Where this information on coping with cancer comes from

All our information is checked by health professionals who specialise in treating cancer. The names of our specialist reviewers are at the end of this list. We also try to find patients to review all our sections. If you have had symptoms or side effects during your cancer treatment, live in the UK, and would like to become a patient reviewer, you can write to us by clicking on contact us.

The US National Cancer Institute
Coping with cancer section

Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer 
Anti emetic guidelines

Clinical Knowledge Summaries
Palliative cancer care - malignant ulcer of the skin

Cancer and its management (6th edition)
Tobias J and Hochhauser D
Blackwell, 2010

Symptom management in advanced cancer (4th edition)
Twycross R, Wilcock A and Toller S
Radcliffe Medical Press Ltd, 2009

Oxford Textbook of Medicine (5th Edition)
Warrell DA, Cox TM, Firth JD and  Benz EJ Jr
Oxford University Press, 2005

The Royal Marsden Hospital Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures (6th Edition)
Editors: Lisa Dougherty and Sara Lister
Blackwell Publishing, 2004

Lymphoedema Care
Woods, M
Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2007

NCCN treatment guidelines for patients – supportive care (American site)
Link to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) website

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance

• Opioids in palliative care: safe and effective prescribing of strong opioids for pain in palliative care of adults – May 2012
• Neuropathic pain – 2010
• Metastatic spinal cord compression: diagnosis and management of adults at risk of and with metastatic spinal cord compression – 2008
• Epoetin alfa, epoetin beta and darbepoetin alfa for cancer treatment induced anaemia – May 2008
• Prostate cancer: Diagnosis and treatment – 2008
• Faecal incontinence: The management of faecal incontinence in adults – June 2007
• Percutaneous cementoplasty – 2006
• Balloon kyphoplasty – 2006
• Nutrition support for adults– 2006
• Management of depression in primary and secondary care – December 2004
• Improving Supportive and Palliative Care for Adults with Cancer: the Manual – 2004
• Percutaneous vertebroplasty – 2003

Link to the NICE website

Guidelines for pain management
European Association of Oncology, 2010
Link to the EAO guidelines

Guidelines for lymphoedema
Best practice for the Management of Lymphoedema: International consensus. 2006. London. MEP Ltd.  
Guidelines for the diagnosis, assessment and management of lymphoedema. 2008. CREST

Guidance for the management of breast cancer treatment induced bone loss: a consensus position statement from a UK Expert Group. Reid, DM and others. Cancer Treatment review, 2008; 34Suppl 1:S3-18

Graft versus host disease. Ferrara JL and others. The Lancet, 2009 May 2;373(9674):1550-61. Epub 2009 Mar 11.

Corticosteroid regimens for treatment of acute and chronic graft versus host disease (GvHD) after allogenic stem cell transplantation. Salmasian  H and others. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 1. Art. No: CD005565. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005565. pub2.

Chronic graft versus host disease. Horwitz M and Sullivan K. Blood reviews (2006) Jan; 20(1):15-27. Epub 2005 Apr 7

Update on ocular graft versus host disease. Kim SK. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology. 2006 Aug;17(4):344-8.

Genital manifestation of graft versus host disease: a series of case reports. Lara LA and others. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2010 Sept 7(9):3216-25. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01885.x.

Update on the management of acute graft versus host disease. Bolanos-Meade J. Current Opinion in Oncology. March 2006. 18(2):120-125, 

Rituximab for steroid refractory chronic graft versus host Disease. Cutler C and others. Blood, 15 July 2006, Vol. 108, No. 2, pp.756-765.

Non pharmacological interventions for breathlessness in advanced stages of malignant and non malignant diseases. Bausewein C and others. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 2. Art. No: CD005623. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005623. pub2.

The etiology and management of intractable breathlessness in patients with advanced cancer: a systematic review of pharmacological therapy. Booth S and others. Nature Clinical Practice Oncology (2008) 5, 90-100

Antioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in healthy participants and patients with various diseases. Bjelakovic G and others. Cochrane review, 2008. Issue 2. Art. No.: CD007176. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007176

Antioxidant supplements for preventing gastrointestinal cancers. Bjelakovic G and others. 2008. Cochrane review, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004183. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004183.pub3

Exercise for the management of cancer related fatigue in adults.  Cramp F and Daniel J. 2008. Cochrane review, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD006145. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006145.pub2

Drug therapy for the management of cancer related fatigue. Minton O and others. Cochrane review, 2010, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD006704. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006704.pub3

Anticonvulsant drugs for acute and chronic pain. Wiffen PJ and others. Cochrane review.  2005, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD001133. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001133.pub2

Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) for cancer pain in adults. Robb KA and others. Cochrane review. 2008, Issue 3. Art. No.:CD006276. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006276.pub2.

