Cancer Chemotherapy: an Introduction


Book Description

This book is intended as an introduction to the drug treatment of cancer. It is almost ten years since the last edition was written. In the intervening time, there have been numerous developments in cancer chemotherapy and in order to cover these the majority of the text has been completely revised and rewritten. In addition, two new chapters have been introduced, one on the safe handling of cytotoxic drugs and the other on biological response modifiers. In order to incorporate this new information without any undue increase in the length of the text the chapters on a combined approach to treatment have been omitted. This is not because interdisciplinary collaboration is no longer considered important but is a reflection of the fact that, in most centres, it has become the norm in cancer management and its central role in successful treatment no longer needs to be stressed quite so strongly. The four chapters in the last edition which dealt with the team approach to cancer therapy have been replaced by a single chapter on the place of chemotherapy in the overall treatment of cancer. Unfortunately, despite all the innovations of the last decade, it has become increasingly clear that much of the promise offered by drug treatment during the 1960s and 1970s has not been fulfilled.




Cancer Chemotherapy in Clinical Practice


Book Description

This excellent new book summarizes the whole range of systemic cancer therapies, explaining their mode of action and potential side-effects, as well as their clinical applications. It is divided into three sections. The first tackles the theoretical basis of cancer chemotherapy: following an historical introduction, the different treatment modalities are explained in the context of basic tumor biology. The text then moves on to the subject’s practical aspects and covers dosing and drug delivery together with an extensive discussion of possible side-effects. Finally, Priestman looks at chemotherapy in the management of cancers. The book has a consistency of style which makes a wealth of complex information both readily accessible and easily understandable.




Clinical Guide to Antineoplastic Therapy


Book Description

Get the latest information on antineoplastic use and patient care when you purchase your copy of the essential chemotherapy resource for cancer-care professionals. Newly updated, revised, and expanded, the third edition of the Clinical Guide to Antineoplastic Therapy: A Chemotherapy Handbook serves as an up-to-date reference for clinicians at every level from students and novices to the most seasoned nurses and other healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients receiving chemotherapy. Edited by Mary Magee Gullatte, this comprehensive guide features chapters on the fundamentals of antineoplastic therapy, commonly used regimens for specific cancers, clinical trials, reimbursement for chemotherapy, botanicals and other complementary and alternative therapies, vascular access devices, and symptom management, as well as an easy-to-use A Z guide of more than 150 chemotherapy, biotherapy, and hormonal therapy agents. New to this edition are chapters on patient navigati




Withrow and MacEwen's Small Animal Clinical Oncology


Book Description

With a unique focus on the most effective interventional techniques, Withrow & MacEwen's Small Animal Clinical Oncology, 5th Edition tells the full story of cancer in dogs and cats - what it is, how to diagnose it, and how to treat many of the most common cancers encountered in clinical practice. Nearly 500 color photographs, diagrams, x-rays, and gross views depict the clinical manifestations of various cancers. This edition covers the latest advances in clinical oncology, including chemotherapy, surgical oncology, and diagnostic techniques. With contributions from 65 veterinary oncology experts, this authoritative reference is a must-have for current, evidence-based therapeutic strategies on canine and feline oncology. "I really love this book. If you are interested in veterinary oncology, have a flick through this book online or at a conference when you get the chance. I hope that you agree with me that this is the definitive oncology reference source for the early 21st century and that you feel compelled to buy it. Your patients will thank you for it." Reviewed by: Gerry Polton MA VetMB MSc(Clin Onc) DipECVIM-CA(Onc) MRCVS, UK Date: July 2014 Cutting-edge information on the complications of cancer, pain management, and the latest treatment modalities prepares you to diagnose and treat pets with cancer rather than refer cases to a specialist. A consistent format for chapters on body system tumors includes coverage of incidence and risk factors, pathology, natural behavior of tumors, history and clinical signs, diagnostic techniques and workup, treatment options, and prognosis for specific malignancies. A systems approach to the diagnosis and management of cancer facilitates access to information about the many malignancies affecting small animal patients. Nearly 500 color images provide accurate depictions of specific diseases and procedures. Helpful drug formularies provide quick access to information on indications, toxicities, and recommended dosages for chemotherapeutic and analgesic drugs used in cancer treatment. Expert contributors provide in-depth coverage of the most current information in his or her respective specialty in veterinary oncology. Chemotherapy protocols are included when case studies prove clinical efficacy. Discussion of compassion and supportive care for the management of pain, nutritional needs, and grief includes methods for handling the pet's pain and nutritional complications as well as the pet owner's grief when treatment is not successful. Thoroughly UPDATED chapters cover the most recent changes in the clinical management of melanoma, mast cell tumors, tumors of the skeletal system, tumors of the endocrine system, tumors of the mammary gland, urinary cancers, nervous system cancers, lymphoma, and histiocytic diseases. NEW Clinical Trials and Developmental Therapeutics chapter discusses the various phases of clinical trials as well as current challenges and opportunities in oncology drug development. NEW! A focus on the best recommended treatment options highlights therapeutic strategies that have been vetted by veterinary oncology experts. NEW co-author Dr. Rodney L. Page adds his valuable perspective, expertise, and research experience.




