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Michigan Oncology Journal Fall 97

Advancements in Clinical and Basic Science Research from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center

Contents:

From the Editor

The Evan Shapiro Case Study: Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Thyroid

Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Limb Salvage in Sarcoma Management

The Current Role of Radiotherapy in the Management of Adults with Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Biologic Therapies for the Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcomas and Desmoid Tumors

Of Interest

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Editor

Laurence H. Baker, D.O.
Deputy Director and
Director for Clinical Research
U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center

Assistant Editor

Maria McKinney White
Director
Marketing and Public Relations

Home Page:

http://www.med.umich.edu/cancer

Michigan Oncology Journal
Copyright ©1997
University of Michigan
Comprehensive Cancer Center

From the Editor

The clinical hallmark of the U-M Cancer Center is the multidisciplinary clinic. This issue of the Michigan Oncology Journal highlights the work of the multidisciplinary sarcoma clinic. In the initial article, I explain the newly developed guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) for patients with sarcomas. Unique to these guidelines is that “patients should be presented to a multidisciplinary sarcoma tumor board for evaluation prior to initiation of definitive therapy.” Acceptance of the NCCN guidelines across the country has been an outstanding development. When the sarcoma guidelines were first presented to the public in March 1997, even this somewhat controversial mandate was readily adopted by the physicians present in the audience, perhaps attesting to the often-confusing state of affairs for this rare group of tumors.In the state of Michigan, there will only be 250 to 300 new patients diagnosed with a soft tissue or bone sarcoma.

In the second article, my colleague Sybil Biermann discusses the principles of limb salvage in sarcoma management. Indeed, she points out that multidisciplinary care for extremity and limb girdle sarcomas began with the use of primary chemotherapy (sounds better than neoadjuvant), while the orthopedic oncologists fabricated custom prostheses for limb salvage and thereby avoided amputation. The radiographic images and photos illustrate modern limb salvage treatment.

Neil (Cornelius) McGinn explains the importance of radiation therapy in the management of patients with soft tissue sarcomas, especially those cancers of the extremity and limb girdle. The role of radiation therapy in sarcomas of the head and neck region, trunk and retroperitoneum are also discussed. The great attention to detail is highlighted in this article, and McGinn also emphasizes that the most important feature of care for these patients is the multidisciplinary approach.

Vern Sondak presents newly emerging biologic therapies for soft tissue sarcomas. For many years, patients and their physicians sought ways to enhance the body’s own ability to fight cancer. Given the new knowledge of modern immunology, this approach is now being explored in patients with soft tissue sarcomas.

Laurence H. Baker, D.O.

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