Predicting survival and other outcomes is increasingly being recognized as an important skill for palliative care doctors and nurses, oncologists, and other healthcare professionals who treat patients with advanced cancer. Accurate prognosis is essential if we are to offer quality of care and 'a good death', as well as to aid decision-making. There is much prognostic information available that is scattered throughout the palliative care and oncological literature but this is the first time it has been gathered systematically in one place.
Glare and Christakis, leaders in the field of prognosis, bring together a team of international contributors from across the fields of palliative care and oncology. This comprehensive but practical guide begins with the principles of prognostication, including formulating the prediction and then communicating it. Topics such as statistical issues, evidence-based medicine, and the ethics of prognostication are also covered. The second section addresses prognostication in 15 specific cancer sites once they have reached the advanced stage, following a standard template for consistency and easy access to the key information. The third section deals with prognostication in patients with a variety of common clinical conditions at the end of life, such as bowel obstruction, hypercalcaemia, and brain metastases. In addition, survival curves are provided within each chapter, palliative care conditions are examined for the first time, and a summary table of long and short term prognosis ensures this book remains practical.

Around one in three people in the western world will develop cancer at some stage in life and complementary therapies are increasingly being used alongside orthodox treatments as part of the 'integrative' approach to cancer care. Enhancing Cancer Care is a practical, evidence-based guide to complementary cancer therapies, also described as natural or holistic therapies. More and more patients are turning to these therapies as there is now considerable evidence that they can help with symptom-control and quality-of-life, and that some may also extend survival. Complementary therapies can also provide the patient with a greater sense of control regarding the management of their illness. From the editor of Integrated Cancer Care, this new title provides detailed commentary on a broad range of complementary therapies and features practical advice on how to implement therapies to enhance current practice. The first part of the book deals with the general principles behind complementary therapies and the factors driving their growing popularity, the challenges of evaluating their benefits and unwanted effects, and experience of using them in oncology units, hospices, the private sector and primary care. The second part includes chapters on specific interventions, including complementary therapies such as acupuncture and aromatherapy massage; lifestyle modifications through diet and exercise; creative therapies using art and music; and psychological and spiritual support for individuals and groups. These chapters provide descriptions of the therapies, a summary of the evidence for their benefits in cancer care, and illustrative case histories. The emphasis throughout this book is on enhancing practice; that is, using the therapies alongside conventional medicine, rather than as alternatives to it.

Cicely Saunders is universally acclaimed as a pioneer of modern hospice care. Trained initially in nursing and social work, she qualified in medicine in 1958 and subsequently dedicated the whole of her professional life to improving the care of the dying and bereaved people. Founding St Christopher's Hospice in London in 1967, she encouraged a radical new approach to end of life care combining attention to physical, social, emotional and spiritual problems, brilliantly captured in her concept of 'total pain'. Her ideas about clinical care, education and research have been hugely influential, leading to numerous prizes and awards in recognition of her humanitarian achievements. In this book the sociologist and historian David Clark presents a selection of her vast correspondence, together with his own commentary. The letters of Cicely Saunders tell a remarkable story of vision, determination and creativity. They should be read by anyone interested in how we die in the modern world.

Lesions of the oral cavity have an enormous impact on the quality of life of patients with advanced disease. They cause considerable morbidity and diminish a patient's physical and psychological well-being. Oral complications impair oral nutrition and can cause a variety of problems including malnutrition, anorexia, and cachexia. Psychological problems relate to the role that the oral cavity plays in communication and social life. This book provides comprehensive, clinically relevant, evidence-based guidelines on oral problems to ensure first rate care. The scientific foundations and research base for their management underpin the discussion throughout.
A multi-disciplinary group of contributors provide authoritative guidelines on clinical features, investigations, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment, as well as complementary therapies. Chapters cover oral assessment, hygiene, domiciliary dental care, infections, taste disturbance, pain, HIV infection and AIDS, neurological diseases, and paediatric problems. Highly illustrated throughout, the book also includes an extensive colour plate section.
This book should appeal to all members of the multi-disciplinary team working in palliative care, care of the dying and care of the elderly including hospice dentists and speech therapists working with chronically ill patients.

