Cancer chemotherapy. Its role in the treatment strategy of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors

Abstract

This book is addressed primarily to the practicing oncologist and hematologist. The first part outlines the basic principles of cancer chemotherapy. Certain aspects of cellular and molecular biology, and of tumor cell characteristics and kinetics are reviewed because they are necessary to an understanding of the mechanisms of action of cytotoxic drugs. The reader is given the experimental data on which current chemotherapy protocols are based and shown how they are applied to the clinical situation. Several chapters describe the different phases of preclinical and clinical trials and the practical aspects of treatment with cytotoxic agents. The second part of the book deals with the treatment of various hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. For each disease entity, the effectiveness of the various conventional and experimental cytotoxic agents, used singly and in various combinations, is reviewed. The authors do not claim to be without some personal bias, but every effort has been made to consider different opinions. Special recommendations are based on treatment schedules for which adequate data have been published. The need for more uniformity in terminology, staging classifications and procedures, criteria for evaluating responses, and methods for reporting results is also repeatedly emphasized.