174 pp.Illust. BMJ Publishing Group, London. 1995. $33.75 (CMA members); $40.50 (nonmembers). Prices include shipping and handling. ISBN 0-7279-0825-1. Available from Canadian Medical Association, Membership Services.
Health promotion involves how to lead a healthy life. In terms of cancer prevention this means avoiding or discontinuing exposure to carcinogens (e.g., tobacco smoking) and complying with medical procedures and recommendations proven to reduce cancer incidence or mortality (e.g., regular Pap smears). On the part of physicians, what is required are knowledge, skills, patience and confidence in what can be achieved.
This book addresses these issues from a family physician's perspective. General practitioners play a major role in cancer prevention by motivating and influencing behavioural changes in their patients and by screening patients. The book consists of two main parts: the first concerns the major risk factors for cancer as determinants of specific tumour sites, and the second involves screening. The chapters are concise, clear and factual, with up-to-date selected references. The essential information and key messages are effectively captured and summarized in boxes.
The book provides a balanced view of the evidence on cancer prevention and screening with practical, realistic and very useful guidelines and advice for family physicians. The reader should be aware that some of the guidelines for screening for breast and cervical cancer are British and differ from those in Canada. However, these differences do not affect the overall importance and usefulness of the book.
Pierre Band, MD, FRCPC
Chair
Division of Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention
British Columbia Cancer Agency
Vancouver, BC