Gregory A. Masters, MD

A comprehensive textbook on clinical oncology should have broad appeal to readers from various disciplines, including educators, clinicians, and scientists working with cancer patients. Students of the medical disciplines must also have a reference textbook to guide them in their educational exploration, whether they are in the field of medicine itself or in complementary areas. We look to comprehensive textbooks not only to provide us with the latest updates in different disease entities, but also to guide us by choosing the most relevant areas of study and investigation. The editors who compiled this textbook have met these challenges, while maintaining a readability that is suitable for various levels of expertise and comprehension

Chemotherapy has been shown to prolong survival in patients with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, traditional cisplatin (Platinol)-containing regimens are associated with significant toxicity.

Newer chemotherapy drugs have shown encouraging activity in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Based on these improved outcomes, as well as the high rate of distant relapse in patients with locally advanced disease, several recent studies have evaluated the use of systemic therapy in patients with earlier-stage disease.

Data from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Groupand Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group indicate that increased survival