Updates in Advances in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer remains a major cause of cancer deaths throughout the world. It is an extremely lethal neoplasm: 80-90% of patients who develop lung cancer will die of their disease. The purpose of this book is to update cancer specialists, pulmonary physicians, thoracic surgeons and general practitioners about the many recent advances in the treatment, prevention and biology of lung cancer. Despite the overall poor prognosis for patients, a number of new chemotherapeutic drugs and regimens have been developed which result in a clinically meaningful improvement in survival for patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma. Four chapters in this book are devoted to reviewing these new drugs and drug combinations (paclitaxel, docetaxel, vinorelbine, gemcitabine, topoisomerase inhibitors). Advances in the management of locally advanced nonsmall cell and small cell lung cancer are considered, including combined-modality treatments using chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. Results of recent trials involving chemoprevention agents are also reported. Finally, the latest progress in understanding the molecular biology of this disease, and how it might impact on the clinical management of lung cancer patients, is discussed.