Haematology has seen many changes since 1998 when the first edition of
this small book was written. Most notably, there are major advances in the
treatments of malignant blood disorders with the discovery of tyrosine
kinase inhibitors which have transformed the outlook for patients with
CML, the rediscovery of arsenic for AML and many other new therapies.
Progress has been slower in the non-malignant arena since there is still
limited evidence on which to base decisions. We have attempted to
update each section in the book in order to ensure that it reflects current
practice. Although molecular diagnostics have seen huge changes through
the Human Genome Project and other methodological developments, we
have not included these in great detail here because of lack of space. We
have attempted to focus more on clinical aspects of patient care.