TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Collection Development topic for the January issue of Library Journal is cancer. Written by Janet Schneider, Patient Health Education Librarian, James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Florida, the report covers cancer information in books for the consumer, guidelines for evaluating cancer information resources, and the importance of currency in this topic. The annotated list describes 25 book titles, 1 magazine, 6 Internet resources, and 3 videos.

Schneider J. A baseline checkup for your cancer collection. Library Journal 1997 April : 55-58.

RECOMMENDED CONSUMER HEALTH BOOKS

Reference Books Bulletin (RBB) in the February 1, 1997 issue of Booklist includes an annotated bibliography of 72 medical reference books. The list does not include standard reference sources such as Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary or Merck Manual nor does it include books on previous RBB lists unless there are new editions with major changes. Guides to electronic resources, including online and the Internet, are listed.

Bibel B. Medical reference sources. Reference Books Bulletin, Booklist 1997 February 1 : 956-60.

CONSUMER REPORTS TACKLES THE INTERNET

Consumer Reports has evaluated just about everything and now they turn their attention to medical resources on the Internet. A feature article in their February 1997 issue describes the vast medical and health resources on the Internet, but warns users to be on guard against dubious and unreliable information. They offer advice on strategies for finding specific kinds of information and provide testimonials from Internet users who were able to find useful information related to a personal medical concern. Brief lists of health websites, search engines, and news groups are given.

Finding medical help online. Consumer Reports 1997 February : 27 - 31.

There are so many medical news services on the World Wide Web, it's fairly easy to stay informed about important health related research and to track down answers to those elusive "I heard on the news about...." questions. The websites listed below are ones that we've found especially reliable, useful, and easy to use.

The Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was initiated through Congressional mandate under the 1992 NIH appropriations bill. OAM's mission is to identify and evaluate unconventional health care practices that maintain or induce healing processes that, in turn, promote wellness and alleviate suffering, illness, and disease. OAM supports and conducts research and training on these practices and disseminates the information on their clinical usefulness, scientific validity, and theoretical underpinnings.

OAM's first year of operation was devoted to identifying the alternative medicine community and the barriers to the evaluation of alternative medical practices. A series of planning sessions and a special task force resulted in the classification of seven categories of alternative medical practices: diet/nutrition/lifestyle changes; mind/body interventions; alternative systems; bioelectromagnetics applications in medicine; manual healing methods; pharmacological and biological treatments; and herbal medicine.

Grants funded by OAM have included an investigation of the effects of hypnosis on the healing of bone fractures, the effects of massage therapy on post-surgical outcomes, an investigation of the use of intercessory prayer in medicine, antioxidants and cancer, and acupuncture as a treatment for unipolar depression.

OAM publishes a newsletter which includes feature articles, information on newly funded research grants, news of recent state and federal legislation affecting alternative therapies, and a calendar of complementary and alternative medicine conferences, workshops, and meetings. For more information and to be placed on the newsletter mailing list, contact: Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the NIH, Office of Alternative Medicine Clearinghouse, PO Box 8218, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8218; telephone: 888/644-6226.

The following recently published books may be of interest to public libraries and health sciences libraries that have consumer health collections. These books are not part of the Health Center Library collection.

The American Dietetic Association's complete food & nutrition guide: the most comprehensive & up-to-date resource on healthy food choices from the world's foremost experts. Roberta L. Duyff. Chronimed Publishing, 1996. 620p. (ISBN 1-56561-098-9), $29.95.

Do we really need another book on nutrition? Well, yes, if it's this one. Written with the backing of the foremost authority on nutrition, the American Dietetic Association, this resource presents information similar to other "comprehensive" books on nutrition, but in a style that is more practical, appealing, and readable.

The standard topics are covered: fats, fiber, fad diets, feeding young children,, cholesterol, food safety, understanding food labels, nutrients in food, and many others. Information on these topics, while important, can often be presented as boring tomes laced with echoes of your mother lecturing you about your eating habits. Not so here. The approach is relaxed and casual, but with an air of authority. Practical suggestions are numerous and the information is often conveyed in interesting ways. For instance, a feature used throughout called "Have you ever wondered ..." answers common questions and provides interesting facts about some of the foods discussed in the accompanying section.

