R. Altman and M. J. Sarg. 352 pages. New York: Facts on File, Inc.; 1992. $40.00.

Prepared for patients, their families, and other nonprofessionals interested in cancer but likely to be useful for nonprofessional staff in oncology units and clinics as a supplement to standard medical dictionaries. Some "definitions" are in fact short articles on their topics (symptoms, procedures, drugs, side effects, risk factors, tests, prevention). Includes as appendixes a listing of support organizations for cancer and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (names, addresses, telephone numbers, and functions, including availability of publications), comprehensive cancer centers and cooperative trials groups (addresses, telephone numbers), a tabulation of drugs, and a bibliography on books useful for support needs. The index carries synonyms of main-entry terms and directs the user to the right entry term.