Radiochemotherapy In Multimodal Cancer Therapy

The first part of this book summarizes the rationale and the preclinical data for combined treatment with ionizing radiation and pharmaceutical agents. Individual chapters focus on forms of combined treatment, with due consideration being given to a range of drugs and to emerging combinations with small molecules and antibodies. The second part comprises a series of disease-specific chapters in which the clinical results of combined modality treatment are presented.

Recent decades have seen remarkable advances in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal malignancies, i.e., adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma as well as gastrointestinal stromal and other rare tumors of the esophagus and stomach. While, historically, surgical resection has been the sole treatment for these tumors, multimodal therapies have meanwhile proven their efficacy. At present, pre- and postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and stage-specific surgical approaches are all indispensable cornerstones of an individualized treatment for upper gastrointestinal malignancies. With such multimodal treatment, better outcomes comprising improved quality of life and prolonged survival have been achieved for patients. However, for many tumor entities and stages, the ideal combination and sequence of treatments is still being evaluated in clinical trials. Moreover, the value of novel approaches such as immunotherapy or robotic surgery remains a matter of research. In this Special Issue of Cancers, up-to-date original research, short communications, and comprehensive review articles on all modalities playing a role in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal malignancies have been published.

Perfect for radiation oncology physicians and residents needing a multidisciplinary, treatment-focused resource, this updated edition continues to provide the latest knowledge in this consistently growing field. Not only will you broaden your understanding of the basic biology of disease processes, you'll also access updated treatment algorithms, information on techniques, and state-of-the-art modalities. The consistent and concise format provides just the right amount of information, making Clinical Radiation Oncology a welcome resource for use by the entire radiation oncology team. Content is templated and divided into three sections -- Scientific Foundations of Radiation Oncology, Techniques and Modalities, and Disease Sites - for quick access to information. Disease Sites chapters summarize the most important issues on the opening page and include a full-color format, liberal use of tables and figures, a closing section with a discussion of controversies and problems, and a treatment algorithm that reflects the treatment approach of the authors. Chapters have been edited for scientific accuracy, organization, format, and adequacy of outcome data (such as disease control, survival, and treatment tolerance). Allows you to examine the therapeutic management of specific disease sites based on single-modality and combined-modality approaches. Features an emphasis on providing workup and treatment algorithms for each major disease process, as well as the coverage of molecular biology and its relevance to individual diseases. Two new chapters provide an increased emphasis on stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body irradiation (SBRT). New Associate Editor, Dr. Andrea Ng, offers her unique perspectives to the Lymphoma and Hematologic Malignancies section. Key Points are summarized at the beginning of each disease-site chapter, mirroring the template headings and highlighting essential information and outcomes. Treatment algorithms and techniques, together with discussions of controversies and problems, reflect the treatment approaches employed by the authors. Disease Site Overviews allow each section editor to give a unique perspective on important issues, while online updates to Disease Site chapters ensure your knowledge is current. Disease Site chapters feature updated information on disease management and outcomes. Four videos accessible on Expert Consult include Intraoperative Irradiation, Prostate Brachytherapy, Penile Brachytherapy, and Ocular Melanoma. Thirty all-new anatomy drawings increase your visual understanding. Expert Consult eBook version included with purchase. This enhanced eBook experience allows you to search all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

Since the late 1960s, the survival rate in children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer has steadily improved, with a corresponding decline in the cancer-specific death rate. Although the improvements in survival are encouraging, they have come at the cost of acute, chronic, and late adverse effects precipitated by the toxicities associated with the individual or combined use of different types of treatment (e.g., surgery, radiation, chemotherapy). In some cases, the impairments resulting from cancer and its treatment are severe enough to qualify a child for U.S. Social Security Administration disability benefits. At the request of Social Security Administration, Childhood Cancer and Functional Impacts Across the Care Continuum provides current information and findings and conclusions regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of selected childhood cancers, including different types of malignant solid tumors, and the effect of those cancers on childrenâ (TM)s health and functional capacity, including the relative levels of functional limitation typically associated with the cancers and their treatment. This report also provides a summary of selected treatments currently being studied in clinical trials and identifies any limitations on the availability of these treatments, such as whether treatments are available only in certain geographic areas.

In recent years, interest in the management of anterior skull base tumors has been fostered by the introduction and subsequent rapid expansion of indications of transnasal endoscopic techniques. In parallel, extraordinary progress has been made in all the other disciplines which are involved in the complex process of managing anterior skull base tumors, leading to substantial improvements in diagnosis and treatment. The anterior skull base can be involved in a large variety of tumors of a varying nature and histology, which in the majority of cases originate from adjacent anatomic sites. In fact, primary lesions of the anterior skull base mainly include osteoma and other tumors originating from bone and cartilage. Tumors involving the anterior skull base have their origin prevalently in the sinonasal tract, but lesions developing on the intracranial site, such as meningiomas, may also extend caudally to encroach upon this area. All these lesions are rare, which means that the pertinent literature does not include prospective studies or treatment guidelines based on a high level of evidence. In view of the extreme histological variability of lesions involving the anterior skull base, much emphasis has been placed on addressing the different nuances of treatment in relation to histology, especially for malignant tumors. The chapters focusing on surgery provide divergent views on selection criteria for a specific surgical technique, which is the aim of this publication.

We all want to believe that when people get cancer, they will receive medical care of the highest quality. Even as new scientific breakthroughs are announced, though, many cancer patients may be getting the wrong care, too little care, or too much care, in the form of unnecessary procedures. How close is American medicine to the ideal of quality cancer care for every person with cancer? Ensuring Quality Cancer Care provides a comprehensive picture of how cancer care is delivered in our nation, from early detection to end-of-life issues. The National Cancer Policy Board defines quality care and recommends how to monitor, measure, and extend quality care to all people with cancer. Approaches to accountability in health care are reviewed. What keeps people from getting care? The book explains how lack of medical coverage, social and economic status, patient beliefs, physician decision-making, and other factors can stand between the patient and the best possible care. The board explores how cancer care is shaped by the current focus on evidence-based medicine, the widespread adoption of managed care, where services are provided, and who provides care. Specific shortfalls in the care of breast and prostate cancer are identified. A status report on health services research is included. Ensuring Quality Cancer Care offers wide-ranging data and information in clear context. As the baby boomers approach the years when most cancer occurs, this timely volume will be of special interest to health policy makers, public and private healthcare purchasers, medical professionals, patient advocates, researchers, and people with cancer.

This Recent Results in Cancer Research volume contains the majority of the invited expert contributions from the First St. Gallen EORTC Gastrointestinal Cancer Conference, held on 22-24 March 2012 in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Written by some of the world’s leading experts in the field, the volume constitutes a comprehensive update on recent developments in the imaging, molecular biology, pathology, and multidisciplinary management of early cancer of the gastrointestinal tract. The latest recommendations regarding diagnosis and treatment are provided, and areas of consensus and controversy, identified. While the principal focus is on esophageal and gastric cancer, advances in the treatment of colorectal and pancreatic cancer are also discussed in some detail. This book will be of interest to every clinician involved in the care of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies.​