Over recent decades, combined modality treatment has drastically improved the cure rates for various malignant tumors. Further progress is expected through the design of sound combinations involving recently developed drugs. 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 different forms of combined treatment, with due consideration being given to a range of drugs and to emerging combinations with small molecules and antibodies, derived from recent advances in molecular oncology. The second part of the book comprises a series of disease-specific chapters in which the clinical results of combined modality treatment are presented. In addition, the topics of acute and late toxicity, supportive treatment and tolerance in elderly patients are reviewed. All of the chapters have been written by basic scientists and clinicians who are acknowledged experts in the field. The text is specifically designed to be accessible to professionals from the various disciplines involved in multidisciplinary cancer care and to residents in radiation oncology training programs.

Autorentext

J. Martin Brown, PhD, is a Professor of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University. He was president of the Radiation Research Society and member of several program and award committees of the American Association for Cancer Research. Dr. Brown is currently the senior editor for biology for the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics. He has received a number of awards, including an NIH M.E.R.I.T. Award, the Research Award from the Radiation Research Society, the 1999 Cain Memorial Award from the American Association for Cancer Research, the 1999 ASTRO Gold Medal, and the Weiss Medal from the Association for Radiation Research.

Minesh P. Mehta, MD, is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison. He is the Chairman of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Brain Tumor Committee and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Neuro-Oncology and the International Journal of Cancer Research.

Carsten Nieder, MD, is head of the Radiation Oncology Section of the Multidisciplinary Cancer Center and deputy head of the Stereotactic Central Nervous System Radiotherapy program, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich. He has received a 2-year research scholarship from the Mildred Scheel Foundation and the Hanns Langendorff Award 2003. Dr. Nieder is on the editorial board of Reviews of Recent Randomized Trials.

Inhalt
Preclinical Part.- Biological Basis of Combined Radio- and Chemotherapy.- Combinations of Antimetabolites and Ionizing Radiation.- Combinations of Taxanes and Ionizing Radiation.- Combinations of Topoisomerase Inhibitors and Ionizing Radiation.- Combinations of Hypoxia-Targeting Compounds and Radiation-Activated Prodrugs with Ionizing Radiation.- Combinations of Platinum Compounds and Ionizing Radiation.- Combinations of Cytotoxic Drugs, Ionizing Radiation, and Angiogenesis Inhibitors.- Combinations of Cytotoxic Drugs, Ionizing Radiation and EGFR Inhibitors.- Combinations of Cytotoxic Drugs, Ionizing Radiation, and Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Inhibitors.- Combinations of Ionizing Radiation and Other Sensitizing Agents.- Radiotherapy and Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery.- Clinical Part.- Applications in Malignant Brain Tumors.- Applications in Head and Neck Cancer.- Applications in Esophageal and Gastric Cancer.- Novel Chemoradiation in Localized Pancreatic Cancer: Clinical Studies.- Applications in Lung Cancer.- Integration of Radiation Therapy and Systemic Therapy for Breast Cancer.- Applications in Rectal and Anal Cancer.- Concomitant Radiation and Chemotherapy in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.- Applications to Gynecological Cancers.- Early and Late Treatment-Induced Toxicity.- Feasibility of Combined Chemo- and Radiation Treatment in Elderly/Comorbid Patients.