Table of contents
April 2006 Volume 3 No 4
Editorial
Viewpoint
EGFR mutations and molecularly targeted therapy: a new era in the treatment of lung cancer
170Although the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib can produce dramatic and durable tumor responses, not all patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) benefit from these drugs. This Viewpoint discusses the molecular correlates of response for these agents in patients with NSCLC.
Research Highlights
Polymorphisms in IGF1 associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer
172White blood cell counts predict the incidence of cancer-related mortality
172Prolonged survival in some NSCLC patients treated with palliative radiotherapy
17399mTc-DS predicts response to endocrine therapy in advanced breast cancer patients
174Successful antifungal prophylaxis for radiotherapy-induced mucositis
174Prophylactic surgery reduces risk of gynecologic cancers in women with Lynch syndrome
175Point-of-care urine protein assay to monitor bladder cancer recurrence
175Hepatitis B virus DNA levels predict risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma
175Surrogate endpoint aids treatment evaluation of invasive bladder cancer
176How effective is ferumoxtran-10 MRI in the diagnosis of lymph node metastases?
176Practice Points
Is trastuzumab active following conventional adjuvant chemotherapy in HER2-positive early breast cancer?
178What is the risk of cardiac morbidity with adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer?
180Using genetic analysis to individualize preventive measures for breast and ovarian cancers
182Factors predictive for response of follicular and mantle-cell lymphoma to rituximab
184Reviews
Chemoradiation paradigm for the treatment of lung cancer
188For the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, randomized controlled trials have shown that platinum-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy provide a measurable survival benefit compared with radiotherapy alone. Newer drugs that target growth factor receptors might further synergize with ionizing irradiation, although convincing data from multicenter phase III are currently lacking. The authors discuss why concurrent chemoradiation followed by consolidation platinum-based chemotherapy is an attractive approach for treating patients with inoperable tumors.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0461 | Full Text | PDF (191K)
Nonmetastatic renal-cell carcinoma: is it really possible to define rational guidelines for post-treatment follow-up?
200Recent advances in tumor cytogenetics and molecular biology have clarified that renal-cell carcinoma is not a single entity but comprises a variety of tumors with different histological features, genetic patterns and varying clinical course. Since many cancer molecular markers have been described, this information could help to discriminate aggressive tumors from indolent lesions. The authors describe the benefits of predictive nomograms for improving risk assessment, and discuss the prospects for individual customized follow-up protocols based on tumor molecular characteristics.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0479 | Full Text | PDF (211K)
Therapy Insight: venous-catheter-related thrombosis in cancer patients
214The use of central venous catheters (CVC) has improved the management of patients with cancer but this procedure is associated with complications such as infections and upper limb deep-vein thrombosis. This review describes the epidemiology of CVC-related thrombosis and the risk factors associated with this problem. The authors comment on the diagnosis and presentation of CVC-related thrombosis and consider how cancer patients with this complication can be appropriately managed with long-term anticoagulant therapy.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0458 | Full Text | PDF (167K)
Case Study
Extramedullary relapse of multiple myeloma presenting as hematemesis and melena
223doi:10.1038/ncponc0454 | Full Text | PDF (222K)
Article Response
Mechanisms of Disease: roles of OPG, RANKL and RANK in the pathophysiology of skeletal metastasis
E1doi:10.1038/ncponc0488 | Full Text
