The Encyclopedia of Women's Reproductive Cancer (Facts on File Library of Health and Living)

Offers more than four hundred alphabetically arranged entries covering such topics as cervical cancer, hormone replacement therapy, vulvar cancer, and birth control pills.

Cancers of the reproductive organs are diagnosed in more than 80,000 women each year. The Encyclopedia of Women's Reproductive Cancer provides basic medical information written at a level accessible to the layperson. Written by a medical writer and a physician, this volume contains about 400 alphabetically arranged entries that range in length from a sentence to several pages.

Topics covered include risk factors (Alcohol, Smoking); types of cancer (Embryonal carcinoma, Ovarian cancer); medical terminology (salpingectomy); treatment (Biological therapy, Chemotherapy); dietary options (Antioxidants, Coenzyme Q10, Phytochemicals); screening tests (Ultrasound scan); drugs (Compazine, Marinol); organizations (Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, Hospice Foundation of America); and support groups (Gilda's Clubs). There is a lengthy appendix that lists clinical trials as of the publication date. (Current clinical trials are available on the National Cancer Institute Web site [http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials], which can be searched by zip code as well as type of cancer.) Other appendixes are "Helpful Organizations" (including Web addresses and telephone numbers), "Cancer Centers," and "Drugs Used to Treat Reproductive Cancers." A glossary and a four-page bibliography (the most recent articles date from 2003) are also included.

The two-volume, proportionately more expensive Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer (2001) is more comprehensive and contains more than 200 illustrations, photographs, and charts. Although the facts in the volume under review are available elsewhere, this book is well organized and provides reliable general information. The lack of any illustrations may be a drawback for some users. Part of the Facts On File Library of Health and Living, this volumes is worthy of consideration for general medical reference sections in public and academic libraries. Nancy Cannon
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