In the last few years the use of medical imaging has increased exponentially in routine clinical practice. This has been reflected in a rapidly increasing use of medical imaging in clinical trials, through all phases. More recently this has culminated in a number of inter-disciplinary meetings with the various stake holders, including the FDA. Changes in the regulatory process has resulted, when it comes to the submission of data to the FDA, in a therapeutic agent where one or more of the trial end-points is the assessment of a radiological end-point. No longer is it sufficient to have the images read by the local investigator site. The FDA has also identified Medical Imaging as one of the key 6 points in the Critical Path initiative which was launched in 2004. This puts a keen focus on the role of imaging and the need to clearly identify and understand this aspect of clinical trials. As the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industry continues to identify ways to improve and speed up product development, medical imaging plays a more significant role. An understanding of the methodology and the metrics is therefore required but difficult to ascertain in one easy to read volume for individuals entering this field. This book will therefore fulfill this void, be it for the pharmaceutical personnel from medical director to monitor, or the Principal Investigator who is having to understand the complexities of the imaging and why it is having to be sent off-site for a 'central read.'

This encyclopedia will define the issues that surround cancer and its effects on society.

Medical centers are widely recognized as vital components of the healthcare system. However, academic medical centers are differentiated from their community counterparts by their mission, which typically focuses on clinical care, education, and research. Nonetheless, community clinics/hospitals fill a critical need and play a complementary role serving as the primary sites for health care in most communities. Furthermore, it is now increasingly recognized that in addition to physicians, physician-scientists, and other healthcare-related professionals, basic research scientists also contribute significantly to the emerging inter- and cross-disciplinary, team-oriented culture of translational science. Therefore, approaches that combine the knowledge, skills, experience, expertise, and visions of clinicians in academic medical centers and their affiliated community centers and hospitals, together with basic research scientists, are critical in shaping the emerging culture of translational research so that patients from the urban as well as suburban settings can avail the benefits of the latest developments in science and medicine. ‘Integrating Clinical and Translational Research Networks—Building Team Medicine’ is an embodiment of this ethos at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. It includes a series of papers authored by teams of leading clinicians, basic research scientists, and translational researchers. The authors discuss how engaging and collaborating with community-based practices, where the majority of older patients with cancer receive their care, can ensure that these patients receive the highest-quality, evidence-based care. Based on our collective experience at City of Hope, we would like to stress that the success of academic-community collaborative programs not only depends on the goodwill and vision of the participants but also on the medical administration, academic leadership, and policymakers who define the principles and rules by which cooperation within the health care industry occurs. We trust that our experience embodied in this singular compendium will serve as a ‘Rosetta Stone’ for other institutions and practitioners.

A unique reference manual for academic surgeons, this book discusses every facet of surgical research. From getting grant money to choosing a topic, reviewing the literature, planning and conducting research, and reporting results.

Technologies collectively called omics enable simultaneous measurement of an enormous number of biomolecules; for example, genomics investigates thousands of DNA sequences, and proteomics examines large numbers of proteins. Scientists are using these technologies to develop innovative tests to detect disease and to predict a patient's likelihood of responding to specific drugs. Following a recent case involving premature use of omics-based tests in cancer clinical trials at Duke University, the NCI requested that the IOM establish a committee to recommend ways to strengthen omics-based test development and evaluation. This report identifies best practices to enhance development, evaluation, and translation of omics-based tests while simultaneously reinforcing steps to ensure that these tests are appropriately assessed for scientific validity before they are used to guide patient treatment in clinical trials.

This textbook discusses core principles and practices in gastrointestinal oncology and covers a wide range of practice areas such as pathology and radiologic images, epidemiology, genetics, staging, multidisciplinary management of specific gastrointestinal cancer, and pathology for each primary tumor site. The comprehensive coverage makes Textbook of Gastrointestinal Oncology a useful resource for the practitioner wishing to gain a greater understanding of the principles of managing malignant gastrointestinal disease, as well as medical oncology fellows, surgeons, radiation oncologists, gastroenterologists and fellows, and residents.

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.

Handbook of Gastrointestinal Cancers is a practical guide to the management of colorectal, pancreatic, hepatocellular, gastric, and esophageal cancers as well as other cancers of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. Edited by a multidisciplinary group of oncologists from leading institutions, this book is an essential day-to-day reference for evidence-based treatment and patient care. The handbook focuses on treatment strategies and approaches to cancerous gastrointestinal tumors that are transforming the recent oncological landscape, including expert-given guidance on methods such as neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy, surgical transplant, radiation therapy, molecular diagnostic testing leading to molecularly targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. With so many advances in the current field, it is increasingly difficult for early-career practitioners to grasp the entirety of practices and for seasoned oncologists to keep up with newly approved therapies, side effects to treatments, and special clinical management considerations, but this handbook addresses it all. Organized by major gastrointestinal disease sites and featuring “How I Treat” case vignettes from world experts for common and uncommon management considerations, the handbook brings an experience-based perspective to these tough-to-treat areas. The treatment strategies and applications set forth in the chapters are pertinent to situations and decision-making encountered in practice. Handbook of Gastrointestinal Cancers is a valuable resource for medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and surgeons treating and managing gastrointestinal cancers as well as trainees in medical, radiation, and surgical oncology programs needing an accessible point of care resource. KEY FEATURES: Provides treatment plans and recommendations for each stage of a range of gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal, pancreatic, and hepatocellular cancers plus more Includes “How I Treat” patient vignettes told from the physician’s point of view within each clinical chapter Outlines special considerations for the elderly and for survivors of gastrointestinal cancers Highlights important clinical guidance on nutritional and palliative concerns commonly seen in patients with gastrointestinal cancers