Listening carefully to patients at the end of life is at the heart of good palliative care and this book provides a means of recognizing and talking about spiritual needs even when religious language is not used. The author refers to this as a 'language of spirit'. The book is based on interviews with patients who are dying and the language that they use to describe their experiences. It deals with death, dying, the experiences of patients and the relief of spiritual pain by looking closely at patient stories, drawings and behaviour. The book explains why it is often easier to recognize than to explain spiritual issues. Part One explores the psychological, spiritual and theological interpretations of human experience. A detailed account is given of how the patients' own stories were collected. Drawing on a broad literature which is grounded in patients' words and deeds, Part Two introduces a non-religious 'language of spirit'. Illuminated by patient art, Part Three shows what patients use this language to 'say' about their situation and how it is mediated through various metaphors. Part Four suggests ways of responding positively to patients' spiritual needs. Aimed primarily at palliative care specialists and specialist nurses, this book will also appeal to health care chaplains, pastoral support workers, theologians, social researchers, and psychotherapists. 'The numerous illustrations, given by patients comments as they tell their story, make this book a truly fascinating journey through an important area of end of life care.' Dame Cicely Saunders, OM, DBE, FRCP, Founder/President, St Christopher's Hospice, London 'The emphasis on allowing patients to speak for themselves is striking... the author has presented the topic in a sensitive and refreshing way... I think this book will be well-received and it will be an important contribution to the literature of palliative care.' Dr Odette Spruyt, Head of Pain and Palliative Care Department, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, East Melbourne, Australia

Gastrointestinal symptoms such as anorexia-cachexia, chronic nausea, vomiting and bowel obstruction are highly distressing for patients with advanced cancer. Approximately one in three adults will be diagnosed with cancer in their lives and approximately fifty per cent of them will die because of malignancy. More than eighty per cent of patients who die of cancer will present severe gastrointestinal symptoms before death.

This book presents detailed, evidence-based information on each of the gastrointestinal symptoms for a multi-disciplinary audience. Comprehensive guidelines have been included on how to assess the patient, in order to ensure effective treatment, in which prescribing is tailored to the cause of the symptoms and to the patient's individual needs. The book recognises that the aim of good cancer management and palliative care is to assess, diagnose, manage and treat these symptoms to ensure best quality of life.

Aimed primarily at hospice and palliative care specialists, medical, radiation and surgical oncologists and selected family physicians and internists who have an interest in cancer care. The book will also appeal to oncology and academic nurses, nutritionists as well as clinical psychologists with an interest in oncology and/or palliative care.

ALSO PUBLISHED BY OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Cancer Pain Management - a comprehensive approach Edited by Karen H Simpson & Keith Budd

Integrated Cancer Care - holistic, complementary and creative approaches Edited by Jennifer Barraclough

The Syringe Driver: continuous subcutaneous infusions in palliative care Andrew Dickman, Clare Littlewood & Jim Varga

When the first edition of A House Called Helen was published in 1993, there were only a handful of children's hospices in existence, all of them within the UK. There are now more than twenty in operation, and a significant number at the project stage, in the UK alone, and children's hospices have been set up in Canada, the USA, Australia and continental Europe. The concept of a children's hospice, seen as innovative when the first, Helen House, opened in Oxford in 1982, is now well established and the growth in the number of children's hospices has seen corresponding important developments in the field of paediatric palliative care. This book provides an authoritative account of how Helen House came into being. It records the events surrounding the foundation of the hospice and how it stemmed directly from what was learnt from the events following the sudden illness of the author's eldest daughter Helen, after whom it was named. The book sets out the philosophy which underpinned the hospice, which was taken up as the guiding philosophy of children's hospice care. It describes the hospice's operational framework and details the service provided by Helen House, which is widely cited as a model for children's hospice care worldwide. It provides valuable insight into the needs of the families who use hospice services and touches both on the difficulties they face caring, often over a long period of time, for a child with a life-limiting illness, and on the role and attitudes of professionals and indeed of the public at large. In this new edition an additional chapter reviews the growth of children's hospices and reflects on the challenges they face in their maturity. It considers the development of children's hospice care in relation to wider service provision and examines current and future issues surrounding the care of children with life-limiting illness.

