¹Neoplastic Diseases, Medical College Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

The third edition of this text features many changes and improvements, including a host of new editors, practical reorganization of sections, an expanded table of contents with chapter subsections, and new chapters devoted to innovations in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) by expert contributors from around the world. The book is organized in a relatively straightforward manner, with a historical background chapter followed by sections devoted to the biologic basis of HCT, methods and procedures, clinical indications for HCT, transplant-related and organ-specific complications. Additional sections include laboratory services, statistical techniques, and areas of new development.

The chapters contained in the first section provide a comprehensive review of the biologic foundation of HCT. Included are new chapters discussing application of mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, NK alloreactivity, the biologic basis of nonablative conditioning, as well as the risks and benefits of blood- vs bone marrow-derived stem cells. Alongside these additions are updated chapters on stem cell homing, immunologic reconstitution, as well as graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukemia. Similarly, the section on methods and procedures has been expanded to include donor management and evaluation of hematopoietic chimerism after HCT. The clinical indications and results sections include new contributions in the areas of autotransplantation for myelodysplasia, soft-tissue sarcoma and nephroblastoma, and allogeneic HCT for solid tumors, as well as expanded coverage of transplantation-related malignancies, including myelodysplasia after autotransplantation and post transplant lymphoproliferative disorders. Chapters preserved from previous editions in the remaining sections have been expanded and updated.

Tremendous and important detail is contained throughout the text. The editors have assembled a large group of high-quality authors, who in turn have provided the reader with an exceptional and comprehensive textbook for the evolving field of HCT. While comprehensive, stylistically the book has a few shortcomings. The chapters would be further enhanced by a more uniform layout of the chapters and a cohesive approach to graphics. Aside from a small group of color plates, the text and figures/tables are limited to black and white, and in some cases, the graphics have not been clearly reproduced. Important subsections that are repeated across chapters, such as treatment recommendations, are not highlighted in a way that facilitates rapid and easy identification for the reader. While some chapters provide helpful suggested therapeutic algorithms, others simply review results for individual indications. Survival curves, which are present in abundance throughout the work, are presented in a variety of sizes in individual chapters, suggesting differing levels of importance that may not be intentional or desirable. These few limitations aside, the new third edition of the Clinical Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplantation provides a valuable resource for HCT practitioners.