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment. Worthington HV and others. Cochrane review. 2011, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD000978. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000978.pub5.

Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment (Review). Clarkson JE and others. Cochrane Review. 2009, Issue 1. Art. No: CD3003807. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003807.pub3.

Interventions for treating oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment. Clarkson JE and others. Cochrane review. 2007, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD001973. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001973.pub3

Opioids for the management of breakthrough (episodic) pain in cancer patients.  Zeppetella G and Ribeiro MDC. Cochrane review. 2006, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD004311. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004311.pub2

Topical agents and dressings for fungating wounds. Cochrane review. 2008, Issue 4, DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003948.pub2.

Bases and rationale of the electrochemotherapy. Mir, L.M. European Journal of Cancer Supplements, 4 (2006) 38-44.

The Biological Mechanism of Cancer Related Skeletal Muscle Wasting: The Role of Progressive Resistance Exercise. Al-Majid S and Waters H Biological Research for Nursing 10(2):7-20, July 2008.

Malignant ascites: Systematic review and guideline for treatment. Becker G and others European Journal of Cancer, (2006). 42, (5), 589-597, 

Proteolytic Enzyme Therapy in Evidence Based Complementary Oncology: Fact or Fiction? Beuth, J. Integrative Cancer Therapies December 2008. 7(4), 311-316, 

Emergence of Ghrelin as a Treatment for Cachexia Syndrome. DeBoer MD. Nutrition 24(9): 806-814, September 2008.

ESPEN Guidelines on Enteral Nutrition: Non-surgical oncology. Arends J and others Clinical Nutrition (2006) 25, 245-259.

Oral Nutritional Interventions in Malnourished Patients with Cancer: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis. Baldwin C and others Journal of National Cancer Institute (2012) 104, 371-385

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, an omega 3 fatty acid from fish oils) for the treatment of cancer cachexia. Dewey A and others. Cochrane Review, 2009, DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004597.pub2

Diagnosis and management of malignant spinal cord compression: part 1. Drudge-Coates L and Rajbabu K. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2008. Vol 14, No 3 

Diagnosis and management of malignant spinal cord compression: part 2. Drudge-Coates L and Rajbabu K. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2008. Vol 14, No 4 

Prevalence of depression in patients with cancer. Massie M J. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs, 32, 57-71, (2004).

Use of Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists in Cancer Therapy as Palliative and Curative Agents. Pisanti S and others. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 23 (2009) 117-131.

Interventions for the treatment of metastatic extradural spinal cord compression in adults. George R and others. Cochrane review, 2010, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD006716. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006716.pub2

Timing of surgery and radiotherapy in the management of metastatic spine disease: a systematic review. Itshayek E and others. International Journal of Oncology 36 (2010) 533-544

Systematic review of bisphosphonates for hypercalcaemia of malignancy Saunders Y and others. Palliative Medicine (2004) 18: 418-431 DOI: 10.1191/0269216304pm914ra

The Role of Octreotide in the Management of Patients with Cancer. Practice Guideline Report. Major P and others. Program in evidenced based care. May 2003

Self expandable metal stents for relieving malignant colorectal obstruction: short term safety and efficacy within 30 days of stent procedure in 447 patients. Meisner S and others. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Aug 2011. Vol 74, Issue 4, 876-884

• Ms Waseema Azam, Oncology Dietician (diet section)
• Ms Julie Beckerson, Oncology Dietician (diet section)
• Ms Lucienne Buttigieg, Macmillan Nurse Specialist (breathing problems, fever, pain and sickness, and mouth problems sections)
• Ms Linda Davies, District Nursing Sister (ulcerating tumours)
• Professor K Fearon, Consultant in General Surgery (diet section)
• Ms Jane Fior, Development Coordinator (coping emotionally and counselling sections)
• Dr Patricia Grocutt, Reader in Palliative Wound Care (ulcerating tumours)
• Mrs Angie Hack, Senior Lecturer (skin problems section)
• Ms Penny Jones, Deputy Director of Nursing (bowel problems)
• Dr P Mahendra, Consultant Haematologist (GVHD)
• Dr Juliet Spiller, Consultant in Palliative Medicine (symptoms and side effects)
• Ms N Swan, Clinical Haematology Support/Liaison nurse (GVHD)
• Prof J Waxman, MBBS, MD FRCP, Professor of oncology (sex hormone symptoms and cancer)
• Dr A Stevens, MBBS FRCP FRCR, Consultant cancer specialist (sex hormone symptoms and cancer)
• Ms Isabel White, Clinical Research Fellow in Cancer Rehabilitation (sex and sexuality section)
• Ms Lorraine Grover, Clinical Nurse Therapist in Sexual Well Being (sex and sexuality section)
• Dee McLean, McDee Art, Medical Illustration (sex hormone symptoms and cancer)