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The prognosis for patients with lung cancer remains poor with the overall 5-year survival rates varying from 12-15% in the USA to, for example, 5% in Scotland UK. Survival rates are strongly related to the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis and while surgery remains the best treatment option on presentation, less than 20% of tumours are suitable for potentially curative resection and only around 30% of these survive for 5 years. Currently, approximately 40,000 individuals die from lung cancer in the UK each year. The present work systematically addresses a broad range of topics of high priority in the investigation and management of lung cancer over some 12 chapters divided into the 5 constituent parts of the current volume.
Part 1 of the text (chapter 1) presents the arguments for spiral CT screening for disease with Part 2 of the volume (chapters 2 & 3) dedicated to overviews of the role of induction therapy prior to surgical intervention and the place of extended resection and reconstructive surgery. Part 3 (chapters 4,5 & 6) is concerned to detail the evidence-base for radiotherapy and chemotherapy in early and advanced disease with Part 4 (chapters 7 & 8) focused on a discussion of current clinical trials and the mechanism of action and clinical evaluation of novel and biological therapies. Part 5 (chapters 9, 10, 11 & 12) provides a thorough discussion of the multiple factors concerned with the responsible governance of lung cancer clinical services including the implications of the judgements of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the demand for chemotherapy, the impact of modernization of the NHS on the development of lung cancer services, factors governing the involvement in decision-making of lung cancer patients and their carers and the audit of the quality of service provision.
The current volume therefore provides a uniquely comprehensive study of the demands and dilemmas of effective approaches to the management of lung cancer and as such is automatically of immediate relevance to consultants and specialist registrars in respiratory medicine, thoracic surgery, clinical and medical oncology, to clinical nurse specialists, oncology pharmacists and the managers, planners and commissioners of lung cancer clinical services. |
