Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Over half of all newly-diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients can be cured with first line treatment based on the combination of rituximab with anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens. The authors of this Viewpoint discuss the use of high-dose therapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell support in patients with DLBCL who have relapsed or are refractory to first line treatment.
There is a paucity of phase III data comparing chemoradiation with radiation alone for treating invasive bladder cancer; however, an ongoing Australian trial is attempting to address this lack of data. Strategies that combine systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been explored and have yielded better local control than either modality alone. The role of systemic chemotherapy and the controversies surrounding the use of radical surgery versus chemoradiation are discussed.
Many drugs are used to treat colorectal cancer but there is little information about how predictive factors can be used to improve treatment response and reduce toxic effects related to anticancer treatment. The authors of this Review analyse the main data in this investigation field, and highlight the most important predictive factors that relate to toxic effects in patients with colorectal cancer who are treated with anticancer chemotherapy, both in adjuvant and in advanced setting.
Although many studies have investigated the associations between stress-related psychosocial factors and cancer outcomes, the results have been inconclusive. The authors of this Review use meta-analytical methods from 165 studies to determine if there is an association, and discuss the results indicating that stress-related psychosocial factors have an adverse effect on cancer incidence and survival.
Until recently, the standard of care for the treatment of glioblastoma involved surgical resection followed by radiation therapy with or without nitrosourea-based chemotherapy. In 2005, a large trial established adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy and radiotherapy as a new standard therapy. This Review summarizes new developments in the treatment of glioblastoma and speculates on possible future treatment strategies for managing this aggressive cancer.
The tumor suppressor syndrome neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is transmitted in an autosomal dominant fashion. Plotkin et al. report the case of a 48-year-old man who was diagnosed with progressive NF2-related vestibular schwannomas and received erlotinib therapy, which resulted in improved audiologic and radiographic responses. The authors discuss the potential effectiveness of targeted therapies for progressive vestibular schwannoma in NF2 patients.
