Net Guides: Gastrointestinal Cancers

//BOOK

Principles and Practice of Gastrointestinal Oncology —Second Edition

Editors: Kelsen DP, Daly JM, Kern SE, Levin B, Tepper J

Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

ISBN-13: 9780781776172

ISBN: 0781776171

This textbook covers interdisciplinary aspects of the characteristics and management of gastrointestinal cancers. Topics include the molecular biology, diagnosis, pathology, surgical and radiation treatment, and palliative care for these cancers. There are also chapters on radiation oncology, cancer genetics, and medical oncology, as well as esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, hepatocellular, biliary tree, and colorectal cancers. Another section focuses on uncommon cancers, such as neuroendocrine tumors and small-bowel cancers. For each cancer site, the book covers the disease’s epidemiology, screening, prevention, molecular biology, genetics, pathology, anatomy, staging, and clinical management. This textbook serves as a useful reference for anyone involved in the research or management of gastrointestinal cancers.

http://bit.ly/dVwjf9

//THE EDUCATED PATIENT®

Liver Cancer Network

The Liver Cancer Network (LCN) is a Website that is part of the Allegheny General Hospital Liver Program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which is dedicated to treating liver cancer and educating patients with liver cancer and their loved ones. The information is divided into 3 major areas: general liver cancer information, diagnosis, and treatments. The general information section focuses on 3 topics. The first is how the liver works, and it gives brief summaries of the liver, its anatomy, its digestive function, and its circulatory function. The next topic covers liver cancer itself, and it offers an explanation of cancer in general, liver cancer specifically, carcinogenesis, and cancer growth. The final topic in this section deals with the symptoms and detection of liver cancer. A number of colored diagrams and illustrations accompany the information. All sections contain underlined terms that are linked directly to their definitions in the LCN’s glossary. The section on diagnosis explains liver cancer staging and the various tests used to diagnose and stage liver cancer, including physical exams, blood tests, chest x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, CT angiograms, ultrasounds, magnetic resonance imaging, colonoscopy, laparoscopy, and liver biopsy. Several examples of imaging techniques are included. The final section discusses treatments for liver cancer, specifically surgery, chemotherapy, chemoembolization, radiation therapy, radiofrequency ablation, and liver transplantation. A page on yttrium-90 internal radiation is under development. This section also features photographs and diagrams.

www.livercancer.com/index.html

//ONLINE CME

Expert Perspectives: GI Cancers Update, 2010

Credits: 1.25

Fee: None

Expires: August 20, 2011

This CME activity features a panel of experts discussing the results of the latest clinical trials concerning gastrointestinal cancers. The discussion is shown via a Webcast with audio that is accompanied by a slideshow containing charts and key points that are being discussed. These slides may be downloaded separately. The gastrointestinal malignancies focused on in this CME are pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and gastric and esophageal cancer. For each disease, the speakers highlight findings from recent clinical trials presented at the 2010 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2010 Annual Meeting, and discuss how those findings likely will impact clinical management of the disease in the future. After completing this activity, participants will be able to summarize data from the symposium and ASCO meeting, describe the results of clinical studies testing emerging therapies for pancreatic and hepatocellular cancer, the role of biomarkers in selecting therapies for patients with colorectal cancer, and new biologic therapies and cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens being tested for colorectal cancer. Participants will also be made aware of new surgical and pharmacologic approaches to the treatment of gastroesophageal cancers, as well as how genetic and molecular markers may be used in those treatment methods.

www.medscape.org/viewarticle/726529

//eABSTRACT

Laparoscopy-Assisted Gastrectomy in Patients With Previous Endoscopic Resection for Early Gastric Cancer

Journal: British Journal of Surgery

Authors: Jiang X, Hiki N, Yoshiba H, et al

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to determine whether endoscopic resection in patients with early gastric cancer has an impact on subsequent laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LAG), and what that impact might be. The study included 711 patients who underwent LAG, 111 of whom had previously undergone endoscopic resection. The researchers then compared patient characteristics, operative outcomes, and postoperative outcomes between the 2 groups. They also analyzed risk factors associated with postoperative complications. Results: There were no significant differences in procedure duration or blood loss between the 2 groups. The group that had previously undergone endoscopic resection had fewer dissected lymph nodes and a lower rate of preservation of the celiac branch of the vagus nerve, especially in patients who underwent LAG within 2 months following endoscopic resection. The study found no significant differences in early postoperative outcomes, including complications, gastrointestinal recovery, and postoperative hospital stay length. The researchers concluded that LAG may be safely performed in patients who have already undergone endoscopic resection, though it may make the LAG procedure more difficult. They also concluded that it has little influence on early postoperative outcome.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21254013

//CLINICAL TRIAL

RAD001 and AV-951 in Patients With Refractory, Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Study Type: Interventional

Age/Sex Requirements: ≥18 years (None)

Sponsor: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01058655

Purpose: This clinical trial will test the use of 2 antiangiogenic agents in the treatment of metastatic or refractory colorectal cancer. The agents being tested are AV-951, a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, and RAD001, an mTOR inhibitor. The primary outcome measures of the test are the safety, tolerability, and maximally tolerated dose of RAD001 and AV-951 in combination, as well as the progression-free survival at the maximally tolerated dose. Secondary outcome measures include overall survival and tumor response rate.

http://bit.ly/dHrb17