ONCOLOGY Vol 25 No 7

A rarely noted aspect of the era of novel agents and explosive new knowledge in the clonal plasma cell diseases is how short the half-life of relevant information has become, and how this churning has challenged clinical thinking.

In less than a decade, the resources available to treat light chain (AL) amyloidosis have increased impressively.

Hoppe et al present an excellent review of the physics relevant to an understanding of proton therapy-and of the available literature assessing the use of proton beams in the management of prostate cancer.

Fifteen years from now, graduate business school students seeking a PhD in medical economics will write dissertations on the topic of proton therapy and its place in the health care reform efforts of the 2010s

This review discusses the rationale, history, and current status of proton therapy for prostate cancer-and controversies regarding it.

This review of the various available options for the treatment of systemic amyloidosis is designed to help the clinician determine which patients are candidates for stem cell transplantation and which should be treated with conventional chemotherapy.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Ongoing research into the molecular basis of lung cancer has yielded insight into various critical pathways that are deregulated in lung tumorigenesis, and in particular key driver mutations integral to cancer cell survival and proliferation.

Observation is the standard of care. However, clinical trials are ongoing to determine whether early therapy with newer agents can prolong the time to progression-and most importantly, prolong survival.

In this issue of ONCOLOGY, Dr. Robert Kyle and colleagues provide their clinical and epidemiological perspective on monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering myeloma (SMM)-a perspective that is based on more than three decades of experience.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is the most prevalent of the plasma cell dyscrasias and is characterized by a low level of production of serum monoclonal (M) protein (classically less than 3 g/dL).

In 2004, Dr. Thomas Lynch[1] and others[2] first reported the presence of somatic mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in patients who exhibited great sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

The authors of "ALK-Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer: Ready for Prime Time," in this issue of ONCOLOGY, address the newest developments in the field of targeted therapies for advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Survival for cancer patients in the United States ranks among the highest in the world.[1] Despite the demonstrated success of the US cancer delivery system, government and private payers are forcing changes to the delivery of and payment model for oncology care.

Aloe vera, a succulent plant prevalent in hot, dry regions of Asia, Africa, and other areas, has been used in traditional medicine for many centuries. It is easily propagated in most places where the climate is hot and dry.

More cancer patients are able to receive chemotherapy, including both oral and intravenous agents, in the home setting. Clearly, the option to self-administer therapy in the absence of an oncology nurse or other healthcare provider poses a potential safety risk.

In an article published online on May 9, 2011 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, a large-scale prospective study found that acetaminophen use was associated with an almost two-fold increase risk of hematological malignancies other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma.

A study published in the journal Cancer on May 9 has now specifically examined the outcome of cancer survivorship of the gay, lesbian, and bisexual population. The study authors found that cancer outcomes differ based on sexual orientation.

A large-scale, retrospective study published in the JNCI has now shown that men who take statins had lower incidence of total and high-grade prostate cancer compared with men who took antihypertensive medications.