“Fletcher's Histology of Tumours” has become a buzzword for students and surgical pathologists alike since the publication of the first edition five years ago. The present edition is an improvement upon an already excellent book.
The book stresses upon the need for timely, accurate and detailed surgical pathology reports which has never been greater, especially in our increasingly subspecialised and litigious society. The field of surgical pathology is also expanding at an unprecedented rate-new tumour-type characterisation, application of new technologies, understanding of pathogenetic mechanisms and improved prognostication abilities. Inspite of world-wide concern about health-care funding disparities between developed and underdeveloped regions the broad diagnostic techniques ranging from basic haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained slide interpretation, to immunohistochemistry (IHC) and on to chip technology (cDNA microassay) which have been presented to the reader without bias, aim at as good patient care as is possible, through as high quality diagnostic pathology as possible, in the reader's geographic and socio-political situation. The editors approach therefore, is four-fold. First the book boasts of an illustrious author panel, including such names as Jeremy Jass (G.I. Pathology), K. Krishnan Unni (Orthopaedic Pathology), Ernest E Lack (Neuropathology). Second, the emphasis remains on accurate morphologic diagnosis, using principally, H&E stained sections (most effective & cost-efficient methodology), considered to be the gold standard against which all else is judged. Third, the approach ranges, as it should, from clinical data to gross morphologic findings, to “routine” H&E histology to relevant cytochemistry, IHC, Electron Microscopy & to cyto-/molecular-genetic techniques. Fourth, the text has been substantially re-written and new chapters with new information have been added; reference lists have been updated; important new classification schemes eg the 1999 WHO Classification of Thymomas and the 2000 WHO Classification of Endocrine Tumours and Lymphomas have been included.
The presentation includes several colour plates, utilises colour coding of individual pages of a chapter, presents lucid data tables and stresses upon an overall pragmatic, practical and neutral view of unresolved arguments. Even though surgical pathology, by necessity, remains a subjective art, at least in part, this book endeavours to introduce morphologic objectivity, wherever possible. The book epitomises the following “gut feeling” of surgical pathologists:-
“For as long as human tumours remain more varied, unpredictable and idiosyncratic than their hosts in terms of both morphology and behaviour, there will be a clear and unassailable need for good surgical pathology based principally on careful and experienced light microscopic examination, supported, where appropriate or necessary, by more modern techniques”.