Table of contents
June 2005 Volume 2 No 6
Editorial
Viewpoint
Duration of adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer: are we overtreating our patients?
276The standard of adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer is still evolving. This is because different combinations of cytotoxic therapies, including 5-FU, oxaliplatin and irinotecan, and biologic therapies, such as bevacizumab and cetuximab, are currently being evaluated. This Viewpoint focuses on the use of shorter durations of adjuvant treatment in order to limit toxicity.
Research Highlights
Thiopurine methyltransferase genotype and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
278Link between high human papillomavirus load and invasive cervical cancer
278Bortezomib and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin: phase I trial in patients with advanced hematologic malignancies
278Biochemical failure following prostate cancer treatment
279Tamoxifen for breast cancer risk reduction: an evaluation of women's preferences
280Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in mantle-cell lymphoma
281Elevated rectal cancer risk following prostate radiation
281Social activity in infancy protects against childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
281Chemotherapy-related acute promyelocytic leukemia: role of topoisomerase II
282Do patient preferences reduce the validity of randomized trials?
283Practice Points
Does epidermal growth factor receptor status predict activity of cetuximab in colorectal cancer patients?
284Temporal trends in ovarian cancer: incidence and mortality across Europe
286Nadir CA125 concentration as a prognostic indicator in ovarian cancer
288What is the best way to manage patients treated with gefitinib for non-small-cell lung cancer?
290What are the prognostic factors for survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma?
292Does hematopoietic stem cell transplantation improve patient outcome in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia?
294Reviews
Current challenges in Wilms' tumor management
298The success of clinical trials in Wilms' tumor over the past 30 years has led to an overall survival of 85%, and treatment-related morbidity has been reduced with less aggressive chemotherapeutic regimens for patients with validated good prognostic factors, such as low stage and favorable histology. It is becoming increasingly apparent that treatment can be optimized through stratification of patients according to tumor stage and histology. This article discusses the most debated issues and advances that have been made in the management of Wilms' tumor.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0196 | Full Text | PDF (129K)
Alteration of radiotherapy fractionation and concurrent chemotherapy: a new frontier in head and neck oncology?
305The use of altered fractionation radiotherapy in conjunction with chemotherapy-enhanced radiotherapy has been investigated in an attempt to improve the prognosis of patients with advanced-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The advantages and long-term complications of this approach are described, and the importance of treatment compliance and the enhancement of local-regional control for management of patients with locally advanced HNSCC are discussed, together with approaches to optimize concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0201 | Full Text | PDF (137K)
Mechanisms of Disease: insights into the emerging role of signal transducers and activators of transcription in cancer
315Members of the signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway have recently been demonstrated to have a major role in cancer. Constitutive activation of the STAT family members Stat3 and Stat5, and/or loss of Stat1 signaling, is found in a large group of diverse tumors. STAT proteins can regulate many pathways important in oncogenesis including cell-cycle progression, apoptosis, tumor angiogenesis, and tumor-cell evasion of the immune system. This review highlights STAT signaling pathways, STAT target genes involved in cancer, evidence for STAT activation in human cancers, and therapeutic strategies to target STAT molecules for anticancer therapy.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0195 | Full Text | PDF (450K)
