Table of contents
February 2009 Volume 6 No 2
Research Highlights
PET predicts progression or relapse in patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma
60Novel gene signature predicts outcome in patients with cytogenetically normal AML
60Computer-aided detection is an alternative to double-reading mammography
60Obesity and high C-peptide levels predict worse outcome in men with prostate cancer
61Use of surrogate end points for prostate cancer-related mortality in clinical trials
61Linear mixed model helps to quantify PSA profile and predict disease progression
62Gene-expression profiles in fixed tissues correlate with survival in patients with HCC
62Circulating cancer cells predict relapse in patients with gastric cancer and CRC
63Practice Points
Which questions remain unanswered following the successful development of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma?
64doi:10.1038/ncponc1299 | Full Text | PDF (153K)
How does extended lymphadenectomy influence practical care for patients with gastric cancer?
66doi:10.1038/ncponc1300 | Full Text | PDF (150K)
Intermittent targeting as a tool to minimize toxicity of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy
68doi:10.1038/ncponc1276 | Full Text | PDF (151K)
Does pegylated interferon 
-2b confer additional benefit in the adjuvant treatment of high-risk melanoma?
70doi:10.1038/ncponc1297 | Full Text | PDF (156K)
Viewpoint
Should routine breast cancer staging include MRI?
72MRI can identify cancer foci that are not evident clinically or detected by mammography. The detection of additional cancer with MRI has been interpreted as evidence that the imaging procedure is beneficial to patients; however, the available data do not support this contention. The author of this Viewpoint discusses why the routine incorporation of MRI into the presurgical workup should not be included for the vast majority of patients with breast cancer.
doi:10.1038/ncponc1280 | Full Text | PDF (145K)
Reviews
Prophylactic and therapeutic anticoagulation for thrombosis—major issues in oncology
74Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. Treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin is the recommended first-line approach for treating cancer patients with newly diagnosed VTE. The authors of this Review discuss the optimal duration of anticoagulant therapy, treatment of recurrent VTE, the role of vena cava filters, the effects of VTE and its treatment on quality of life, and the impact of anticoagulants on survival.
doi:10.1038/ncponc1244 | Full Text | PDF (362K)
Epothilones: tubulin polymerization as a novel target for prostate cancer therapy
85Epothilones exert their cytotoxicity by stabilizing microtubules dynamics, and have demonstrated a wide range of clinical activity including important anti-tumor effects in advanced prostate cancer. Epothilones have significant activity in patients with prior taxane-treated or taxane-refractory prostate tumors. The authors of this Review summarize the preclinical and clinical data about epothilones and their role in the management of castrate metastatic prostate cancer.
doi:10.1038/ncponc1281 | Full Text | PDF (314K)
Trastuzumab as adjuvant systemic therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer
93Trastuzumab has an established role for the treatment of HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer. The authors of this review discuss the toxicity associated with trastuzumab and the issues associated with determining its optimum timing and schedule, and assert why this agent should be the standard of care in the adjuvant setting.
doi:10.1038/ncponc1298 | Full Text | PDF (416K)
Melanoma biomarkers: current status and vision for the future
105Melanoma is the leading cause of death by skin cancer in industrialized countries. Identification of tumor markers may help to define molecular pathways involved in melanoma development and progression, and identify patients with early-stage melanoma who would benefit from additional therapies. Larson et al. overview the melanoma biomarkers that are most helpful for predicting patient outcomes, and discuss the biomarkers that have demonstrated prognostic significance independent of primary tumor thickness and other common clinical prognostic indicators.
doi:10.1038/ncponc1296 | Full Text | PDF (406K)
Case Study
A case of prolonged disease-free survival in a patient with choroidal metastasis from breast cancer
118A choroidal metastasis usually presents as blurred vision or decreased visual acuity and is usually an indicator of poor outcome. The authors describe the case of a 57-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer that presented with distorted vision and decreased visual acuity in her left eye. The authors discuss the use of radiation and hormonal therapy to manage this case of choroidal metastasis from breast carcinoma.
doi:10.1038/ncponc1294 | Full Text | PDF (318K)
Article Response
Response to 'Intermittent androgen blockade should be regarded as standard therapy in prostate cancer'
E1doi:10.1038/ncponc1317 | Full Text
