All health professionals, regardless of specialty, will care for patients with pain that has persisted for more than 6 months. This fully updated fourth edition of 'Fast Facts: Chronic and Cancer Pain', written by two internationally renowned experts in the field, is designed to bring busy health professionals up to speed with the latest information in this area, including: • Easy-to-read overviews of pain mechanisms • A practical approach to pain assessment • Developments in stepped care and multimodal management • The latest thinking on opioids With health services around the world responding to calls to improve the management of painful long-term conditions, develop preventive and cost-effective solutions, and respond to patient choice and voice, this easy-to-read fact-packed book is essential reading for all GPs, nurses, junior hospital doctors, physical therapists, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, medical specialists and medical students wanting - and needing - to know more. Contents: • Definitions and mechanisms • Assessment of pain • Treatment options • Trigeminal neuralgia • Complex regional pain syndrome • Diabetic and postherpetic neuropathic pain Central pain • Persistent postsurgical pain • Cancer pain • Musculoskeletal pain • Visceral pain • Headache

Worldwide, osteoarthritis is one of the most rapidly rising conditions associated with disability. For most people, it is a syndrome of joint pain and stiffness, with associated functional problems that have a substantial effect on quality of life. As well as expert advice on well-established diagnostic criteria and the latest practical treatment information, this comprehensive handbook provides: • updates on the genetics of the disease • novel concepts of the association between structural changes and pain • recent recommendations for the use of modern imaging modalities • the latest on intra-articular therapies • an insight into current developments in the field. For all healthcare professionals who have ever felt unable to provide effective therapy for this disease, or who have encountered negative patient and community attitudes to joint pain, 'Fast Facts: Osteoarthritis' is essential reading. Something can be done to help every person with osteoarthritis!

Wherever you are in your career, and whatever involvement you have with caring for women with breast cancer, the fifth edition of 'Fast Facts: Breast Cancer' has something for you. The world-class authors of this popular fact-packed handbook provide practical advice on all the key areas of breast cancer management, from risk factors and diagnosis to treatment of all cancer stages. But what really makes it stand out from the crowd is the authors' awareness of the information you need when you talk to a woman concerned about breast cancer. The chapter dedicated to perception of risk will refresh your knowledge and help you talk to your patients about their individual prospects, while the short chapter on clinical trials will help you discuss potential participation in trials and answer common questions. Improvements in the management of breast cancer have followed three major themes in recent years: greater optimization of individualized local treatment, longer duration of therapies, and the use of biological therapies targeted at specific receptors. This colorful up-to-date handbook addresses all these trends, alongside the disturbing issues of overdiagnosis as a result of screening and overtreatment. Given the explosion in information technology, patients and their families have access to much more information on their condition and as a result assume a more active role in their medical management. Health professionals have an important role in helping patients sort the facts from the fallacies, put the risks and benefits into perspective and balance their treatment choices. For this reason alone, 'Fast Facts: Breast Cancer' is an invaluable evidence-based resource for everyone working in breast cancer care in primary and secondary settings, from medical and nursing students, to GPs, specialist nurses and residents. And one for your patients too … The authors encourage you to make your patients well-informed active partners in their breast cancer care by sharing this highly readable book with them. Contents: • Risk factors • Perception of risk • Pathophysiology • Diagnosis • Local control of primary tumor • Adjuvant therapy • Follow-up and rehabilitation • Management of advanced cancer • Clinical trials • Future trends • Useful resources

Since the last edition of this book, 'no evidence of disease activity' (NEDA) has been proposed as a new treatment target, early data on the first pharmacological treatments for progressive MS have emerged, and the first remyelination trial has shown positive effects on nerve repair. It is with this sense of optimism that the authors of 'Fast Facts: Multiple Sclerosis' have detailed the latest developments for use in clinical practice by all members of the multidisciplinary team, including: • a concise overview of investigations and modern diagnostic criteria • a holistic approach to all signs and symptoms, and proactive relapse management • the latest disease-modifying drugs, including when to treat, choice of drug and risk versus benefit. With case histories that will help to guide treatment decisions, discussion of the special considerations for MS during pregnancy, and in children and the elderly, and a detailed outline of emerging therapies, this book will benefit all healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with this complex disease.

Lymphoma can be broadly defined as a cancer of mature lymphocytes. Our understanding of the biology of normal lymphocytes and lymphoma has grown at a tremendous pace, and this is now directly translating into changes in clinical practice. This became evident with the introduction of one of the first therapeutic monoclonal antibodies into cancer medicine, the CD20-directed antibody rituximab, which has led to significant benefit for patients with B-cell lymphomas. Since then, a raft of novel agents has entered clinical practice, including targeted small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. This new edition of 'Fast Facts: Lymphoma' has been updated to include recent changes in our understanding of lymphoma biology as well as improvements in diagnostics and therapeutics.

