Treatment of thoracic malignancy - results of meta-analyses
Wednesday, December 14th, 2005.
Revue des Maladies Respiratoire. 2005 Dec;22(6-C2):81-89. [Link]
Sculier JP.
Service des Soins Intensifs & Oncologie Thoracique, Institut Jules Bordet, Bruxelles, Belgique.
Abstract
Meta-analyses dealing with the treatment of thoracic malignancy (non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma) were reviewed including isolated ones, based on individual data from clinical trials, or conducted in the context of a systematic review of the literature Their results have changed clinical practice, notably by validating radiochemotherapy for patients with unresectable limited diseases, adjuvant chemotherapy for resectable non-small cell lung cancer and by identifying the most active drugs. However it is important to understand the limits of their methodology in order to avoid inappropriate interpretations.
Glossary
- DES
- abbreviation for diethylstilbestrola (die-eth-l-steh-BES-ter-ol), synthetic form of estrogen.
- chemotherapy
- (key-mo-THER-uh-pee) treatment with drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often used with surgery or radiation to treat cancer when the cancer has spread, when it has come back (recurred), or when there is a strong chance that it could recur.
- cell
- the basic unit of which all living things are made. Cells replace themselves by splitting and forming new cells (mitosis). The processes that control the formation of new cells and the death of old cells are disrupted in cancer.
- cancer
- malignancy; a group of diseases typified by abnormal, generally out-of-control, cell growth.
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
