As the likely first responder in an emergency, you need quick access to essential information on the potential complications of many different cancer types and treatments. The new edition of this trusted resource provides up-to-date information on the pathophysiology, complications, risks, treatment approaches, prognosis, assessment findings, and nursing and medical interventions for a wide range of cancers. It also offers valuable information to help you fulfill your role as care coordinator and patient advocate, including client education guidelines, discharge procedures, and strategies for helping the client and family deal with the impact of the disease's progression.

A consistent format throughout helps you quickly find the information you need, no matter what the topic. This indispensable reference is written and reviewed by both oncology and acute care nurses, ensuring accuracy, currency, and clinical relevance. Coverage of each cancer includes pathophysiologic mechanisms, epidemiology and etiology, risk profile, prognosis, professional assessment criteria (PAC), nursing care and treatment, evidence-based practice update, patient teaching, nursing diagnoses or DSM-IV, evaluation and desired outcomes, and discharge planning with follow-up care, where needed. The latest prognosis statistics give you a realistic picture of the survival possibilities for your patients so you can provide the most appropriate nursing care and patient education. Multiple-choice review questions with answers and rationales at the end of each chapter help reinforce your understanding of key concepts and prepare you for certification examinations. Special boxes highlight pediatric-specific care considerations for working with children.

Six new chapters - Biliary and Pancreatic Obstruction, Depression and Cognitive Dysfunction, Dyspnea and Airway Obstruction, GI Obstruction, Heart Failure, and Spiritual Distress - keep you up to date with the latest advances in oncology nursing. Evidence-based rationales in the nursing interventions help you apply the latest research findings to actual practice. Each chapter includes a new section on pathophysiology to help you understand the physiologic processes associated with each oncologic complication.