During the last few decades, there has been a tremendous improvement in the treatment of cancer. There is evidence that this trend is continuing, based on the achievements re sulting from the combined efforts of clinicians and basic re search workers. This book is an example of such interaction and collaboration. It was prepared by authors representing both areas of work. Most of the work reported in this book is not merely theoretical, but has been experimentally successfully tested and sometimes applied clinically. This work has, however, not yet been generalized and practiced on a wide scale. Some of the results reported here relate to new aspects and open new horizons for future progress. This book will be of great value for both clinicians and basic research workers. VICC Treatment and Rehabilitation Programme ISMAIL ELSEBAI Chairman Preface The three main approaches to the treatment of cancer are surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Today, all malignant neoplasms are managed by one or more of these modalities, with varying success rates depending on the type of tumor, its degree of spread, and the knowl edge and skill with which the treatment plan has been designed and executed. In the United States of America and in Europe, approximate ly half of all cancer is presently curable, but this has been the case for approximately 20 years.

Klappentext

This book brings together in one volume a large amount of information on the progress that is being made in developing novel and improved methods of cancer treatment. The first part of the book reviews areas such as: - physical treatment, including radiation therapy and hyperthermia; - chemotherapy, with particular interest in new drugs and methods of overcoming drug resistance; - biological approaches, including biological response modifiers, monoclonal antibodies and hormonal therapies; - and future approaches, such as the prevention of metastases, the induction of differentiation or even the utilization of the specific molecular lesions in cancer as a target for therapy. The second part deals with recent progress and future directions in particular types of cancer. The book is well referenced so as to serve as a base for more detailed exploration of any given topic. The dissemination of such new information aims to foster additional collaborative studies and possibly the development of new research protocols.

Inhalt

1. New Directions in Cancer Treatment: An Overview.- Physical Approaches to Therapy.- 2. New Approaches in Radiation Therapy.- 3. Radiotherapy Treatment Planning: Past, Present, and Future.- 4. Hyperthermia as Cancer Therapy: Current Status and Future Prospects.- 5. Photodynamic Therapy.- Chemotherapy.- 6. Very High Dose Therapy in Lymphomas and Solid Tumors.- 7. Allogeneic Marrow Transplantation for MalignancyCurrent Problems and Prospects for Improvement.- 8. Regional Therapies.- 9. Drug Resistance in Cancer.- 10. Multidrug Resistance in Tissue Culture and Human Tissues.- 11. Development of New Chemotherapeutic Agents.- 12. New Drug Trials.- 13. Drug Delivery to Brain Tumors.- Biological Approaches to Therapy.- 14. The Evaluation of Biological Response Modifiers for Cancer Therapy.- 15. Biologic Response Modifiers in Cancer Therapy.- 16. The Potential Value of Radiolabelled Monoclonal Antibodies in Cancer Therapy.- 17. Monoclonal Antibody Conjugates with Cytotoxic Agents for Cancer Therapy.- 18. Bone Marrow Purging.- 19. Future Prospects for the Treatment of Hormone-Responsive Tumors.- Potential Approaches.- 20. Tumor Invasion and Metastases: Biochemical Mechanisms.- 21. Prospects for the Development of Antineoplastic Therapy Based on Molecular Pathology.- 22. Differentiation of Malignant Cells as a Strategy for Cancer Treatment.- Therapeutic Trends in Specific Neoplasms.- 23. Malignant Brain Tumors.- 24. Head and Neck Cancer.- 25. Lung Cancer.- 26. Breast Cancer.- 27. Renal Cell Carcinoma.- 28. Carcinoma of the Pancreas.- 29. Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- 30. Esophageal Carcinoma.- 31. Gastric Cancer.- 32. Colon Cancer.- 33. Bladder Cancer.- 34. Prostate Cancer.- 35. Advanced Germ Cell Tumors.- 36. Ovarian Cancer.- 37. Trophoblastic Neoplasia.- 38. Malignant AdrenalTumors.- 39. Neuroendocrine Tumors.- 40. Soft Tissue Sarcomas in Adults.- 41. Melanoma.- 42. Basal Cell Carcinoma.- 43. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.- 44. Acute Nonlymphoblastic Leukemia.- 45. The Chronic Leukemias.- 46. Hodgkin's Disease.- 47. Plasma Cell Myeloma.- 48. Follicular Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas.- 49. Diffuse Aggressive Lymphomas in Adults.- 50. Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas.- 51. Osteosarcoma.- 52. Ewing's Sarcoma.- 53. Soft Tissue Sarcomas in Childhood.- 54. Wilms' Tumor.- 55. Neuroblastoma.- 56. Retinoblastoma.