Textbook of Malignant Hematology
http://www.100md.com
《新英格兰医药杂志》
The rapid progress in our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of neoplasia and the pace of discovery in diagnostics and therapeutics in malignant hematology present great challenges for publishers and editors of hematology textbooks. Chapters that are on the cutting edge at the time of publication may seem dated very rapidly. As a source of current clinical concepts, the published textbook cannot compete with Web-based clinical reviews, which can be updated frequently to incorporate emerging knowledge. However, a broad-based textbook can still have an important role, synthesizing and providing perspective regarding established and emerging clinical and scientific concepts. This has been achieved to a large extent in the new edition of Textbook of Malignant Hematology.
Recent scientific advances have necessitated the addition of several new chapters covering advances in stem-cell plasticity, DNA repair and senescence, angiogenesis, and gene-expression profiling. There is also a stronger emphasis on the late effects of therapy, with three chapters focusing on this important area. Most of the original chapters have been substantially revised for this second edition.
The key strengths of this textbook are the sections dealing with underlying mechanisms of normal and malignant hematopoiesis and the sections covering recent progress in diagnosis and therapy. Developments in diagnosis that are covered include the emerging use of microarrays to study gene expression, studies of clonality, and progress in the accurate detection of minimal residual disease. The discussions of these topics are generally very thorough, although the failure even to mention the role of molecular monitoring in the management of chronic myeloid leukemia in patients who have been treated with imatinib, in the chapter on minimal residual disease in myeloid leukemias, is a notable omission. There is extensive coverage of the use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction to monitor patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who are receiving interferon alfa therapy, but this is now mainly of historical interest.
The section on developments in treatment provides several excellent and highly topical chapters on the current role of allogeneic stem-cell transplantation, the emerging role of targeted therapy in hematologic diseases, the current status of therapeutic gene transfer, and the emerging role of T-cell–mediated immunotherapy.
Some features of the book could be further improved. The chapters on specific hematologic cancers are sometimes a bit too general for the hematologist looking for detailed and up-to-date advice on aspects of diagnosis and treatment. The lack of color illustrations is noticeable — only 13 color diagrams and figures are provided in more than 800 pages, and all are placed at the start of the book. In the chapter on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, inclusion of World Health Organization classification tables for each lymphoma would have been very useful. In addition, a typographic error has led to an incorrect listing of t(2:17) clathrin/ALK translocation as t(2:7).
For readers seeking a reliable and thorough reference book on malignant hematology that incorporates concise analyses of key disease mechanisms, this book is well suited. I would recommend it as a valuable resource for researchers, students, and clinicians with an interest in the field of hematologic cancer.
Timothy P. Hughes, M.D.
Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science
Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia(Second edition. Edited by)
Recent scientific advances have necessitated the addition of several new chapters covering advances in stem-cell plasticity, DNA repair and senescence, angiogenesis, and gene-expression profiling. There is also a stronger emphasis on the late effects of therapy, with three chapters focusing on this important area. Most of the original chapters have been substantially revised for this second edition.
The key strengths of this textbook are the sections dealing with underlying mechanisms of normal and malignant hematopoiesis and the sections covering recent progress in diagnosis and therapy. Developments in diagnosis that are covered include the emerging use of microarrays to study gene expression, studies of clonality, and progress in the accurate detection of minimal residual disease. The discussions of these topics are generally very thorough, although the failure even to mention the role of molecular monitoring in the management of chronic myeloid leukemia in patients who have been treated with imatinib, in the chapter on minimal residual disease in myeloid leukemias, is a notable omission. There is extensive coverage of the use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction to monitor patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who are receiving interferon alfa therapy, but this is now mainly of historical interest.
The section on developments in treatment provides several excellent and highly topical chapters on the current role of allogeneic stem-cell transplantation, the emerging role of targeted therapy in hematologic diseases, the current status of therapeutic gene transfer, and the emerging role of T-cell–mediated immunotherapy.
Some features of the book could be further improved. The chapters on specific hematologic cancers are sometimes a bit too general for the hematologist looking for detailed and up-to-date advice on aspects of diagnosis and treatment. The lack of color illustrations is noticeable — only 13 color diagrams and figures are provided in more than 800 pages, and all are placed at the start of the book. In the chapter on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, inclusion of World Health Organization classification tables for each lymphoma would have been very useful. In addition, a typographic error has led to an incorrect listing of t(2:17) clathrin/ALK translocation as t(2:7).
For readers seeking a reliable and thorough reference book on malignant hematology that incorporates concise analyses of key disease mechanisms, this book is well suited. I would recommend it as a valuable resource for researchers, students, and clinicians with an interest in the field of hematologic cancer.
Timothy P. Hughes, M.D.
Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science
Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia(Second edition. Edited by)