Highlights in gastrointestinal oncology (Falk symposium, Vol. 149)

Cancers of the digestive tract account for a large portion of all malignancies and colorectal cancer (CRC), the most common digestive tract cancer, is the second leading cause of cancer death in the Western world. Although a number of advances have been made in understanding the pathogenesis of the diseases and in developing new treatments, in particular for CRC, patients the mortality of GI cancers is still considerably high. Recent trends in medical and surgical oncology, gastroenterology and molecular pathology are of considerable interest in dealing with this problem. New models for the carcinogenesis of oesophageal cancer have been developed, potentially leading to new chemopreventive strategies for the disease, Helicobacter pylori has been identified as the leading cause of gastric lymphomatous as well as epithelial malignancies, alternative molecular pathways of colon cancer development have been identified and above all novel treatments have been found which target specific molecular alterations of malignant cells and thus significantly improve overall survival of GI cancer patients. This book, the proceedings of the Falk Symposium No. 149 on "Highlights in Gastrointestinal Oncology", held in Berlin, Germany, on 1--2 October 2005, provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in GI oncology. The outstanding contributions of world-leading experts in the various fields achieves an up-to-date analysis of the scientific data and also provides immediate applications for day-to-day clinical work. It is hoped that through a better understanding of the molecular alterations which lead to GI cancers, partly through using sophisticated new laboratory techniques, we will be able to identify novel targets for prevention and treatment of the diseases. Among the various highlights of the book are chapters on animal models for GI cancers, on statistical models to compute polyp recurrence after polypectomies, and concepts for improving public awareness for GI cancers as well as basic science concepts about to enter clinical use.

SECTION I: OESOPHAGEAL CANCER: AETIOLOGY, SCREENING AND TREATMENT.- 1. State-of-the art lecture: Of mice and men: mouse models for colon carcinogenesis.- 2. Surgical strategies in oesophageal cancer.- 3. Neoadjuvant therapy of oesophageal carcinoma and carcinoma of the gastro-oesophageal junction.- SECTION II: GASTRIC CANCER STANDARD AND NOVEL THERAPIES.- 4. Helicobacter pylori and risk of gastric cancer and lymphoma.- SECTION III: COLORECTAL CANCER: THE CONTROVERSY OF POLYP DEVELOPMENT ? BEYOND APC?.- 5. State-of the ?Art lecture: The Wnt pathway in tumorigenesis.- 6. Role of transforming growth factor beta and Wnt signalling pathways in colon cancer.- 7. Beyond the adenomatous polyposis coli era: alternative pathways to colorectal cancer.- 8. The molecular regulation of the malignant progression of human colorectal cancer.- SECTION IV: COLORECTAL CANCER: NEW SCREENING STRATEGIES FOR THE NEW MILLENIUM.- 9. Impact of the national polyp study.- 10. Colorectal cancer screening cost-effectiveness and adverse events.- 11. Detecting dysplasias in ulcerative colitis.- SECTION V: COLORECTAL CANCER : PREVENTION.- 12. A statistical model for post-polypectomy surveillance: a virtual alternative to virtual colonoscopy?- 13. Differential signalling pathways of tumour-promoting and tumour-inhibiting bile acids in colonic carcinogenesis.- SECTION VI: COLORECTAL CANCER : PREDICTIVE MARKERS ? GENE PROFILING.- State-of-the-art lecture: A gene expression signature to predict recurrrence of Dukes? B colon cancer.- 15. Chromosomal deletions as predictors for recurrence of early stage colorectal cancer.- SECTION VII: COLORECTAL CANCER : INTERDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT.- 16. Resection or local abiation of colorectal cancer metastasis to the liver ? pro and con.- 17. Radiation therapy for rectal cancer: neoadjuvant or adjuvant?- Index.