A new year brings with it plenty of promise, the optimism of resolutions, and realities of a return to everyday life following the holidays. As we kick off 2016, our country finds itself in the midst of many controversies and discussions that could have significant impact on our future lives.Along these lines, our first issue of American Journal of Hematology/Oncology for the new year reflects this spirit of candid discourse. This month, our physician authors take on some of the most potent topics in hematology and oncology today, offering their views and suggestions for what’s working, what could work better, and what may work in the future for these relevant therapy strategies.
In our first story, “Breast Cancer Chemoprevention: Targeting the Estrogen Receptor,” the authors look at recent trials of chemoprevention for breast cancer using selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). Although these SERMs have shown encouraging results, they have been ques-tioned. Comparing the effectiveness of estrogen plus progestin versus estrogen alone, the authors suggest that new strategies to increase the uptake of these proven risk reduction interventions are needed.
In “Liver-Directed Therapy for Hepatic Malignancies,” the authors evaluate the potential of locoregional therapy in the treatment of primary and secondary hepatic malignancies. With a focus on ablation and hepatic artery–directed approaches, they provide insight on the results of trial outcomes and where this type of therapy could be headed in the future.
“Safety and Efficacy of Combination Targeted Therapy and Radiotherapy” provides a look at the effectiveness of radiation therapy combined with targeted therapies such as vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors, endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors, and inhibitors of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. The authors suggest that further efforts to develop quality clinical trial data for such combined therapies are needed to achieve improved results.
Incidence and mortality numbers for colorectal cancer (CRC) have declined over the past several decades, thanks to improved screening examinations, modified risk factors, and advances in treat-ment. Our fourth article, “Colorectal Cancer Screening,” addresses recent incidence and mortality trends in CRC, as well as today’s screening guidelines and screening methods currently available.
In this month’s CME section, Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, of the University of California, Los Ange-les, discusses current therapies for metastatic melanoma, sharing his thoughts on recent discoveries, the application of data to treatment planning and implementation, and potential future research and therapies.
Let’s keep the dialogue going throughout the year. We welcome your ideas, opinions, and article submissions for AJHO for 2016—and beyond.
Michael J. Hennessy, Sr
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer