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Cytoreductive nephrectomy has been a standard treatment for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The introduction of targeted agents has generated interest in using these drugs pre-operatively. The authors discuss the use of molecular targeted therapy and the benefits of cytoreductive nephrectomy.
Precancerous lesions of the breast have become a considerable clinical problem. It is not always possible to identify which of these lesions will progress to invasive carcinoma, and tailoring the treatment according to each individual case remains a challenge. This Review describes the genetic alterations in these types of lesions, the importance of histological examination for diagnosis, and the most appropriate surgical and radiotherapy management options.
Patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck have a poor prognosis. Cetuximab represents a clinically relevant advance in the treatment of recurrent and metastatic disease. This rationale for cetuximab as monotherapy and its use in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for recurrent and/or metastatic disease in the first-line setting is discussed.
Although the precise mechanisms by which histone deacetylase inhibitors exert their antitumor activity is not known, certain tumor types undergo a favorable response and consequently several agents have now entered clinical trials. Khan and La Thangue discuss recent developments in our understanding of the molecular events that underlie the anticancer effects of histone deacetylase inhibitors and relate this information to the emerging clinical picture for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and related malignancies.
Breast angiosarcoma following surgery and radiotherapy for breast cancer is a rare but important clinical entity. In this Review the authors discuss data collected from over 250 case reports and provide a comprehensive discussion of the incidence, etiology, histopathology, cytogenetics, presentation, diagnosis, prognosis and management of this tumor type.
Anal mucosal melanoma is a disorder with limited treatment options and is associated with a poor prognosis. The authors describe the case of a 79-year-old man who was diagnosed with stage IV anal mucosal melanoma expressing the KIT Val560Asp mutation, and was treated with surgery, radiotherapy, and a combination of sorafenib and temozolomide therapy. The authors discuss the potential therapeutic use of sorafenib in anal mucosal melanoma patients with specific mutations such as the KIT Val560Asp mutation.
