Gliomas (Recent Results in Cancer Research), Vol. 171. A. von Deimling, ed. Springer; 2009, 259 pages, 33 illustrations, $139.00.
Although the utility of this book for a neuroradiology audience is limited, the authors and editors of Gliomas provide a fine, well-organized, and useful general overview of the subject that would be beneficial for students of neuro-oncology, neurosurgery, and neuroscience. It is a small short book, and while the subject matter is covered briefly, the authors/ editors are successful in broadly and accurately covering many aspects of the disease. This book is organized in 3 parts: I, “Gliomas”; II, “Management of Gliomas”; and III, “Concepts.” In Part I, the different glioma subtypes are presented, along with a fine overview of the epidemiologic, histopathologic, molecular/ genetic, therapeutic, and hereditary aspects of the disease. In Part II, the clinical management of patients with glioma is addressed, and this is the section most relevant for a neuroradiology audience. Part II includes a brief chapter on neuroimaging. While this chapter provides a suitable basic overview of neuroimaging, it is only 16 pages long and contains mostly cursory descriptions of current imaging modalities for managing gliomas. One important drawback of this chapter is that specific reference citations for statements made are not provided; instead, only “Suggested Reading” is listed at the end, which contains mostly review-type articles. In Part III, 3 hallmarks of glioma biology— angiogenesis, methylation status, and neural stem cells—are discussed. This section provides a good review of these topics, but expansion into other important features of glioma biology, such as invasion, molecular genetics, etc, could have enriched this section.
Although Gliomas provides a strong overview of many aspects of the disease, it has minimal teaching value for neuroradiologists and neuroradiology trainees because of its limited attention to imaging. This text will have greater teaching value for students of neuro-oncology, neurosurgery, neuroscience, and other related disciplines, who would benefit from a short, well-organized, and thorough overview of gliomas. There are a few recent publications (eg, Neuro-Oncology: The Essentials [Bernstein and Berger, eds] and High-Grade Gliomas: Diagnosis and Treatment [Barnett, ed]) that more comprehensively engage the subject of gliomas. These are thought to have more teaching value for a broader audience. The strength of this book is in its portability and accessibility (small size, short length, and clarity), which enables the reader to quickly scan the scope of glioma biology and grasp an overview of clinical management of patients with glioma.
Overall, the book is thorough while remaining succinct and well-organized. The authors and editors present the information in a logical, clearly outlined fashion. The text demonstrates good rigor and accuracy. Although the lack of references in the neuroimaging chapter presents an issue, most of the citations throughout the book represent current high-quality scholarly publications. A few minimal errors in the text have been noted (in Fig 6.4, the preoperative and postoperative MR imaging examinations are marked incorrectly). Besides these minimal issues, the images are of good quality and the legends are appropriate.
In summary, the overall enthusiasm for recommending Gliomas to the readers of American Journal of Neuroradiology is low, though beginning trainees may benefit from its clarity and range. Perhaps the book can serve as a quick and easy reference for those seeking a 1-paragraph description on a specific aspect of gliomas, but as previously mentioned, this text would likely better serve an audience seeking a broader overview of gliomas.
