ONCOLOGY Vol 10 No 6

Radiation therapy of tumors near the eye or optic nerves often requires incidental irradiation of these structures, even when they are not clinically involved by tumor. Depending on the radiation treatment volume and dose required, radiation injury to the lens, lacrimal apparatus, retina, or optic nerve may result. The time to expression and severity of injury are dose-dependent. This paper reviews the results of 157 patients who were followed for a minimum of 3 years after radiotherapy for primary extracranial tumors at the University of Florida, in which the lacrimal gland, lens, retina, and/or optic nerve(s) received irradiation. This review shows that, after treatment at approximately 1.8 to 2.0 Gy per fraction, the incidence of severe dry-eye syndrome, retinopathy, and optic neuropathy appears to increase steeply after doses of 40, 50, and 60 Gy, respectively. [ONCOLOGY 10(6):837-852, 1996]

Over the past 5 years, many new cytotoxic agents with activity against metastatic cancer have been discovered, and several are currently undergoing clinical trials. Whether their marked degree of activity represents a real

The definition of refractory advanced breast cancer remains elusive. Because of different definitions of objective response, frequent lack of precision in defining the number of prior chemotherapies, and differing interpretations

The treatment of refractory metastatic breast cancer is complex and challenging. Practicing oncologists must choose from an array of therapuetic options. Palliation remains the primary goal of treatment, and the risks and

At first glance, the concept of using radionuclide-labeled monoclonal antibodies to target radioactivity to tumor sites for the detection and possible treatment of malignancies appears quite appealing in terms of its rationale and simplicity. However, as is apparent in Dr. Divgi's comprehensive review of the many clinical studies that have been performed to test this concept, there are a number of complexities that require further study and resolution so that this approach can be optimally and more widely applied in clinical medicine. Although Dr. Divgi touches on many of these issues, some points are worthy of emphasis and further discussion.

Cervical cancer's slow, noticeable growth makes it "an ideal disease" for screening, but poor choices--like not getting a Pap smear or having unprotected sex as young adults--give the disease a disastrous head start, a University of Wisconsin Medical

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is studying a drug that may save thyroid cancer patients time, inconvenience, and discomfort.

This review focuses on the clinical utility and potential value of cell cycle analysis and DNA ploidy interpretation in the diagnosis of human tumors, the application of these techniques to cytologic diagnosis, and their capability