ONCOLOGY: A Look Ahead

January 2008

Dear Readers,

This month ONCOLOGY enters its 22nd year of publication as the preeminent journal for review articles offering you relevant, practical, and indexed oncology literature. We look forward to sharing a number of important announcements and plans for the year ahead, with new clinical features developed in response to your feedback during focus groups, online surveys, and questionnaires conducted over the past year. First, however, some exciting news...

Nancy E. Davidson Appointed Co-Editor-in-Chief

It is with distinct pleasure that we announce the appointment of Nancy E. Davidson, MD, to co–Editor-in-Chief, ONCOLOGY. Dr. Davidson's reputation within the oncology community reflects her career-long dedication to achieving the highest possible medical standards. The pages of ONCOLOGY will be that much better with Dr. Davidson sharing the helm with her co–editors-in-chief and distinguished board of advisors.

Dr. Davidson is President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 2007–2008. She is Professor of Oncology and Director of the Breast Cancer Program at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, where she is also Breast Cancer Research Chair in Oncology. She holds a joint appointment in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Davidson joins an esteemed and multidisciplinary panel of experts who steer the editorial planning and direction of ONCOLOGY; she succeeds the late Martin D. Abeloff, MD, who served in this capacity from 1999 to 2007. Co–Editors-in-Chief are James O. Armitage, MD, Joe Shapiro Professor of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Nebraska Medical School, Omaha; Nora Janjan, MD, mpsa, Professor of Radiation Oncology of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; and William C. Wood, MD, Joseph Brown Whitehead Professor and Chairman, Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta.

A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Davidson completed postgraduate training at the University of Pennsylvania and the Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 1986 she was named recipient of the prestigious Young Investigator Award given by ASCO to promising investigators during their transition from a fellowship program to a faculty appointment. She then served as Guest Worker at the Medical Breast Cancer Section of the National Cancer Institute where her passion in breast cancer research was ignited. For more than 20 years since, Dr. Davidson has dedicated her career as a medical oncologist and scientist to breast cancer research, both in the laboratory and in the clinic.

Dr. Davidson's clinical research has focused on the value of chemotherapy in combination with hormonal therapy for the treatment of breast cancer in young women. She has taken a leadership role in national clinical trials and is widely published in the medical literature. In the laboratory, Dr. Davidson has worked to identify new targets for anti–breast cancer therapy.

Dr. Davidson is former Chair of the Breast Cancer Committee of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. She served as Co-Chair of the Progress Review Group on breast cancer for the National Cancer Institute and as a Board member of the American Association for Cancer Research.

ONCOLOGY offers a warm welcome to Nancy Davidson, and we salute our Editors-in-Chief, our distinguished advisory board of editors, and importantly, the more than 30,000 oncologists and other cancer specialists who receive and read ONCOLOGY every month.

Identifying Unmet Needs

Recognizing that we cannot deliver high-quality and relevant clinical information without the input of our readers, ONCOLOGY conducted a focus group in spring 2007. A panel of community oncologists was convened to identify trends in the clinic and areas where there was an unmet need for information.

This panel reinforced the importance of publishing clinical conditions seen in office practice and other practical medical issues. Of particular value seemed to be articles addressing "areas of confusion" in the clinic. These are topics that are controversial, unresolved, and problematic in the oncology community. In response, ONCOLOGY is pleased to highlight a new series started in 2007 and continuing into 2008 called Areas of Confusion in Oncology. See this month's installment by David Maloney on "What Is the Role of Maintenance Rituximab in Follicular Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma?" (page 20).

2008 Editorial Highlights

In recognizing the initiation of a new volume and a new year, ONCOLOGY is pleased to share editorial highlights that readers can look forward to throughout 2008. Watch for these special features:

January 2008: Clinical Quandaries: A case-based department featuring a novel or unusual presentation followed by discussion and expert commentary. This month's installment, on "Guillain-Barre Syndrome After Treatment With Sunitinib Malate," is by doctors at the University of Wisconsin, with expert review and commentary by Dr. Brian Rini of the Cleveland Clinic (see page 66 for the first article in this series).

April 2008: Look for two issues of ONCOLOGY in April: the second issue, available April 30, will feature the traditional lineup of review papers on management of various cancers; the first, out April 15, will focus on "Identifying Targets, Recognizing Trends, and Understanding Treatments." In this special issue, watch for review articles addressing the safety, efficacy, and clinical application of the epothilones in breast cancer; tyrosine kinase inhibitors and other targeted agents for renal cell carcinoma; antiangiogenic therapy for advanced lung cancer-bevacizumab and beyond; targeting metastatic colorectal cancer; and more.

May 2008: A tribute to the late Martin D. Abeloff featuring a collection of reviews on breast cancer written by colleagues of Dr. Abeloff and others influenced by this very special and renowned individual. Included will be essays and reviews on progress in breast cancer, professionalism and cancer care, adjuvant treatment, first-line therapy, prevention, clinical trends, and the psychological and social impact of this disease. Watch for your copy in the mail, pick up an issue at the annual ASCO meeting (visit The Oncology Group at booth 24038), or check in with ONCOLOGY online at www.cancernetwork.com.

Let Us Hear From You

We at ONCOLOGY look forward to identifying new and better ways to deliver the most essential and relevant clinical information necessary to provide optimal care for your patients with cancer.

Importantly, however, we can't do this without the input of our readers. Contact us at the e-mail addresses below to let us know what topics you would like to see reviewed and published in ONCOLOGY, and how we can better serve you.

Cara H. Glynn
Senior Editorial Director
cglynn@cmp.com

Andrew Nash
Associate Editorial Director
anash@cmp.com

and the staff of ONCOLOGY