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The incidence of breast cancer in the US dropped sharply between 2002 and 2003. In this Viewpoint, the author discusses two theories to account for this observation: the decrease in use of hormone-replacement therapy and a decline in the US screening mammography rates.
Specific biological markers that reliably predict unfavorable outcome during first-line treatment for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma are lacking. Recent analyses have shown that differences in hematotoxicity exist among male and female Hodgkin lymphoma patients, with a better prognosis observed in female patients. Klimm and Engert discuss the reasons for these differences in hematotoxicity and how these differences relate to patient outcome.
Cardiotoxicity is a rare but serious complication of the management of breast cancer, and adjuvant trastuzumab after anthracycline chemotherapy increases congestive heart failure risk. The authors review the efficacy of trastuzumab, its potential for cardiac compromise, and its interaction with anthracyclines. The biological mechanisms that might be responsible for cardiotoxicity are highlighted, and the clinical strategies used to minimize the risk of developing cardiac failure are discussed.
Cancer stem cells often represent a minor, highly self-renewing population within the tumor mass and are thought to be the only cells required for both initiation and maintenance of disease. The biology of cancer stem cells, the mechanisms of therapy resistance, and potential future therapeutic interventions in the clinical setting are discussed.
Although cancer is a preventable disease, few medical interventions are completely without risk or adverse effects. It is critical to establish a framework to determine when interventions show sufficient promise of efficacy and sufficient safety to justify their testing in clinical trials. This Review identifies the issues that are critical for decision making and provides a framework that can be applied in making these decisions.
Proteus syndrome is a rare hamartoma syndrome that is characterized by the presence of germlinePTEN mutations and causes benign and malignant tumors. Marsh et al. report the case of a 16-month boy who was diagnosed with Proteus syndrome, and was managed with oral rapamycin. On the basis of this patient's promising outcome, the authors discuss the rationale for rapamycin therapy for patients with disorders within the PTENhamartoma tumor syndrome spectrum.