Opportunities are provided for the reader to test his or her nutrition knowledge and to assess everyday food choices. Each chapter ends with a "real life" case study that highlights important points discussed in the chapter. Tables, food lists, charts, and diagrams provide additional important facts on many of the topics. An especially helpful chapter gives advice on how to find a qualified nutrition expert, how to evaluate nutrition information, and how to detect nutrition fraud. A directory of resources and an index are included.

American Heart Association guide to heart attack treatment, recovery, and prevention. American Heart Association. Times Books (Random House), 1996. 300 p. (ISBN 0-8129-2408-8), $23.00.

This guide offers answers to many questions that heart attack patients and their families may have about heart attack and its aftermath. A clear explanation is given on the anatomy of the heart and what happens during a heart attack. Following this is a discussion of the hospital experience, which includes information on different tests that are performed and possible complications of the heart attack.

A chapter on medications often prescribed following a heart attack and another chapter on surgical interventions are included. The importance of making lifestyle changes is prominently featured and helpful advice is given in separate chapters on quitting smoking, making wise food choices, managing stress, and maintaining a regular exercise program. A separate chapter offers advice on managing the emotional aspects of a heart attack and recovery.

Case studies are used to reinforce important points in the discussions and to add a human element to the information. Understanding the meaning of cholesterol numbers, fat substitutes to help reduce dietary saturated fat, and a sample walking program are just a few of the many helpful charts included.

Making the chemotherapy decision. David Drum. Lowell House, 1996. 270p. (ISBN 1-56565-445-5), $25.00.

Every year more than 300,000 people in the United States are cured of cancer and recovery rates continue to improve. An important reason for this is chemotherapy, the treatment with chemicals that stop the growth or spread of cancer.

In this informative book, the author describes what chemotherapy is and how it is used to treat cancer, giving special consideration to the myths and misconceptions about this form of treatment. He offers a step by step approach to making decisions regarding chemotherapy, including what questions to ask the doctor, and provides an overview to understanding how individuals respond to treatment. He also explains the process of preparing for chemotherapy and possible side effects and how to manage them. A separate chapter describes the fifty-seven most commonly used anti-cancer drugs.

Separate chapters discuss pain management, the importance of maintaining good nutrition, the emotional aspects of chemotherapy for the patient and the patient's family, managing stress, and financial issues. Additional chapters include unorthodox treatments and facing decisions when chemotherapy doesn't work. Appendices include new treatments currently under investigation, a glossary, a list of resources such as organizations, books, and computer databases, and information on the Internet.

Encyclopedia of alternative medicine. Jennifer Jacobs, ed. Journey Editions (Charles E. Tuttle Co, Inc.), 1996. 320 p. (ISBN 1-885203-36-5), $24.95.

This attractive guide describes more than 25 alternative health therapies from accupressure to yoga. Alternative therapies are here described as those that are "alternatives" to orthodox or conventional therapies. Also, the term "alternative therapy" is used interchangeably with the terms "complementary therapy" and "holistic therapy".

Each therapy is described by a noted authority in that particular specialty. The history and origins of the therapy are given and the therapy's objectives and methods used are described. Specific information is given on the medical conditions and diseases for which the therapy may help. A chart in the beginning of the book summarizes this information and helps the reader decide which therapy to investigate. Highlighted sections feature important information about the therapy, including current controversies, recent research, and special techniques. When appropriate, self-help techniques and exercises are given. As an example, the description of yoga therapy includes eye exercises and the description of meditation offers several breathing exercises. A glossary, bibliography, and a list of organizations to contact for further information are included.

The following titles were recently added to the UCHC Library collection and may be of interest to public libraries:

Cystic fibrosis: a guide for patient and family. David M. Orenstein. Lippincott-Raven Publishers, 1997. 462 p. (ISBN 0-397-51653-3), $24.95. (UCHC Library call #: WI 820 O66c 1996)

Detailed and comprehensive, this introduction to the diagnosis, treatment, and daily management of cystic fibrosis discusses hospitalization, nutrition, exercise, genetics, and transplantation. Its focusis newly diagnosed patients and their families. It includes an informative chapter directed to teenage patients, who were too young to understand the details of their illness when they were first diagnosed. In addition to details on CF's effect on the gastrointestinal system and the respiratory system, the book includes topics important to the patient, such as daily life in the hospital, discussing the disease with friends, concerns about death, travel, summer camp, and daycare.

