Introduction Among the worldwide female population, breast cancer accounts for 29% of the total new cancer cases diagnosed and 15% of the cancer deaths. To date, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed tumor and the second leading cause of…
Introduction There has been a dramatic shift in the treatment of advanced cutaneous melanoma within the last 5 years. Until 2011, the only FDA-approved therapies for metastatic melanoma were dacarbazine chemotherapy or high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) immunotherapy, which each have limited…
Introduction Melanoma is the most aggressive form of the common skin cancers and is the cause of over 75% of the deaths attributed to skin cancer each year. Worldwide, its incidence is rising, particularly in younger individuals. An estimated 70,000…
Introduction Ovarian and endometrial carcinomas together create a substantial cancer burden, combining for nearly 10% of all cancers in women in the United States ( ). Despite this figure, the incidence of brain metastases from these primary cancers is quite…
Introduction Cutaneous melanoma is the fifth and seventh most frequently diagnosed cancer in the United States in men and women, respectively, for 2014 ( ). In other countries, such as Australia, cutaneous melanoma has reached epidemic proportions. Although it is…
Introduction HER2 Receptor The HER2/neu proto-oncogene is located in chromosome 17q11-q21 ( ). In physiological conditions, this gene encodes a glycoprotein with molecular mass of 185 kDa (p185), named HER2 receptor or HER2 protein. HER2 and three structurally related tyrosine…
Introduction Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare mesenchymal neoplasms that arise from precursors of the gastrointestinal tract connective tissue. Approximately 70% of GISTs are located in the stomach, 20% in the small bowel, and 5% in the rectum ( ).…
Brain Metastasis Overview Clinical Presentation Brain metastasis occurs in approximately 25% of all cancer patients. The most common primary cancers include lung and breast cancers ( Table 14.1 ) ( ). Brain metastasis incidence has been rising and this may…
Introduction Chemotherapy has been the mainstay of systemic treatment of malignancy but due to matters largely concerning the blood–brain-barrier and heterogeneity of the tumors it has been largely ineffective in the management of brain metastasis. Instead, surgery and radiation therapy…
Introduction Metastatic melanoma is a chemotherapy refractory disease and historical treatment options have been limited. Dacarbazine was once considered the standard systemic treatment despite a response rate of only 5–15% and having never demonstrated an improvement in survival ( ).…