Neoplastic gastrointestinal pathology: an illustrated guide.

The title of this book would not have attracted my attention prior to being asked to review it. Neoplasia is covered in detail in existing GI pathology textbooks and there are also atlases of GI pathology. A quick glance at the contents, however, and I think the book should have been entitled ‘A Practical Guide (or Approach) to Neoplastic Gastrointestinal Pathology’. The introductory chapter covers terminology, grading, staging, reporting and screening, as well as a general approach to the biopsy specimen. There are numerous helpful tables as well as practical advice on distinguishing reactive atypia from dysplasia, and a discussion about high-grade dysplasia versus intramucosal cancer. The following five chapters give detailed general approaches to epithelial neoplasms, neuroendocrine neoplasms, lymphomas, mesenchymal neoplasms and hereditary cancer syndromes. Again, there are abundant quick-reference tables and algorithms, together with novel illustrative cases. The chapter on mesenchymal neoplasia is one of the highlights of the book for me. The different entities are all covered comprehensively and succinctly, including discussion of caveats and pitfalls, and there are abundant accompanying photomicrographs. Chapters 7–12 separately cover neoplasms and tumour-like entities of the oesophagus, stomach, small bowel, appendix, colon and anus, respectively. Chapter 13 discusses applications of diagnostic immunohistochemistry and provides excellent tables for determining the site of origin of adenocarcinomas or neuroendocrine tumours, tables of immunoprofiles for the different lymphoid and mesenchymal tumours, and also includes tables for distinguishing gastric carcinoma from breast carcinoma, and basaloid squamous cell carcinoma from basal cell carcinoma. The final chapter covers applications of molecular pathology with respect to diagnosis, risk assessment and treatment strategies. The index is brief, but comprehensive, and each chapter lists limited, but potentially very helpful, references at the end. This book is very easy to read, well organised, beautifully illustrated and full of quick-reference tables. The authors also provide practical advice on dealing with controversial and difficult areas. Some of the terminology and surveillance protocols reflect the American authorship, but this does not detract from what is otherwise an excellent book. I think this is a welcome new addition for the pathology reporting room. Trainee pathologists will find the ‘general approach’ chapters very helpful and educational. Practising pathologists will be able to access the quick-reference tables and numerous illustrations in their day-to-day practice.