Our understanding of multiple myeloma (MM) is growing at a formidable pace, particularly in terms of risk factors and potential drug targets. Minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity is set to become the new benchmark in treatment, and cytogenetic analysis is now paving the way for personalized therapies. This second edition of 'Fast Facts: Multiple Myeloma and Plasma Cell Dyscrasias' includes: - the new IMWG SLiM CRAB criteria - the latest advances in diagnostic tests and imaging - cytogenetics and genetic profiling - induction therapy prior to SCT - new lenalidomide- and bortezomib-based regimens - second-generation proteasome inhibitors, histone deacetylase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies treatments. This Fast Facts handbook provides a comprehensive overview of MM and other plasma cell dyscrasias, from bench to bedside, presenting the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment in the context of daily clinical practice. Contents: • Epidemiology and etiology Predisposing conditions associated with MM • Pathophysiology of MM and MGUS • Diagnosis, staging and monitoring of multiple myeloma • Genetics and multiple myeloma • Treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma • Stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma • Relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma • Bone disease and renal complications • AL amyloidosis • Rare plasma cell dyscrasias • Supportive care

Note to Readers: Publisher does not guarantee quality or access to any included digital components if book is purchased through a third-party seller. Helps nurses to provide the best and safest care for patients suffering from chronic pain This is the first book to discuss the use of medical cannabis in helping combat the opioid crisis, relieving pain, and reversing opioid addiction rates. With information presented in short chapters with bulleted content, this concise resource delivers all the information healthcare professionals need to know about non–cancer-related chronic pain, the opioid crisis, and medical cannabis. Using the most up-to-date evidence available, it examines the varied causes of chronic pain and provides a succinct overview of how cannabis can be integrated into treatment plans. Fast Facts About Medical Cannabis and Opioids delves into the epidemiology behind chronic pain, what the endocannabinoid system is, and how it works. It examines the complex interactions of opiates, cannabinoids, and the central nervous system, and answers key questions about different types of medical cannabis to promote open, honest conversations. Above all, this handbook provides the tools for obtaining unbiased, accurate information to share with patients. Key Features: Delivers a comprehensive overview of the opioid crisis in the United States and the benefits and drawbacks of medical cannabis as an alternative or supplement to opioids Discusses dos and don’ts of recommending medical cannabis to patients Provides the most up-to-date information on cannabis legislation Covers the endocannabinoid system and its biology Compares the use of opioids and medical cannabis for managing chronic pain Presents key information in short chapters, bulleted content, and figures, plus Fast Facts boxes that highlight key information

Pancreaticobiliary diseases are extremely common, and all primary care staff will encounter patients with diseases of the pancreas and biliary tract. Rapid differentiation, diagnosis, treatment and/or referral to a specialist must be made to avoid serious life threatening consequences. It is therefore essential that every clinician has at least a basic understanding in this area. 'Fast Facts: Pancreas and Biliary Tract Diseases, 2nd edn' provides a clear and concise guide to diagnosis and management of these diseases. It is an invaluable resource for primary care providers, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, medical students, medical residents, interns, house physicians and all other health professionals faced with the challenge of caring for patients with diseases of the pancreas and biliary tract. Contents: • Anatomy, physiology and epidemiology • Evaluation of pancreaticobiliary diseases • Diseases of the gallbladder • Bile duct stone disease (choledocholithiasis) • Bile duct tumors • Unusual diseases of the biliary tree • Dysfunction of the sphincter of Oddi complex and gallbladder Acute pancreatitis • Chronic pancreatitis • Hereditary pancreatitis • Pancreatic adenocarcinoma • Unusual tumors of the pancreas and ampulla of Vater

This fully updated new edition has been designed for ease and speed of use in clinical practice. It will empower you with the knowledge to triage your patients into three main groups: emergencies requiring immediate referral; non-emergencies requiring routine referral; or those with treatable conditions. Primarily intended for doctors, optometrists, ophthalmic nurses and other health professionals involved with eye care within the community, this refreshingly readable handbook discusses the major ophthalmological symptoms in the context of daily clinical practice. Contents: • Basic eye assessment: history and examination • Red eye • Blurred vision • Double vision • Other important symptoms • Gritty, itchy or watery eyes • Abnormal eye appearance and/or eye examination • Diabetes, hypertension and systemic medications • Eyelid disease • Children’s eye problems • Eye trauma • Useful resources

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