Author | Weijing Sun, MD, FACP

January 15, 2016

It remains difficult to decipher which patients are appropriate candidates for conversion therapy vs upfront surgery. Therefore, in predicting potential outcomes, several factors should be considered. Here, we will attempt to address such factors and provide insights.

November 15, 2014

Due to advances in chemotherapy, biologic therapy, and the development of liver-oriented treatment options, the survival of patients with metastatic cancer has more than doubled, and increasing numbers of patients have been cured, even among those with advanced disease.

August 01, 2005

Advances in the treatment ofmetastatic colorectal cancer inthe past several years havebeen expeditious and exciting-evenchaotic-but with the median survivaldoubled since the use of single-agentfluoropyrimidines alone. However, newquestions continue to arise, directly affectingour daily practice in the care ofpatients with colorectal cancer. One ofthese issues, the optimal therapy formetastatic colorectal cancer, is wonderfullyexplored by Dr. Saltz in thisissue of ONCOLOGY. To understandthis issue better, we may have to approachthe question a little differently:That is, is it possible to standardizetreatment options for metastatic colorectalcancer?

December 04, 2004

From the results of recent studies, it is likely that multimodality therapy with chemotherapy and radiation treatment may improve the overall outcome of locally advanced upper gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies, including esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, and biliary tract carcinomas. However, more effective, more optimal, and less toxic chemotherapy regimen(s) with concomitant radiotherapy are needed beyond the concurrent continuous-infusion fluorouracil (5-FU) with radiation that is commonly applied in general practice. Epirubicin (Ellence), cisplatin, and irinotecan (Camptosar) are all active cytotoxic chemotherapy agents in upper GI cancers. Two phase I studies were designed to test the tolerability of the combination of radiotherapy with infusional 5-FU, epirubicin, and cisplatin (ECF) or 5-FU, irinotecan, and epirubicin (EIF) in the treatment of locally advanced upper GI malignancies.