Cancer Chemotherapy


Book Description

This textbook is a clear and accessible introduction to thescientific and clinical aspects of the creation, development andadministration of drugs or drug regimens used in the treatment ofcancer. Unique in its approach, this book enables the student togain an understanding of the pathological, physiological andmolecular processes governing malignancy, whilst also introducingthe role of health professionals and scientists in the research andtreatment of cancer. The book consolidates all the essentialinformation necessary for a full understanding of cancerchemotherapy, providing an informative, inexpensive and up-to-datecoverage of the subject aimed at an undergraduate level readership. Key Features: Incorporates numerous diagrams, tables and illustrations to aidunderstanding. Examines key pharmacological and pharmaceutical issues such asdosing, toxicity and preparation of anti-cancer drugs. Includes a key chapter of practice essay questions to easerevision. Comprehensive coverage of drugs currently in pre-clinical andclinical development. An indispensable text for undergraduate students studyingpharmacy and medicine as well as those doing courses such asmolecular biology, biomedical sciences and pharmacology which coveraspects of oncology.




Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care


Book Description

In the United States, approximately 14 million people have had cancer and more than 1.6 million new cases are diagnosed each year. However, more than a decade after the Institute of Medicine (IOM) first studied the quality of cancer care, the barriers to achieving excellent care for all cancer patients remain daunting. Care often is not patient-centered, many patients do not receive palliative care to manage their symptoms and side effects from treatment, and decisions about care often are not based on the latest scientific evidence. The cost of cancer care also is rising faster than many sectors of medicine--having increased to $125 billion in 2010 from $72 billion in 2004--and is projected to reach $173 billion by 2020. Rising costs are making cancer care less affordable for patients and their families and are creating disparities in patients' access to high-quality cancer care. There also are growing shortages of health professionals skilled in providing cancer care, and the number of adults age 65 and older--the group most susceptible to cancer--is expected to double by 2030, contributing to a 45 percent increase in the number of people developing cancer. The current care delivery system is poorly prepared to address the care needs of this population, which are complex due to altered physiology, functional and cognitive impairment, multiple coexisting diseases, increased side effects from treatment, and greater need for social support. Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care: Charting a New Course for a System in Crisis presents a conceptual framework for improving the quality of cancer care. This study proposes improvements to six interconnected components of care: (1) engaged patients; (2) an adequately staffed, trained, and coordinated workforce; (3) evidence-based care; (4) learning health care information technology (IT); (5) translation of evidence into clinical practice, quality measurement and performance improvement; and (6) accessible and affordable care. This report recommends changes across the board in these areas to improve the quality of care. Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care: Charting a New Course for a System in Crisis provides information for cancer care teams, patients and their families, researchers, quality metrics developers, and payers, as well as HHS, other federal agencies, and industry to reevaluate their current roles and responsibilities in cancer care and work together to develop a higher quality care delivery system. By working toward this shared goal, the cancer care community can improve the quality of life and outcomes for people facing a cancer diagnosis.




