The Handbook of Oncology Nursing is an excellent, recent handbook in its third edition. The editors work in oncology research and hospice and the 42 contributors are practicing nurses and nursing faculty across the United States. Like most oncology texts, this handbook begins with a chapter on the basic science of cancer. New vocabulary is highlighted and explained. There have been several changes to the resources listed in chapter 6B since publication.
Genetic developments deserve more coverage.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 were mentioned, but there were no citations to the literature in this fast-growing area. Also, the impact of cultural background was not given as much attention as one might expect. The accompanying tables, scales, and flow charts are well placed. Line drawings are clear and have captions with citations. However, the book could benefit from additional illustrations, especially for the sections on skin and wound care.