PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY

Psycho-Oncology 11: 457 (2002)DOI: 10.1002/pon.583

Book Review

Confronting Icarus: A Psycho-Social Perspective on

Haematological Malignancies. Edited by Pam McGrath. Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2000. $42.50,306pp, ISBN 0754611124.

With a focus on haematological malignancies,the author intends to provide a comprehensive butnoncritical overview of original research availableabout psychological and social consequences ofthe disease and treatments in this specific field ofcancer. She has chosen to summarise a numberof recently published studies. Studying patientsand their families has often been seen as tabooand upsetting, but it is now evident that mostpatients are willing to participate and be inter-viewed about their experience disease, treatmentand quality of life.

This book is organised according to specificthemes, following not only the path of life but alsodifferent phases illness experience. The two firstchapters are entitled ‘‘The young years’’ and‘‘Family matters’’ and are dedicated to studiesabout children and their family. The chapters on‘‘The treatment experience’’ and ‘‘Bone marrowtransplantation’’ offer a larger number of studiesrealised during and after completion of treatments.The concept of ‘‘Post-traumatic stress’’ is thenpresented as a new framework for understandingthe experience of cancer as a life-threateningdisease and its aggressive treatments. The themeof ‘‘Sexuality’’ is considered as a specific themeand often mentioned again in the chapter on‘‘Survivors’’. The two last chapters are dedicatedto the ‘‘Palliative care’’ and ‘‘Informed consent’’themes where few studies have been completedbut rather incorporated as part of larger studies,on treatment or survivorship.

Nearly all the chapters are presented in thesame way, giving first a summary of research inthe area followed by detail on specific researchstudies } methodology (descriptive, prospective,

exploratory e.g.), the number of subjects included,the research tools (questionnaries, interviews),the results and, when recommended by authors,strategies or practical measures to provide bettercare. Although each chapter could be consideredon its own and gives the reader an excellent,focused summary of research on a specific theme,the emphasis is on providing us a better under-standing of psycho-social aspects of haematologi-cal malignancies.

Research has brought to the fore risk factorsfor emotional difficulties in coping with the diseaseand treatments but also the long term side effectsand it has lead to the development of modelsidentifying those risks and providing specificsupport. Medical vision in oncology (perhapseven more so in haematological oncology) tendsto be cure-oriented and focused on interventionswhich are the result of significant advances inthe last 25 years. In reference to the Greek mythof Icarus and Daedalus, the author wishes todraw attention on the danger of such a restrictedapproach, leaving aside all the ‘‘psychological,social and spiritual issues, which are at the coreof the human experience’’. She advocates anapproach informed by wisdom and that we followa middle way, balancing biomedical research withpsycho-social research. The tasks of achievinga balance between a purely curative orientationand an approach that integrates ‘‘the humanexperience of life, illness and death’’ is reflectedin the sub title} ‘‘Confronting Icarus’’. This bookillustrates the necessity of responding not onlyto physical aspects of the disease but also to thehuman suffering which can accompany it.

Ann MurphyPublic Health Nurse

University Hospital of GenevaOncology Division

Switzerland

Copyright # 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.