Management of Rare Adult Tumours

Why a book dedicated to rare cancer management? Given the large variety of rare cancers,they take up a significant part of our daily practice. Therefore,we owe it to our patients with rare tumours that we use the knowledge gained in the treatment of the more common cancers to provide them with a better future. This knowledge comes from recent developments in molecular diagnostics, systemic treatments with new drugs and targeted therapies together with advanced technologies in the areas of radiology and radiation therapy. The authors have analyzed the literature and recommend treatments for rare cancers based on results from past studies.We hope that this book will be an aid to those treating rare cancer cases about which, up to now, little has been published, and will reassure our patients that they have not been forgotten.Yazid Belkacémi is Deputy Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Henri Mondor, Créteil, France. His clinical research interests include the management of breast and gynaecologic cancers, hematologic malignancies, rare tumour management and the development of new technologies in radiation oncology. His biology research topics include radiosensitivity markers in tumours and healthy tissues and combinations of targeted therapies and new drugs with ionising radiation. “As « rarity » is too often synonymous with isolation, it is hoped that this book will contribute to increasing and spreading the knowledge about rare tumours in order to better manage our patients with innovative approaches.“René-Olivier Mirimanoff is Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He is also the founder of the Rare Cancer Network. (www.rarecancer.net). His main research interests are brain tumours and rare cancers. “Rare types of cancer should no longer be considered as orphan diseases.It is time now to gather solid data to guide our medical, radiation and surgical oncology colleagues towards the best possible decisions.“Mahmut Ozsahin is Deputy Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois/University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland. His main interests are head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer and haematological malignancies with a special interest in rare tumours in these sites. His biology research topics include radiosensitivity in healthy tissues and predictive assays in radiotherapy. “As no, or very little, prospective clinical research is carried out on rare tumours, it is important to gather and communicate our findings to improve the outcome of our patients.”