This book provides an up-to-date account of how to deal with the major chronic pain syndromes, including back pain, body and myofascial pain, malignant diseases, neurogenic pain, and headaches. It covers the background knowledge required in practice, and gives clear and concise advice on managing patients who suffer chronic pain. This book is not a technical manual but provides the essential practical information required for effective patient management.

The Oxford American Handbook of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care is an easily-navigable source of information about the day-to-day management of patients requiring palliative and hospice care. The table of contents follows the core curriculum of the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, thus meeting the educational and clinical information needs of students, residents, fellows, and nurse practitioners. Succinct, evidence-based, topically-focused content is supplemented by extensive tables, algorithms, and clinical pearls. This edition includes new sections on grief and bereavement, medical marijuana, and physician assisted suicide, and has been updated throughout to incorporate National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Publishing on the 50th anniversary of the opening of St Christopher's Hospice - widely thought of to be the first modern hospice, combining pain and symptom management with education and training - this edited collection discusses what motivates professionals and volunteers to provide spiritual care. This book shows how the world of hospice care is moving on from Cicely Saunder's, founder of St Christopher's Hospice, legacy to providing spiritual care in a more integrated manner. With entries from doctors, nurses and CEOs among others, this book informs good practice for professionals and volunteers providing spiritual care for patients and their families. It looks at how, for many of these professionals, spirituality does not have to be grounded in organised religion, but stems from understanding and providing for our human needs.

Hospice chaplains have traditionally played a unique part in palliative care, providing human compassion and support to help ease life's final chapter. This book thoughtfully tackles the question at the heart of modern hospice chaplaincy: do chaplains have a distinctive role in an increasingly secular society? A comprehensive look at why and how this work needs to be done, each chapter will be a rich resource for hospice chaplains and anyone working within a hospice multi-disciplinary team. Taking the form of reflections by chaplains and other professionals, they examine the tension between sacred and secular space, explore how spiritual care works in a changing society, and look at what voice a chaplain has within the hospice team. Essential reading for chaplains, this insightful book reflects on the important work undertaken by hospice chaplaincies and explains why they continue to be a vital resource for end-of-life care.

Psycho-Oncology in Palliative and End-of-Life Care provides expert advice and clinical management guidelines on the impact of advanced cancer and its treatment on the life and wellbeing of a patient in palliative and end-of-life care. Employing a practical toolkit format, this volume addresses a variety of key challenges including: discussions of death and dying, poor prognoses, wishes and values of the dying person, advance care plans, anxiety, demoralization and problems with coping, depression and delirium, the needs of partners, children, families, and caregivers, and spiritual and bereavement care. Each chapter considers presenting symptoms, differential diagnoses and assessment methods to achieve the best diagnosis, so that a detailed formulation can be developed for each person that guides a comprehensive management plan. Each section concludes with professional and service issues ranging from ethical dilemmas, legal requirements, cultural needs, and training and service development issues, through to basic human rights. Part of the Psycho-Oncology Care: Companion Guides for Clinicians series, this concise pocket guide is a resource for oncology specialists, psycho-oncologists in training, consultant nurse specialists and nurse practitioners, and allied health professionals to use as a quick reference in everyday practice. Pitched at intermediate to advanced level skills, this companion guide can be used as a standalone, or alongside existing oncology and psycho-oncology training programs.