Psychosocial Aspects of Pediatric Oncology

Rating:
Summary: Psychosocial aspects of pediatric oncology
Review: Over the last 20-30 years the field of psycho-oncology has grown to become a subspecialty involved with the psychological aspects of cancer. With modern chemotherapy and other therapies the pediatric patient with cancer has today a better chance for long term survival and therefore the need for psycho-social intervention and support during illness and in survival. Not only the pediatric patient is in need of psycho-social support, but also the family, siblings and the extended family.
The editors, Shulamith Kreitler from the Psychooncology Unit, Tel Aviv Medical Center and Myriam Weyl Ben Arush from Meyer Children's Hospital, Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel have gathered 29 contributors from the United States, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, New Zealand and Israel to produce this excellent book on the psychosocial aspects of pediatric oncolgy.
This book has 17 chapters in three parts: Medical aspects, psychosocial aspects and psychosocial interventions. Each chapter is well written, informative, researched and the layout reader friendly. You will find important chapters on the family and the child with cancer including the important topics of siblings and grandparents. The chapter on quality of life in children with cancer by Shulamith and Michal Kreitler was very good reading and an important aspect of care and treatment. We should also be proud that such a relevant book has been edited by two Israeli experts.
This is a very comprehensive book on the psycho-social aspect of pediatric oncology relevant for all professionals working with this population. Every department treating pediatric oncology patients should have it on the shelf.

Professor Joav Merrick, MD
Director, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Medical director, Division for Mental Retardation, Box 1260, IL-91012 Jerusalem, Israel. E-mail: [e-mail]

Gideon Vardi, MD
Developmental pediatrician, Zusman Child Development Center, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. E-mail: [e-mail]