LAUSR

This is the second edition of a successful book published in 2013 with the same internationally well known authors: H. William Strauss (Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York), Giuliano Mariani (Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pisa), Duccio Volterrani (Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pisa), and Steven M. Larson (Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NewYork). A large number of international experts, working in leading Institutions in many different countries, also contributed to this edition. The basic structure of the first edition has substantially been maintained in this edition, although all the chapters have been updated because of the rapid and significant technological and methodological advances that have occurred in the last few years. In this regard, this edition includes advances in tumour biology, the introduction of new molecular targets, the possible clinical role of many new radiotracers, and the contribution from improvements in the performance of instruments. There are three main reasons for the publication of a second edition only 4 years after the first. First, the text has been expanded to include more detailed information on specific procedures (e.g. radioguided surgery) that are not so widely discussed in the previous edition. Second, the number of clinical cases has been increased to 170 to provide a broader range of examples reflecting the clinical variety of findings. In this context, the improved quality and extent of the information obtainable may also be understood by the presence of 992 figures and 166 tables, many of which are new to this edition. However, the most important change is related to the availability of this new publication on Springer’s electronic platform that allows regular update of the content of the chapters so that the information is always up to date. The book extensively describes the role of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer patients in the light of novel emerging knowledge. Great effort has beenmade to include all the advances in understanding tumour biology, with a huge number of novel molecular probes, targeted medical therapies and radiotherapies. The book is structured into seven parts: part I consists of 13 chapters on basic science, part II consists of 26 chapters that address the role of imaging in the diagnosis and staging in specific types of cancer, part III consists of seven chapters that address radionuclide therapy for specific neoplasms, part IV consists of four chapters on specific applications of radioguided surgery, part V describes the detection and management of heart disease in the cancer patient, part VI presents adverse effects of cancer therapy, and part VII consists of 25 chapters of cases. The book is of high quality, is well written, and is also easily understandable in its discussion of difficult issues. The book is mainly addressed to specialists in imaging, radiotherapy, cancer surgery, and oncology, but also to students and residents interested in the topic. More generally, this book may also be helpful to all professionals interested in oncology, including practitioners, who may obtain a better understand of the clinical indications for nuclear oncology. For all the reasons above, wewarmly recommend this book due to the high value of the contributions, which will be regularly updated to take account of future developments. * Luigi Mansi [email protected]