Methods Of Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy, And Prognosis: General Methods And Overviews, Lung Carcinoma And Prostate Carcinoma( Volume 2 )

Cancer killed 6.7 million people around the world in 2002, and this figure is expected to rise to 10.1 million in 2020. Lung cancer has been the most common cancer in the world since 1985, and by 2002 there were 1.35 million new cases, representing 12,4% of all new cancers. It was also the most common cause of death from cancer, with 1.18 million deaths (17,6% of the world total). Lung cancer remains a highly lethal disease. After diagnosis, survival at 5 years in the United States is 15%.

This book discusses in detail all aspects of lung cancer and prostate cancer, including diagnosis using molecular genetics, various imaging modalities, and tumor markers. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, chemoradiation, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, and surgery; and prognosis. The side effects of the treatments are also pointed out. Both primary and secondary cancers, and risk of cancer survivors developing other cancers are explained. An attempt is also made to translate molecular genetics into clinical practice. Evidence-based therapy is included.

Prognostic significance of FDG uptake / PET for staging lung adenocarcinoma is pointed out. Also is detailed NSCL cancer prognosis using a TNM staging system. A variety of therapies of lung cancer with docetaxel and gefitinib are explained, including resistance to these drugs. Platinum-based chemotherapy for NSCL cancer with brain metastases is included. Occurrence of secondary primary cancer following chemoradiation for NSCL cancer is explained.

A number of methods for diagnosing lung cancer, including MRI, multidetector-row CT, and transcutaneous contrast enhanced sonography are discussed. It reviews use of differentimaging modalities for detecting several types of cancers, including recurrent cancers. Tumor gene therapy (including gene transfer) using MRI and FDG-PET also is reviewed.

Role of histology and immunohistochemistry in differentiating between pleuropulmonary desmoid tumors and solid fibrous tumors is discussed in detail. Role of gene mutations in NSCL cancer with brain metastasis is also discussed. Furthermore cancer stem cells, mutations in TP53 gene, cancer vaccines, and personalized cancer medicine are discussed.