemotherapy 19. Bone marrow and stem cell transplants 20. New and experimental therapies 21. Alternative and complementary therapies 22. Supporting the child through therapy Section III: How to Cope 23. Emotional aspects of childhood cancer 24. Siblings, other family and friends 25. Handling medical problems at home 26. Money matters 27. The patient in the clinic and the hospital 28. Rights and responsibilities 29. The patient in school 30. The adolescent cancer patient 31. The survivors 32. Death Section IV: Where to go for help 33. Introduction 34. Internet 35. International, National and Regional organizations 36. U. S. Clinics 37. International clinics Appendix: Medical tests Glossary of terms Index

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Theresa M. Bacon, MSN (University of New Mexico Hospital)
Description: This overview of pediatric cancers and treatments discusses coping and support for these patients and their families. This is an update of a 1986 edition.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide families and children living with pediatric cancer information about common disease processes and treatments as well as resources for coping with the diagnosis. The author has done an excellent job of meeting these objectives.
Audience: Although targeted at families experiencing a diagnosis of pediatric cancer, this book also may be useful for healthcare providers wishing to create a very basic framework for understanding pediatric cancer and the associated issues regarding care. The author is a parent of a child diagnosed with cancer and a research librarian.
Features: In addition to addressing common pediatric cancers and treatments, the book discusses coping and suggests resources for both survivorship and death. A comprehensive table organizes common chemotherapy agents, their side effects and the common disease processes for which they are used. A few black-and-white illustrations are useful for clarifying anatomical locations of cancers. Resources in the appendixes are organized by geographic location.
Assessment: This is a well-written resource for families and children experiencing pediatric cancer. The compilation of resources in the book is priceless. This update is justified by the many advances in pediatric cancer care since the original publication.

Doody's Review Service

"Highly recommended, this will be very helpful to parents/caregivers of children with cancer."—Library Journal

"This is a well-written resource for families and children experiencing pediatric cancer. The compilation of resources in the book is priceless. " —Doody's

From the Publisher

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, parents face a bewildering array of choices. The prognosis and treatments have improved, so parents need information to make the best decisions. Bracken, a librarian whose daughter survived a childhood cancer, has updated her 1986 original to include the latest information about all aspects of childhood cancer. Introductory chapters define cancer and discuss causes and genetics; coverage of specific cancers (e.g., leukemia, bone cancers, neuroblastoma) follows. Part 2 covers treatments, including information about standard procedures, plus experimental and alternative therapies. Part 3 concerns coping: the emotional aspects of cancer, siblings, financial and legal matters, school, and survivors as well as death and dying. A chapter on using the Internet discusses the evaluation of information, but it does not cover search strategies. Each chapter has a resource list and recommended websites. A series of appendixes offers directories of clinics and organizations in the United States, Canada, and abroad, plus medical tests. VERDICT Highly recommended, this will be very helpful to parents/caregivers of children with cancer.—Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L., CA

Library Journal