The author is director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. His tone is realistic but hopeful. He emphasizes that "efforts of patients and families can greatly influence the health and quality of life of the patient." The revised edition discusses the cause and genetics of cystic fibrosis, information discovered since the first edition was published. Dr. Francis Collins, co-discoverer of the CF gene wrote the chapter on genetics.

Each chapter's text is preceded by a few sentences of "basics" summarizing the chapter. Appendices include medication glossary, recipes, airway clearance techniques, addresses of cystic fibrosis associations, and a worldwide list of treatment centers. A thorough and helpful introduction. (JK)

Epilepsy: 199 answers. A doctor responds to his patients' questions. Andrew N. Wilner. Demos Vermande, 1996. 128 p. (ISBN 1-88799-09-9), $24.95. UCHC Library Call #: WL/385/W744e/1996.

The author, a neurologist and Medical Director of the Carolinas Epilepsy Center, wrote this book on the premise that accurate and comprehensive medical information can empower epilepsy patients to combat their disease. He uses a question and answer format to describe what epilepsy is, how it is diagnosed and treated, common medications and their side effects, alternative therapies, and surgery.

He also explores topics such as workplace issues, special situations such as pregnancy and epilepsy, and the laws governing whether a person with epilepsy can drive. Separate chapters discuss children with epilepsy and epilepsy and the elderly. Questions related to whether or not to participate in a drug trial and nonepileptic seizures are also answered. Case studies are used throughout to elaborate important facts.

Appendices include a health record form, a listing of state laws governing driving and epilepsy, a directory of summer camps, a resource guide, and Internet resources. A glossary and a bibliography are also provided.

Multiple sclerosis. the questions you have - the answers you need. Rosalind C. Kalb, editor. Demos Vermande, 1996. 468 p. (ISBN 1-888799-8), $39.95; (ISBN 0-8018-4989-6), $15.95 pap. (UCHC Library Call #: WL/360/K13m/1996.

Multiple sclerosis often initially affects patients before age 55, at a productive stage of adulthood. In spite of the fact that its course is variable and unpredictable, health professionals treating multiple sclerosis patients have noted a repetition in questions patients ask of them. Contributors from the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society have written an informative, patient-oriented book answering many of these questions about symptoms, treatment, complications, psychosocial issues, sexuality, and pregnancy.

The approach is comprehensive and practical. There are separate chapters for employment and insurance issues. Detailed answers are provided for specific questions such as features an MS patient should look for when purchasing a new car, effective methods of carrying laundry, and communicating with children about the disease.

The question and answer format is intended to encourage readers to read sections that are pertinent to their own condition, rather than read the book in its entirety. Readers are encouraged to update the book's information by contacting the Information Resource Center of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The book includes a glossary of relevant medical terms, a section describing frequently used medications, biographical information about the health professionals who wrote individual chapters, and a listing of books, organizations and electronic resources to contact for further information. (JK)

The prostate: a guide for men and the women who love them. Patrick C. Walsh, M.D., and Janet Farrar Worthington. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995. 322 p.(ISBN 0-8018-4988-8), ?price. (UCHC Library call WJ 752 W226p 1995)

The authors had a specific audience in mind when they decided to write this book--the patients and relatives who could use patient-oriented information Ms. Worthington's family lacked when her father-in-law died of prostate cancer in his early 50's. His son is a physician, but distance and a late diagnosis prevented him from helping.

Including benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis as well as cancer of the prostate, this book is a comprehensive, understandable manual to the prostate and its disorders. The beginning chapter outlines anatomy and function and has large, clear diagrams.

Risk factors, symptoms, screening and diagnostic tests are explained in clear narrative. Controversies about the relation of vasectomy to prostate cancer (no evidence) and the necessity of the PSA screening test for elderly men (not needed) are discussed. Many charts, tables, and diagrams are interspersed with the text.

Chapters on cancer treatment detail procedures, aftereffects,pain relief, advantages and disadvantages of treatment types, timing, and selecting a surgeon. Questions a patient might ask during treatment ("What happens if my PSA goes up after radiation treatment?" "What can go wrong?") are answered. The appendix includes a list of organizations to contact for information, a glossary, and an index. A valuable, easy-to-understand source of background information on prostate health. (JK)