Multimodal Therapy Of Upper Gastrointestinal Malignancies

Recent decades have seen remarkable advances in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal malignancies, i.e., adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma as well as gastrointestinal stromal and other rare tumors of the esophagus and stomach. While, historically, surgical resection has been the sole treatment for these tumors, multimodal therapies have meanwhile proven their efficacy. At present, pre- and postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and stage-specific surgical approaches are all indispensable cornerstones of an individualized treatment for upper gastrointestinal malignancies. With such multimodal treatment, better outcomes comprising improved quality of life and prolonged survival have been achieved for patients. However, for many tumor entities and stages, the ideal combination and sequence of treatments is still being evaluated in clinical trials. Moreover, the value of novel approaches such as immunotherapy or robotic surgery remains a matter of research. In this Special Issue of Cancers, up-to-date original research, short communications, and comprehensive review articles on all modalities playing a role in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal malignancies have been published.

Recent decades have seen remarkable advances in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal malignancies, i.e., adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma as well as gastrointestinal stromal and other rare tumors of the esophagus and stomach. While, historically, surgical resection has been the sole treatment for these tumors, multimodal therapies have meanwhile proven their efficacy. At present, pre- and postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and stage-specific surgical approaches are all indispensable cornerstones of an individualized treatment for upper gastrointestinal malignancies. With such multimodal treatment, better outcomes comprising improved quality of life and prolonged survival have been achieved for patients. However, for many tumor entities and stages, the ideal combination and sequence of treatments is still being evaluated in clinical trials. Moreover, the value of novel approaches such as immunotherapy or robotic surgery remains a matter of research. In this Special Issue of Cancers, up-to-date original research, short communications, and comprehensive review articles on all modalities playing a role in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal malignancies have been published.

Multimodal Therapies for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers - Past, Now, and Future.

Recent clinical trials of adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer in Japan have shown improved survival benefits, but the results have been considered controversial and have been viewed with some skepticism in the West. Until now, the efforts of Japanese surgical oncologists in multimodality therapy have not been fully understood because they have not been adequately reported in English. This volume now presents the experience and expertise of Japanese surgeons who utilize preoperative or intraoperative chemotherapy, or a combination of systemic and regional chemotherapy. Their collected work provides valuable insight in the Japanese perspective and success in treating gastric cancer. Included in the appendix is an extensive tabular analysis of the gastric cancer database at the Cancer Institute Hospital of Tokyo. Probably the largest such database in the world from a single institution, the analyses present the state of the art in treatment of gastric cancer.

Although there has been a slow but steady decrease in incidence, gastric cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Several aspects of the oncological and surgical management are still controversial and so gastric cancer represents a challenge for the surgeon. This book aims to delineate the state of the art in the surgical and oncological treatment of gastric cancer, describing the new TNM staging system, the extent of visceral resection and lymphadenectomy focusing on the different open and minimally invasive surgical techniques and discussing intraoperative chemohyperthermia and neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment. Operative endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography are also discussed, as these now have an important role in both diagnostic work-up and palliative care of gastric cancer patients. Only a multidisciplinary approach involving the surgeon, gastroenterologist, and oncologist can produce the comprehensive and integrated overview that today constitutes a winning strategy for the optimization of results.What we hope we have achieved is a flexible, up-to-date, exhaustive publication, rich in illustrations and consistent with evidence-based medicine.

This issue of Hematology/Oncology Clinics will focus on Upper Gastrointestinal Malignancies; specifically, articles on the following: Epidemiology / Genetics, H. pylori and the gastric microbiome in gastric cancer carcinogenesis; Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer; Tumor Staging; Localized disease; Metastatic Disease; Immunotherapy Antiangiogenic therapy; and many more!

Malignancies of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract, An Issue of Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America

Principles and Practice of Surgical Oncology uniquely emphasizes a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to the treatment of solid tumors. It presents treatment strategies that combine surgery with preoperative or postoperative adjunctive chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and/or radiation therapy to achieve optimal outcome. The book features contributions from surgeons, basic scientists, pathologists, radiologists, radiation therapists, and medical oncologists and offers a comprehensive presentation of genetics, molecular biology, pathogenesis, and multimodal therapeutic approaches. A unique feature of the book is a commentary following each chapter, which describes alternative approaches and discusses controversial areas of current therapy. A companion Website will offer the fully searchable text with images.

Collectively, cancer of the esophagus, stomach and small intestine represent the second most common site and cause of death amongst the digestive system cancers. These disparate malignancies have one thing in common: consistently effective treatment remains elusive. This book is a comprehensive guide to diagnosis, management, and post-treatment care. Epidemiologic factors, molecular and biologic determinants, diagnostic/staging methods and treatment modalities are described for each organ site. The text is thoroughly supported by color illustrations, a key feature of the American Cancer Society Atlas of Clinical Oncology series. The expert contributors from medical, surgical and radiation oncology examine the advances in imaging, interventional gastroenterology, surgical technique, and combined modality therapy and discuss their impact in the management of this challenging group of cancers.