Atlas of Cancer Surgery is a beautifully illustrated atlas that emphasizes normal anatomy and key principles in the surgical resection of solid tumors. Hugh A. Thomas penned all of the superb illustrations. The book is dedicated to Edward J. Beattie, M.D., who died during the final stages of the preparation of the atlas. Dr. Beattie’s remarkable career included highly successful tenures at George Washington University, the University of Illinois, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and the Beth Israel Medical Center.
In an effort to emphasize anatomic relationships, detailed anatomic drawings introduce each section of the atlas and form the basis on which each of the subsequent procedures is presented. The procedures are well illustrated and convey the surgeon’s perspective. There is minimal accompanying text. The atlas is divided into six sections: 1) Head and Neck; 2) Chest; 3) Upper Abdomen; 4) Lower Abdomen; 5) Radical Amputations; and 6) Breast and Soft Tissue Tumors. It focuses on surgery of the chest, the abdomen, and on amputations. The Head and Neck section is short and not as helpful as it could be. Dissection of the facial nerve during parotidectomy is incompletely described. Each section also includes illustrative cases that demonstrate more extensive or complex resections. These are excellent.
As a practicing surgical oncologist, I found this atlas to be a very worthwhile review of some of the more frequently performed procedures in my specialty. Its emphasis on anatomic relationships and its avoidance of individualistic variations makes it a very worthwhile guide for residents and fellows in training.