G Burg - Böcker

From the first to the third of August, 1980, an international sym­ posium entitled "New Trends in Allergy" was held in Munich, sponsored by the Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, in cooperation with the German Society for Allergy and Immunity Research and the European Society for Dermatological Research. The symposium pursued two main goals: to bring allergy­ oriented colleagues from various specialties such as dermatology, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, internal medicine, immunology, and pulmonology together for interdisciplinary contacts and dis­ cussions; and to attract internationally known experts in an effort to disseminate information on new and fundamental develop­ ments in allergology. The fact that English has become the lingua franca at congresses for the exchange of ideas in medical specialties led to the decision to hold the symposium in English. In spite of the mild handicap this posed for some participants, it was also a major factor in the symposium's success. This book contains the papers delivered by the invited speakers together with the poster presentations. They cover both basic ex­ perimental research as well as clinical problems in allergology.

Skin cancer is the most frequent malignancy in humans and its incidence is still increasing. This situation calls for major efforts to manage the disease. Preventive measures must include reduced UV exposure and an enhanced common awareness of skin lesions. This text looks at many aspects of cancer prevention and treatment. Advanced surgical techniques allow safe removal with excellent cosmetic results. In many cases alternative treatment modalities such as radiotherapy, cryosurgery and photodynamic therapy are applicable. The development of optimal sun screens and UV-protective clothes, tools for early diagnosis of malignant lesions including videomicroscopy, improved evaluation of biopsy material and new treatment schemes will contribute to better patient care. New developments in therapy including pegylated interferons, cytokine-inducing molecules, monoclonal antibodies and vaccination approaches using peptides, dendritic cells, viruses or nDNA give hope for well-tolerated and efficient treatments.

Skin cancer is the most frequent malignancy in humans and its incidence is still increasing. This situation calls for major efforts to manage the disease. Preventive measures must include reduced UV exposure and an enhanced common awareness of skin lesions. Advanced surgical techniques allow safe removal with excellent cosmetic results. In many cases alternative treatment modalities such as radiotherapy, cryosurgery and photodynamic therapy are applicable. The development of optimal sun screens and UV-protective clothes, new tools for early diagnosis of malignant lesions including videomicroscopy, improved evaluation of biopsy material and new treatment schemes will contribute to better patient care. New developments in therapy including pegylated interferons, cytokine-inducing molecules, monoclonal antibodies and vaccination approaches using peptides, dendritic cells, viruses or nDNA give hope for well-tolerated and efficient treatments.

The term "lymphoma" was originally used by Billroth in 1871 [55], and by Virehow [763] some years before that, for the designation of swelling of lymph nodes that was not due to "eareinoma, sareoma, ehondroma, myxoma, ete. " In his paper, Billroth reeounted sueeessful treatment with arsenie (" Fowler's solution") of multiple "lymphomas" that had developed in a 40-year-old woman during a 10-month period. From this report it is not entirely clear if the multiple" lymphomas" deseribed were infeetious or if they were eonsis- te nt with what we now mean by "malignant lymphoma. " Today, the term "malignant lymphoma" is generally used eolleetively for malignant lymphoproliferative neoplasms that tend to arise in lymph nodes and also eneompasses Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The adjeetive "malignant" seems somewhat superfluous sinee, in addition to Bill- roth's original eonnotation, the sense of malignaney is nowadays read into the word "lymphoma. " To be sure, true, i. e. , malignant, lymphomas have to be differentiated from "pseudolymphomas," or to put it more exaetly, "pseudomalignant lymphomas." In this book, "lymphoma" and "malignant lymphoma" are used interehan- geably for malignant neoplastie lymphoproliferative disorders, and "pseudo- lymphoma" is used for benign lymphomatous proeesses. Our editorial eonsultant, Dr. M. Leider, disagrees with all of this. In his Dictionary of Dermatological Words, Terms, and Phrases [421] and other works, he maintains that there is no etymologieal basis for words bearing the eontrived suffix" -oma" or the true Greek suffix" -ma" to denote malignaney.