Palliative Care in Oncology


Book Description

Palliative care provides comprehensive support for severely affected patients with any life-limiting or life-threatening diagnosis. To do this effectively, it requires a disease-specific approach as the patients’ needs and clinical context will vary depending on the underlying diagnosis. Experts in the field of palliative care and oncology describe in detail the needs of patients with advanced cancer in comparison to those with non-cancer disease and also identify the requirements of patients with different cancer entities. Basic principles of symptom control are explained, with careful attention to therapy for pain associated with either the cancer or its treatment and to symptom-guided antineoplastic therapy. Complex therapeutic strategies for palliative cancer patients are highlighted that involve both cancer- and symptom-directed options and address a range of therapeutic aims. Issues relating to drug use in palliative cancer care are fully explored, and a separate section is devoted to care in the final phase. A range of organizational and policy issues are also discussed, and the book concludes by considering likely future developments in palliative care for cancer patients. Palliative Care in Oncology will be of particular interest to palliative care physicians who are interested in broadening the scope of their disease-specific knowledge, as well as to oncologists who wish to learn more about modern palliative care concepts relevant to their day-to-day work with cancer patients.




Introduction to Mathematical Oncology


Book Description

Introduction to Mathematical Oncology presents biologically well-motivated and mathematically tractable models that facilitate both a deep understanding of cancer biology and better cancer treatment designs. It covers the medical and biological background of the diseases, modeling issues, and existing methods and their limitations. The authors introduce mathematical and programming tools, along with analytical and numerical studies of the models. They also develop new mathematical tools and look to future improvements on dynamical models. After introducing the general theory of medicine and exploring how mathematics can be essential in its understanding, the text describes well-known, practical, and insightful mathematical models of avascular tumor growth and mathematically tractable treatment models based on ordinary differential equations. It continues the topic of avascular tumor growth in the context of partial differential equation models by incorporating the spatial structure and physiological structure, such as cell size. The book then focuses on the recent active multi-scale modeling efforts on prostate cancer growth and treatment dynamics. It also examines more mechanistically formulated models, including cell quota-based population growth models, with applications to real tumors and validation using clinical data. The remainder of the text presents abundant additional historical, biological, and medical background materials for advanced and specific treatment modeling efforts. Extensively classroom-tested in undergraduate and graduate courses, this self-contained book allows instructors to emphasize specific topics relevant to clinical cancer biology and treatment. It can be used in a variety of ways, including a single-semester undergraduate course, a more ambitious graduate course, or a full-year sequence on mathematical oncology.




Clinically Relevant Resistance in Cancer Chemotherapy


Book Description

Over the last several decades, the introduction of new chemotherapeutic drugs and drug combinations has resulted in increased long term remission rates in several important tumor types. These include childhood leukemia, adult leukemias and lymphomas, as well as testicular and trophoblastic tumors. The addition of high-dose chemotherapy with growth factor and hemopoietic stem cell support has increased clinical remission rates even further. For the majority of patients with some of the more common malignancies, however, palliation (rather than cure) is still the most realistic goal of chemotherapy for metastatic disease. The failure of chemotherapy to cure metastatic cancer is commonly referred to among clinicians as "drug resistance". This phenomenon can, however, often be viewed as the survival of malignant cells that resulted from a failure to deliver an effective drug dose to the (cellular) target because of anyone of or combination of a multitude of individual factors. Clinically, this treatment failure is often viewed as the rapid occurrence of resistance at the single cell level. However, in experimental systems, stable drug resistance is usually relatively slow to emerge.




A National Cancer Clinical Trials System for the 21st Century


Book Description

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program has played a key role in developing new and improved cancer therapies. However, the program is falling short of its potential, and the IOM recommends changes that aim to transform the Cooperative Group Program into a dynamic system that efficiently responds to emerging scientific knowledge; involves broad cooperation of stakeholders; and leverages evolving technologies to provide high-quality, practice-changing research.