Critical reviews in oncology/hematology
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Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. · Jun 2007
ReviewQuality of life research in head and neck cancer: a review of the current state of the science.
Quality of life (QOL) has become an increasingly important outcome measure for patient's undergoing treatment for a wide array of illnesses. QOL is a global construct that reflects a patient's general sense of well being. It is by definition multi-dimensional and reflective of the patient's point of view. ⋯ This may be attributed to methodological issues in study design or the patient's ability to adapt to functional and symptom control problems. Whether routine use of QOL measures in the clinical setting is beneficial to patients has yet to be determined. Further studies are warranted as currently available instruments may not be valid for repeated clinical use.
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Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. · Apr 2007
ReviewEGFR targeting therapies: monoclonal antibodies versus tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Similarities and differences.
Current development of targeted therapy in oncology is particularly active and concerns principally two types of agents which are monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathways play a key role in the regulation of cell proliferation, survival and differentiation. ⋯ Cetuximab (Erbitux), belonging to the Mabs family, gefitinib (Iressa) and erlotinib (Tarceva), belonging to the TKIs family, are among the most advanced anti-EGFR drugs at the clinical level. The aim of this review article is to compare at both experimental and clinical levels the key points which govern the activity of these two types of targeting agents.
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Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. · Mar 2007
Adjuvant treatment recommendations in older women with breast cancer: a survey of oncologists.
Previous studies demonstrate differing treatment patterns between older and younger patients with breast cancer. To explore the reasons for these disparities we conducted a survey of 28 oncologists specializing in breast cancer. ⋯ Among these medical oncologists who primarily treat breast cancer adjuvant treatment recommendations vary based on patient age, health, and functional status. Future studies are needed to correlate age, health, and functional status with the risks and benefits of adjuvant therapy so that consensus guidelines can be formed. A more comprehensive baseline assessment of the older patient, such as can be derived from a comprehensive geriatric assessment may be useful in this regard.
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Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. · Feb 2007
Review Comparative StudyComparative activity of antiemetic drugs.
Nausea and vomiting continues to be an important problem for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) are classified as acute, occurring within the first 24h, or delayed, occurring after the first 24h. A number of antiemetic agents are available for the management of nausea and vomiting, including 5-HT3-receptor-antagonists, corticosteroids, NK-1-receptor-antagonists, dopamine-receptor antagonists, benzodiazepines, neuroleptics and cannabinoids. ⋯ The development of acute emesis is known to depend on serotonin. The pathophysiology of delayed emesis is less well understood, and multiple mechanisms may contribute, including substance P. Here, the most recent developments in the antiemetic therapy, including new antiemetic drugs and the latest guidelines for antiemetic prophylaxis, are reviewed.
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Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. · Jan 2007
ReviewGenomics and proteomics: emerging technologies in clinical cancer research.
Fueled by the complete genomic data acquired from the human genome project and the desperate clinical need of comprehensive analytical tools to study a heterogeneous disease like cancer, genomic and proteomic technologies have evolved rapidly, accelerating the rate and number of discoveries in clinical cancer research. These discoveries include mechanistic understanding of cancer biology as well as the identification of biomarkers supporting early detection, molecular classification of tumors, molecular predictors of metastasis, treatment response, and prognosis. ⋯ In this review, we will summarize the available technologies and associated bioinformatics, discuss studies that are clinically relevant, and discuss the limitations we are still facing. We will present a framework for future directions of these technologies and how we believe they should be applied in clinical studies.