This issue of Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America, devoted to Colorectal Cancer, is edited by Dr. Leonard B. Saltz. Articles in this issue include: Diet and Lifestyle Influences on Colorectal Cancer; Diagnosis and Management of Germline and Somatic Mutations in Mismatch Repair-deficient Colorectal Cancer; Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Stage II, III, and Resected Stage IV Colon Cancer; Predictive and Prognostic Markers in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer; Surgical Management of Hepatic Metastases of Colorectal Cancer; Combination Therapies in Colorectal Cancer Treatment; A Critical Look at Management of Peritoneal Metastases of Colorectal Cancer; Non-surgical Management of Rectal Cancer; and Ablative Therapies for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Recent advances in the understanding of the biology of colorectal cancer have radically transformed the treatment options available to clinicians, leaving textbooks written only two years ago completely out of date. This evidence-based and data-driven guide presents reviews of cutting-edge therapies for colorectal cancer, all articulated by leading experts in the field. This integrated and focused consideration of colorectal management includes reviews of cytotoxic chemotherapy, targeted biologic therapies, as well as updates on adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer and combined modality management of rectal cancers. Attention is also focussed on the role of potentially curative multi-modality management of liver metastases, with considerations of the role of liver resection and discussions of non-surgical ablative therapies. Supportive issues are also considered, including contributions from experts in pain management and oncology nursing. The reviews presented here are concise, up-to-date, and are organized with the treating practitioner in mind.
Opening chapters outline contemporary thinking on the biology of colorectal cancer, and methods of possible prevention utilizing chemoprevention and screening. Subsequent chapters present cutting-edge uses of cytotoxic chemotherapy and review the potential for incorporating innovative biological therapy. Ample consideration is given to practical issues related to colorectal chemotherapy, specifically radiological evaluation of colorectal cancer treatment and supporting patients through chemotherapy, including pain management. The concluding chapter is devoted to the exploration of and implications of emerging new drug paradigms andtheir potential impact on colorectal cancer treatment. This unique text offers the practitioner a concise, authoritative reference, so that recent advancements and understanding may be digested, disseminated, and rapidly applied to the treatment of the colorectal cancer patient.

The rapid growth in the number of options available for the management of colorectal cancer presents the clinician with new opportunities and new complexities. An explosion of understanding in the basic science that underlies both the disease and its potential therapies has translated into remarkable technological advances that can now be applied. So many specialties and subspecialties have now been brought to bear that it is appropriate to attempt to bring the expertise from these areas together in one volume, so that practitioners in one aspect of colorectal cancer management can maintain knowledge and expertise regarding the capabilities of other colleagues working in this disease. Colo rectal Cancer: Multimodality Management provides a concise, focused, and current review of the methodological and technological advances that have recently occurred in the management of colorectal cancer. The book has been divided into six basic parts. The first part, dealing with epidemiology and prevention, focuses on the molecular genetic events that occur in the development of colorectal cancer, as well as on our understanding of dietary and environmental factors, and possible strategies for prevention. Part II focuses on both diagnos tic and therapeutic radiology in the management of colorectal cancer, dealing with innumer able advances in imaging, and with the progress in the science and art of radiation therapy. The third section deals with the surgical aspects of management of colorectal cancer, starting with surgical pathology.

The rapid growth in the number of options available for the management of colorectal cancer presents the clinician with new opportunities and new complexities. An explosion of understanding in the basic science that underlies both the disease and its potential therapies has translated into remarkable technological advances that can now be applied. So many specialties and subspecialties have now been brought to bear that it is appropriate to attempt to bring the expertise from these areas together in one volume, so that practitioners in one aspect of colorectal cancer management can maintain knowledge and expertise regarding the capabilities of other colleagues working in this disease. Colo rectal Cancer: Multimodality Management provides a concise, focused, and current review of the methodological and technological advances that have recently occurred in the management of colorectal cancer. The book has been divided into six basic parts. The first part, dealing with epidemiology and prevention, focuses on the molecular genetic events that occur in the development of colorectal cancer, as well as on our understanding of dietary and environmental factors, and possible strategies for prevention. Part II focuses on both diagnos tic and therapeutic radiology in the management of colorectal cancer, dealing with innumer able advances in imaging, and with the progress in the science and art of radiation therapy. The third section deals with the surgical aspects of management of colorectal cancer, starting with surgical pathology.

Management options for patients with colorectal cancer have undergone d- matic changes over the past decade. Whereas at the start of 1996 only one drug, 5-Fluorouracil, was available for the treatment of this disease, a mere 10 yr later, six drugs are licensed for use in colorectal cancer, and others are in the late phases of clinical development. Likewise, surgical and ablative options, as well as an array of supportive medications, have shown substantial progress and undergone a dramatic proliferation over the past decade. With the increased number of therapeutic options from which to choose, the clinician is better able to offer effective therapy to the patient with colorectal cancer. The clinician is challenged, however, to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape and the rapidly emerging data that shape the options for treatment today and tom- row. In this text, leaders in the management of colorectal cancer review the current literature that has led us to where we are today. Critical evaluations of the data are offered, and evidence-based recommendations are made.