Radiation Oncology in Palliative Cancer Care

"This textbook, Radiation Oncology in Palliative Cancer Care, represents the full evolution of radiation therapy, and of oncology in general. ( ...) [It] is an acknowledgment that palliative radiotherapy is now a sub-specialty of radiation oncology. This formally makes palliative radiotherapy a priority within patient care, academic research, quality assurance, and medical education." (From the Foreword by Nora Janjan, MD, MPSA, MBA, National Center for Policy Analysis, Dallas, TX, USA). Palliative Medicine is the professional medical practice of prevention and relief of suffering and the support of the best possible quality of life for patients and their families, regardless of the stage of the disease or the need for other therapies. The most common cause for palliative care referral is terminal cancer, and a large proportion of those referrals include patients who will need palliative radiotherapy during the course of their disease. Still, there are barriers to coordinated care between radiation oncologists and palliative care physicians that differ from one country to another. Until now, one overarching limitation to appropriate concurrent care between the specialties across all countries has been the lack of a comprehensive yet concise reference resource that educates each of the specialties about the potential synergistic effects of their cooperation. This book fills that void. Radiation Oncology in Palliative Cancer Care: Is the first book-length treatment of this important topic available on the market; is authored by world-renowned experts in radiation oncology and palliative medicine; uses a multidisciplinary approach to content and patient treatment; features decision trees for palliative radiotherapy based upon factors such as patient performance status and prognosis; and, pays careful attention to current best practices and controversies in the delivery of end-of-life cancer care. This book is an important resource for practicing radiation oncologists and radiation oncologists in training, as well as hospice and palliative medicine physicians and nurses, medical oncologists, and geriatricians.