Identifies clinical, ethical, and public policy challenges in end-of- life care and offers recommendations on how to better address these problems. Part I focuses on building relationships among doctors, patients, and families, cultural differences in attitudes towards palliative care, and what to do when the patient cannot speak for himself. Part II presents practical approaches to common problems, illustrated with clinical cases in management of pain, depression, and delirium. Part III deals with legal, financial, and quality issues. Snyder teaches bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics; Quill teaches in the Program for Biopsychosocial Studies at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. c. Book News Inc.

Janet L. Abrahm argues that all causes of suffering experienced by people with cancer, be they physical, psychological, social, or spiritual, should be treated at all stages: at diagnosis, during curative therapy, in the event that cancer recurs, and during the final months. In the second edition of this symptom-oriented guide, she provides primary care physicians, advanced practice nurses, internists and oncologists with detailed information and advice for alleviating the stress and pain of patients and family members alike. The new edition includes the latest information on patient and family communication and counseling, on medical, surgical, and complementary and alternative treatments for symptoms caused by cancer and cancer treatments, and on caring for patients in the last days and their bereaved families. Updated case histories, medication tables, Practice Points, and bibliographies provide clinicians with the information they need to treat their cancer patients effectively and compassionately.

Education about death and dying has been almost ignored in medical schools. Recently, however, it has become increasingly obvious that the preferences of dying patients are being ignored, leaving many patients to die lonely, scared, and in pain. There is a growing realization that physicians can help dying patients achieve a more peaceful death and increased recognition that good end-of-life care is not just the province of specialized hospice physicians or nurses. Cooper, a physician and a clinical psychologist with many years of experience, offer insights to help medical students, residents, physicians, nurses, and others become more aware of the different stages in the dying process and learn how to communicate more effectively with patients and their families. They also discuss the ways physicians and other caregivers can learn to reduce their own stress levels and avoid the risk of burnout, allowing them to achieve balance in their lives and be more effective professionally. The authors use case examples and thought-provoking exercises to provide a personal learning experience. bibliography and a unique web resource section with contacts to many organizations working with patients suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

This highly regarded handbook provides clinicians with the information they need to treat their cancer patients effectively and compassionately. This comprehensive guide to managing pain and other symptoms for people with cancer has helped tens of thousands of patients and families. Designed for busy practicing clinicians, A Physician's Guide to Pain and Symptom Management in Cancer Patients provides primary care physicians, advanced practice nurses, internists, and oncologists with detailed information and advice for alleviating the stress and pain of patients and family members alike. Drawing on the work of experts who have developed revolutionary approaches to symptom management and palliative care, as well as on the lessons learned from patients and their families during her thirty years as a teacher and clinician, Dr. Janet L. Abrahm shows how physicians and other caregivers can help patients and families heal emotionally even as the disease progresses. The third edition includes updates to medications and clinical stories, and features two new chapters: “Working with Patients’ Families” and “Sexuality, Intimacy, and Cancer.” New lessons from palliative care and hospice care can help patients, their professional caregivers, and their families support each other every step of the way.