Editor: Markku Miettinen, MD
Publisher: Cambridge University Press – 1,062 pages
Book Review by: Nano Khilnani
This popular and massive text on soft tissue tumors is one of the most widely-used texts by pathologists and surgeons. It is a well-planned, highly organized compendium of a very large range of non-neoplastic conditions. It contains comprehensive coverage and it is well-illustrated, enabling trainees and established pathologists to use it as a valuable reference manual and learning resource.
Led by Dr. Markku Miettinen, 19 specialists, mainly in clinical, radiologic and surgical pathology, but also other specialties such as oncology – all from the United States and one from Slovenia – contributed to the content of this large textbook by authoring or coauthoring one or more of its 38 chapters.
The topics covered in this book include an overview of soft tissue tumors, as well as their immunohistochemistry, molecular genetics, and radiologic evaluation.
You will find extensive coverage in this book on the following topics:
- Alveolar soft part sarcoma
- Angiomyolipoma and other perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas)
- Atypical lipomatous tumors and liposarcomas
- Benign fibroblastic and myofibroblastic proliferations in children
- Cartilage- and bone-forming tumors
- Childhood fibroblastic and myofibroblastic proliferations of variable biologic potential
- Cytology of soft-tissue lesions
- Fibroblast biology, fasciitis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, and keloids
- Fibroblastic and myofibroblastic neoplasms with malignant potential
- Gastrointestinal stomal tumor (GIST)
- Glomus tumor, glomangiopericytoma, myopericytoma, and juxtaglomerular tumor
- Hemangiomas, lymphangiomas, and reactive vascular proliferations
- Hemangioendotheliomas, angiosarcomas, and Kaposi’s sarcoma
- Lipoma variants and conditions simulating lipomatous tumors
- Lymphoid, myeloid, histocytic, and dendritic cell proliferations in soft tissues
- Malignant mesothelioma and other mesothelial proliferations
- Merkel cell carcinomas and metastatic and sarcomatoid carcinomas involving soft tissue
- Medical oncology of soft tissue sarcomas
- Miscellaneous tumor-like lesions and histocytic and foreign body reactions
- Myxomas and ossifying fibromyxoid tumor
- Neuroectodermal tumors: melanocytic, glial, and meningeal neoplasms
- Nerve sheath tumors
- Paragangliomas
- Pathology of synovial and tendons
- Primary soft tissue tumors with epithelial differentiation
- Rhabdomyomas and rhabdomyosarcomas
- Small round cell tumors
- Small muscle tumors
- Solitary fibrous tumor, hemangiopericytoma, and related tumors
- Stomal tumors and tumor-like lesions of the female genital tract
- Surgical management of soft tissue sarcoma: histologic type and grade guide to surgical planning and integration of multimodal therapy, including medications and surgeries,
Individual purchasers of this book get access to the content available online. To get access, scratch off the coating on the inside of the front cover to reveal the hidden code, then follow the step-by-step instructions at www.Cambridge.Org/core/access-codes.
The materials found on each of this book’s 38 chapters are organized in a highly systematic, well-thought-out, manner to save valuable time. The Tables in each chapter provide detailed information.
For example in chapter 1 – Overview of Soft Tissue Tumors – the tables provide information such as a summary lay out the tumor types, their characteristics pertaining to cell types, whether they are benign or malignant, their differentiation, their diagnostic features, and much more.
An ample number of images are provided to convey information that would be difficult through text. Introductory paragraphs begin the presentation of material in each chapter that provide a perspective of the content covered in any given chapter. Discussion of various topics follow that are related to the chapter’s subject. Most chapters provide a Conclusion, and all of them end with a large number of References.
Here is an overview of the topics covered in chapter 1:
- Definition
- Classification
- Histogenesis
- Epidemiology
- Etiology
- Grading
- Staging
- Evaluation of Soft Tissue Tumor Specimens
- Tissue Procurement for Special Studies
- Role of Electron Microscopy
- References
This book is a best seller in the field of Medicine, particularly in Pathology. Its current rank on Amazon (which determines how popular it is with readers and users) is a very high 101,000 which is in the top 1% where ranking can be as low as 10 million, or even lower. It is not difficult to see why this is so: it is a comprehensive guide to the pathology of a large range of soft tissue tumors and tumor-like lesions.
The detailed, elaborate classification and numerous characteristics of tumors is invaluable to physicians charged with finding the correct life-saving pharmacologic and surgical treatment options for their patients. Dr. Markku Miettinen has done an outstanding job with this very valuable book.
Editor:
Markku Miettinen, MD, PhD is Senior Clinician and Head of Surgical Pathology in the National Cancer Institute at National Institutes of Health in Maryland, USA.
