The European School of Oncology came into existence to respond to a need for information, education and training in the field of the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. There are two main reasons why such an initiative was considered necessary. Firstly, the teaching of oncology requires a rigorously multidiscipli nary approach which is difficult for the Universities to put into practice since their system is mainly disciplinary orientated. Secondly, the rate of technological development that impinges on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer has been so rapid that it is not an easy task for medical faculties to adapt their curricula flexibly. With its residential courses for organ pathologies and the seminars on new techniques (laser, monoclonal antibodies, imaging techniques etc.) or on the principal therapeutic controversies (conservative or mutilating surgery, primary or adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy alone or integrated), it is the ambition of the European School of Oncology to fill a cultural and scientific gap and, thereby, create a bridge between the University and Industry and between these two and daily medical practice. One of the more recent initiatives of ESO has been the institution of permanent study groups, also called task forces, where a limited number of leading experts are invited to meet once a year with the aim of defining the state of the art and possibly reaching a consensus on future developments in specific fields of on cology.

Klappentext

The authors of this monograph provide a detailed update of basic and clinical research of drug delivery in cancer treatment, with special reference to pain relief, nutritional support and treatment with anticancer agents. Pain evaluation, treatment strategy, drug kinetics and bioavailability of opiates are discussed. Nutritional support is reviewed in a chapter describing tumor host metabolism and nutrient delivery in cancer treatment. New trends and developments in cancer chemotherapy complete this highly topical monograph.

Inhalt
Analgesic Drugs in Palliative Care.- Pharmacokinetic Aspects of Drug-Drug and Drug-Plastic Interactions with Anticancer Drugs.- Immunotherapy and Interactions of Cytokines in the Host.- The Rationale of Intraarterial Chemotherapy of Liver Cancer.- Chemoembolisation in Regional Chemotherapy.- Optimised Treatment Modalities for Hypoxic Tumour Cells.- Drug Delivery to Cancer Patients in Home Care: Experience with Intraarterial and Intravenous Chemotherapy.