Oncology, the study of cancer, is a field that is one of the most rapidly developing of all medical specialities. It is also a subject that is at the forefront of everyone's thinking, be that a cancer patient, cancer professional or government minister, and is often found at the top of governmental 'to do' lists. Many areas of the world endeavour to collect detailed and accurate information on the incidence and distribution of cancer cases, as well as information on treatment efficacy and mortality rates. Often, those within cancer services are employed not because of their knowledge of cancer but because of other important expertise, such as administration, journalism or statistics. Those relied upon to collect cancer data, for example, tend to have little educational or clinical background on the topic. However, the changing roles and responsibilities of personnel working in this area mean that they will soon be required to have detailed knowledge of this disease. Our colleagues expect it and our cancer patients deserve it. Cancer Demystified is born out of many years' experience educating people who deal with cancer, cancer data and cancer information in all its guises. This book speaks the language of clinicians in a way that non-clinicians can understand, providing a valuable reference to all those who work within cancer services. Currently, many oncology books on the market cover the topic extremely well but tend to be detailed and complex; indeed, without an extensive knowledge of the subject the reader can quickly become lost. Therefore, having successfully delivered education and training to those working within cancer services and charities, pharmaceutical companies, private research companies and others, I felt it was time to provide this comprehensive learning experience in text format. Cancer Demystified is not intended to make you a cancer expert, rather it covers the science of the disease in a way that is easily accessible. Years of teaching those from a non-cancer, non-academic or non-science background has allowed me to tailor my teaching, bringing across important information in an understandable way. This book will be essential reading for those struggling to get to grips with cancer and its terminology, and can be used as a handy tool for comprehending and contextualising the information that you read daily. It will also provide examples of how to communicate complex information to your peers and patients alike, in a way that they can understand. This book has been written for those who need to get 'up to speed' quickly with cancer terminology and understanding, whatever their job role. Whether you're a medical liaison officer for a pharmaceutical company who has moved into the cancer field, a journalist who has taken a new role in a cancer charity, or a multi-disciplinary team coordinator new to the field, this book is for you. Cancer Demystified will also be of interest to those studying cancer as part of their education and training, such as student therapeutic radiographers, oncology nurses and medical students. If specialists in the field of cancer find the information in this book useful, then I am honoured. However, this book is not primarily aimed at such professionals as there are many other, more specialised works on the market that will suit their needs. In short, this text attempts to give the reader a chance to simply and easily digest the information required for the study of cancer in a clear and concise way.
About the Author: David provides cancer training and educational resources developed specifically for individuals and teams working within cancer related environments. He is passionate about empowering people through learning and believes that insight and understanding is fundamental for people working in a cancer related field and we're passionate about cancer. Originally trained as a therapeutic radiographer, he quickly became involved in teaching about cancer and was a senior lecturer in radiotherapy at the University of Leeds. Since 2002 David has worked as a cancer education and training specialist delivering courses throughout the UK to various cancer organisations; NHS, Cancer Charities, Pharmaceutical companies and others. David also delivers webinars, internet lecturers designed to bring high quality training and education without the need for travel. Find out more about these courses and webinars at www.ohconsultancy.co.uk