Ebook: Therapy for Genitourinary Cancer

Where do you begin to look for a recent, authoritative article on the diag­ nosis or management of a particular malignancy? The few general oncology textbooks are generally out of date. Single papers in specialized journals are informative but seldom comprehensive; these are more often preliminary reports on a very limited number of patients. Certain general journals frequently publish good in-depth reviews of cancer topics, and published symposium lectures are often the best overviews available. Unfortunately, these reviews and supplements appear sporadically, and the reader can never be sure when a topic of special interest will be covered. Cancer Treatment and Research is a series of authoritative volumes that aim to meet this need. It is an attempt to establish a critical mass of oncology literature covering virtually all oncology topics, revised frequently to keep the coverage up to date, and easily available on a single library shelf or by a single personal subscription. We have approached the problem in the following fashion: first, by dividing the oncology literature into specific subdivisions, such as lung cancer, genitourinary cancer, pediatric oncology, etc.; and second, by asking eminent authorities in each of these areas to edit a volume on the specific topic on an annual or biannual basis. Each topic and tumor type is covered in a volume appearing frequently and predictably, discussing current diag­ nosis, staging, markers, all forms of treatment modalities, basic biology, and more.

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The ultimate objective of therapy for genitourinary malignancies is cure without any adverse effect on quality of life. Therapy forGenitourinary Cancer addresses modifications of standard surgical procedures that purport to decrease the morbidity of therapy for testis cancer and renal cell carcinoma without compromising cure. The rationale for decreasing the extent of surgical extirpation for bladder cancer and rhabdomyosarcoma is also summarized.
The ability to limit the extent of therapy depends upon the ability to predict the metastatic potential of the primary tumor. The application of cell motility and of DNA ploidy to predict the metastatic potential of prostate cancer are presented. Since little progress has been made to enhance survival rates for prostate cancer, more aggressive treatment regimens are presently being advocated. In this volume, the roles of adjuvant radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy, and complete androgen suppression for metastatic prostate cancer are reviewed as well as the preliminary experiences with suramin, and the implications of combining tumor necrosis factor and chemotherapeutic drugs. The use of bladder substitution with intestinal segments has enhanced the quality of life following pelvic exerterative surgery; the development of carcinoma in these intestinal bladders is discussed.
Therapy for Genitourinary Cancer reflects the commitment of clinicians and basic scientists to enhance the effectiveness of therapy for genitourinary malignancies. It is hoped that the innovative approaches to treatment presented in this volume will gain clinical acceptance and improve our ability to cure these tumors.