The first practical book highlighting the challenges facing cancer patients, their families, and those who care for them has been written by a Senior Lecturer in Palliative Medicine at Bristol University.
Cancer in context – A practical guide to supportive care by Dr James Brennan, offers healthcare professionals, academics and anyone affected by cancer a new approach to caring for or caring about people with cancer.
It looks at the underlying reasons why cancer so often leads to high levels of distress and suggests many practical ways distress can be minimised and prevented. The actual personal experiences of cancer patients, as recorded in their personal diaries, are combined with psychological theory, research and practical clinical advice. The book addresses the needs of carers, people from different cultural backgrounds and those with special needs.
In each of its seven chapters Cancer in context takes a different perspective towards supportive care in cancer. It begins by considering how people in general manage and adjust to massive changes in their lives and, in particular, how they react to the threat of cancer. It goes on to examine the “lived experience” of people with cancer as they negotiate the many changes and challenges that follow their diagnosis.
The book offers practical clinical advice on psychosocial aspects of conventional cancer treatments, common treatment difficulties, cancer rehabilitation and palliative care. The book ends by considering how doctors, nurses, radiographers and other healthcare professionals can maintain their supportive care in light of such high levels of stress and burnout among these staff groups.
Dr Brennan, said: “Cancer doesn’t only affect the person who has the disease, it also impacts on families, partners and carers. The enormous advances that have been made in the medical treatment of cancer need to be matched by up-to-date psychological and social care.
“The book moves beyond a merely mental illness focus and tackles a wide range of supportive care topics. It describes the impact of cancer and its current treatments on people’s lives and the vital role that all healthcare professionals can play in minimising and preventing collateral distress.”Cancer in context – A practical guide to supportive care has been written by
Dr James Brennan, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, United Bristol Healthcare Trust, and Senior Lecturer in Palliative Medicine, University of Bristol, in collaboration with Clare Moynihan, Senior Research Fellow and Research Associate, Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital Foundation Trust, London.