ONCOLOGY Vol 11 No 9

Combined-modality therapy integrating chemotherapy with radiotherapy and/or surgery is playing an increasing role in the day-to-day management of a wide variety of solid tumors. No longer is this approach solely a clinical research tool. In fact, in

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) has developed a position paper that addresses quality cancer care. The position

The lives of rats with an incurable, rapidly progressing form of brain tumor, similar to glioblastoma in humans, is greatly

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has announced the formation of a collaborative of health care organizations

The National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations (NABCO)-in a partnership with Oil of Olay-has received a $50,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation in support of breast cancer awareness.

The failure of chemotherapy to stop glioblastoma may be linked to a deficiency in DNA repair capability in the cell, according

Researchers have identified certain T cells that suppress the reproduction of HIV carried within them. These cells, called

As a tumor grows, so does its need for nutrients, with a new vascular supply necessary for a tumor to grow to a diameter

The World Health Organization (WHO) and European Organization on Genital Infection and Neoplasia (EUROGIN) have

The magnitude of the cancer problem directly caused by tobacco use underscoresthe urgent need for accelerating our knowledge and understanding of lung

Naturally occurring variants in human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) may put infected women at differing levels of risk for

Data from two studies presented at the 88th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Protogé, a first-of-its-kind software program that enables oncologiststo generate study protocols within a few hours rather than weeks, is now

The American Cancer Society announces the establishment of the Harryand Elsa Jiler American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professorship

The Society of Surgical Oncology surgical practice guidelines focus on the signs and symptoms of primary cancer, timely evaluation of the symptomatic patient, appropriate preoperative evaluation for extent of disease, and role of the surgeon in

It should be noted that the most common presentation of asymptomatic lung cancer is indeed a solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN), but for most symptomatic lung cancers the nodule is at least 3 cm in diameter at the time of initial diagnosis. The author does a good job of providing documentation to refute one of his critical hypotheses, which indicates that "neoplasm can often be strongly suspected or excluded based on the radiologic characteristics of the single pulmonary nodule."

The Society of Surgical Oncology surgical practice guidelines focus on the signs and symptoms of primary cancer, timely evaluation of the symptomatic patient, appropriate preoperative evaluation for extent of disease, and role of the surgeon in diagnosis and treatment. Separate sections on adjuvant therapy, follow-up programs, or management of recurrent cancer have been intentionally omitted. Where appropriate, perioperative adjuvant combined-modality therapy is discussed under surgical management. Each guideline is presented in minimal outline form as a delineation of therapeutic options.

Thousands of practice guidelines/practice parameters have been published by various professional organizations. The American Medical Association,[1] American College of Physicians,[2,3] and others[4-6] have written extensively about

In this article, the authors have done an excellent job in reviewing recent findings regarding prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and other methods for the early detection of prostate cancer. This is a fast-moving field, with new results being reported on a weekly basis. Indeed, it is an exciting time to be conducting research in prostate cancer. At the same time, however, it is far too easy to lose sight of some of the basic principles by which we should judge evidence to make research or clinical decisions. Specifically, there are hard-learned epidemiologic lessons about which we need to constantly remind ourselves.

This review of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) by Pannek and Partin, two experts in the prostate marker field, comes at a very good time-a point at which great changes are occurring after a relatively long period of stability. I expect that this trend will continue. Moreover, given the rapid developments occurring in this area, some of the statements made in both the review and my commentary will probably need to be modified within the next 12 months, with further revisions necessary thereafter.

Treatment of patients with unresectable stage IIIA and IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer with conventionally-fractionated radiation therapy (ie, total doses of 50 to 60 Gy, using one fraction per day), which was standard

Better efficacy of chemotherapy for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) has not been convincingly demonstrated despite many investigations examining increased drug

Treatment of esophageal carcinoma requires the realization that this neoplasm is not a single entity with a uniformly poor prognosis. As with any other malignancy, disease stage has prognostic and therapeutic

The use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy prior to surgery for patients with potentially resectable esophageal carcinoma has been investigated since the late 1970s, with trials yielding response rates approaching 50%.

The objectives of this review are to provide an update and perspectives on the use of induction therapy (chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy) followed by surgery in two subgroups of patients with stage III non-

The treatment of head and neck cancer has traditionally consisted of surgery with postoperative radiation therapy. Chemotherapy has been reserved for palliation.

Multimodality therapy-ie, surgical excision followed by appropriate systemic therapy and radiotherapy-has an established role in managing patients with locally

Radical cystectomy remains standard management for patients with locally advanced T2 through T4, N0, M0 transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

Men who show no suspicious signs of prostate cancer on rectal examinationsand who also have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) level below 2.0 apparently

When used alone, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is not sufficiently sensitive or specific to consider it an ideal tool for the early detection or staging of prostate cancer. To optimize the use of PSA, the concepts of PSA velocity,