Table of contents
January 2006 Volume 3 No 1
Viewpoints
Clinical management of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers
2Women with BRCA1/2 mutations have a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer than the general population. The authors outline current evidence for strategies to reduce the risks of cancer development in these women, and discuss future research directions.
Breast healthcare and cancer control in limited-resource countries: a framework for change
4In low-resource regions of the world, women with breast cancer often do not present themselves for treatment until the disease has reached an advanced stage. This article offers some cost-effective and practical recommendations for early detection, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in low-resource countries.
Research Highlights
No link between AIB1 variation and increased breast cancer risk in BRCA1/2-mutation carriers
6Galectin-1: a novel hypoxia-induced protein linked with tumor immune privilege
6OncoSurge: rating treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
6IMRT for head-and-neck cancer improves quality of life and reduces xerostomia
7Autoantibodies as novel biomarkers for the early detection of prostate cancer
7Tumor protein D52: an early tumor marker in ovarian cancer?
8High-intensity focused ultrasound shows promise for noninvasive tumor ablation
8Pregnancy and breast cancer risk in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations
9Novel nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen protects against GVHD
9Activated HER2 expression and resistance to taxane chemotherapy
9doi:10.1038/ncponc0371 | Full Text | PDF (105K)
Major developments in adjuvant treatment of early HER2-positive breast cancer
10Radiotherapy of left-sided breast cancer does not increase cardiac morbidity
11Practice Points
Trastuzumab adds to adjuvant chemotherapy for resected HER2-positive breast cancer
12doi:10.1038/ncponc0401 | Full Text | PDF (101K)
Can decompressive surgery improve outcome in patients with metastatic epidural spinal-cord compression?
14Is bortezomib superior to high-dose dexamethasone for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma?
16Are carboplatin and radiotherapy equally effective for the adjuvant treatment of stage I seminoma?
18Are EGFR antagonists associated with increased central nervous system metastases in non-small-cell lung cancer?
20Reviews
Lessons from phase III clinical trials on anti-VEGF therapy for cancer
24Bevacizumab with standard chemotherapy improved overall survival in colorectal and lung cancer patients and progression-free survival in breast cancer patients, but this combination failed to increase survival in patients with previously treated and refractory metastatic breast cancer. Reasons for these contrasting results, the mechanisms behind normalization of tumor vasculature for improved drug and oxygen delivery, and the need for biomarkers and imaging techniques to guide patient selection and protocol design are discussed.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0403 | Full Text | PDF (427K)
Mechanisms of Disease: roles of OPG, RANKL and RANK in the pathophysiology of skeletal metastasis
41The processes of normal and pathological bone biology have been revolutionized since the discovery of the key regulators osteoprotegerin, receptor activator of nuclear factorkappa B (RANK) and RANK ligand (RANKL). Recent research suggests a pivotal role for these molecules in mediating cancer-induced bone destruction. This review provides a comprehensive update on the pathophysiology and mechanisms of skeletal metastasis, and the relevance of therapeutic targeting of these regulators for cancer treatment and pain management.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0381 | Full Text | PDF (257K)
Case Study
Gefitinib response of erlotinib-refractory lung cancer involving meninges—role of EGFR mutation
50doi:10.1038/ncponc0400 | Full Text | PDF (679K)
