Table of contents
December 2007 Volume 4 No 12
Editorial
Viewpoints
Prophylactic surgery prevents endometrial and ovarian cancer in Lynch syndrome
672Women who carry a germline mismatch-repair mutation causal to Lynch syndrome have increased risks of developing endometrial carcinoma and ovarian cancer, as well as colorectal carcinoma. This Viewpoint outlines the rationale for the use of lifesaving prophylactic gynecologic surgery in these women following childbearing, with testing and surveillance unless and until such surgery is performed.
doi:10.1038/ncponc1002 | Full Text | PDF (131K)
Unanswered questions regarding the management of sunitinib-induced hypothyroidism
674Hypothyroidism seems to be a risk of sunitinib therapy for cancer. The authors of this Viewpoint review the evidence for the occurrence of hypothyroidism in this setting and discuss possible actions of thyroid hormone replacement in the cancer patient.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0998 | Full Text | PDF (136K)
Research Highlights
EMMPRIN and survivin: prognostic factors in cisplatin-treated patients with bladder cancer
676Combined RFA and ethanol injection produces better outcomes than RFA alone in HCC
676Two-week-wait rule for breast cancer is ineffective in the UK
676Interleukin-2 induces proliferation of regulatory T cells in patients with ovarian cancer
677Androgen withdrawal improves tumor hypoxia in prostate cancer
677Infection with cagA-positive H. pylori strains is associated with gastric carcinoma risk
678Bevacizumab plus chemotherapy increases risk of arterial thromboembolism
678Stratification might be appropriate for patients with node-positive uterine cancer
679Comorbid conditions do not negate the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer
679Better survival in patients with ovarian cancer referred to gynecologic oncologists
679Minimal residual disease quantification predicts relapse in children with ALL
680Study results emphasize the importance of patient selection when offering PBI
680Practice Points
Are patients with multiple hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer candidates for surgery?
682doi:10.1038/ncponc0961 | Full Text | PDF (135K)
Can surgical staging affect the postoperative treatment and outcome of patients with endometrial cancer?
684doi:10.1038/ncponc0964 | Full Text | PDF (133K)
Does the addition of erlotinib to gemcitabine improve outcome in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer?
686doi:10.1038/ncponc0960 | Full Text | PDF (133K)
How can fractionated radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery be used for pituitary adenomas?
688doi:10.1038/ncponc0980 | Full Text | PDF (136K)
Is cetuximab active in patients with cisplatin-refractory squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck?
690doi:10.1038/ncponc0962 | Full Text | PDF (134K)
Reviews
Active surveillance for favorable-risk prostate cancer: who, how and why?
692Active surveillance for favorable-risk prostate cancer has become increasingly popular in populations in which prostate cancer screening is widespread because of evidence that screening results in the detection of disease that is not clinically significant in many patients. This Review discusses the results of active surveillance, the criteria for patient selection and the appropriate thresholds for intervention.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0966 | Full Text | PDF (264K)
Tumor dormancy and surgery-driven interruption of dormancy in breast cancer: learning from failures
699Primary tumor removal is usually considered as intrinsically beneficial, but this can perturb metastatic homeostasis and, for some patients, results in the acceleration of metastatic cancer. This Review analyzes the recent evolution of two paradigms related to the development of breast cancer metastases, and discusses the limitations of these paradigms in terms of how they explain breast cancer recurrence dynamics for patients undergoing surgery with or without adjuvant chemotherapy.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0999 | Full Text | PDF (474K)
Bisphosphonates and osteomyelitis of the jaw: a pathogenic puzzle
711The pathogenic relationship between bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis of the jaw is unclear, but there is evidence to indicate an association between high-dose bisphosphonate treatment and exposure to dental infections and oral surgical procedures. The authors of this Review highlight that a better knowledge of the interactions between these agents and of the jaw and maxillary bone biology will improve clinical and therapeutic approaches to osteonecrosis of the jaw.
doi:10.1038/ncponc1000 | Full Text | PDF (499K)
Case Studies
Sustained ventricular tachycardia in a thalidomide-treated patient with primary plasma-cell leukemia
722Patients with primary plasma-cell leukemia (PCL) are usually treated with regimens used for multiple myeloma because no official guidelines exist for the treatment of PCL. Ballanti et al. discuss the case of a 68-year-old man with primary PCL who developed sustained ventricular tachycardia that was thought to be caused by thalidomide. The authors emphasize the need for complete cardiac evaluation and clinical monitoring of patients undergoing thalidomide treatment.
doi:10.1038/ncponc1008 | Full Text | PDF (283K)
Extensive tubercular neck lymphadenopathy in a man with early-stage tongue cancer
726Tubercular lymphadenitis of the cervical lymph nodes can be easily confused with node metastases. Chaturvedi et al. present the case of a 66-year-old man who was diagnosed with tongue carcinoma. PET–CT imaging suggested extensive neck-node metastases but frozen sections revealed tuberculosis of the neck nodes. The patient underwent surgery and received multidrug antitubercular therapy. The need for cautious interpretation of PET–CT reports, especially in tuberculosis-endemic areas, is discussed.
doi:10.1038/ncponc0981 | Full Text | PDF (238K)
