Ronald H. Goldfarb – författare

It is widely appreciated that the pathophysiology of advanced brain cancer is intimately related to the extent of tumor invasiveness. A prerequisite for comprehensively understanding neuro-oncology is therefore the elucidation of the biochemical and molecular properties of tumor cells that contribute to their invasiveness. An understanding of tumor invasion for central nervous system tumors is crucial since malignant brain tumors are very highly invasive and extensively destroy adjacent neural brain tissue. Moreover, they are angiogenesis-dependent and lead to the death of patients by expanding within the limited space of the cranium. As more specific insights are gained towards a full understanding of the complex process of tumor invasiveness of brain tumor cells, it should be possible to design strategies for the early diagnosis and treatment of invasive, advanced brain tumors. There is therefore an urgent need to better understand the cellular properties of brain tumor cells responsible for invasiveness. This special issue of the JOURNAL OF NEURO-ONCOLOGY provides a state-of-the-art review of the general understanding of the process of tumor invasion. In addition, the articles emphasize specific aspects of aggressive brain cancers which are particularly important for deriving new insights for therapeutic approaches for advanced brain cancer that will target tumor invasiveness. The ideas discussed will stimulate further studies directed towards the translation of these important invasion-related studies to clinical approaches for the effective treatment of brain cancer.

It is widely appreciated that the pathophysiology of advanced brain cancer is intimately related to the extent of tumor invasiveness. A prerequisite for comprehensively understanding neuro-oncology is therefore the elucidation of the biochemical and molecular properties of tumor cells that contribute to their invasiveness. An understanding of tumor invasion for central nervous system tumors is crucial since malignant brain tumors are very highly invasive and extensively destroy adjacent neural brain tissue. Moreover, they are angiogenesis-dependent and lead to the death of patients by expanding within the limited space of the cranium. As more specific insights are gained towards a full understanding of the complex process of tumor invasiveness of brain tumor cells, it should be possible to design strategies for the early diagnosis and treatment of invasive, advanced brain tumors. There is therefore an urgent need to better understand the cellular properties of brain tumor cells responsible for invasiveness. This special issue of the JOURNAL OF NEURO-ONCOLOGY provides a state-of-the-art review of the general understanding of the process of tumor invasion. In addition, the articles emphasize specific aspects of aggressive brain cancers which are particularly important for deriving new insights for therapeutic approaches for advanced brain cancer that will target tumor invasiveness. The ideas discussed will stimulate further studies directed towards the translation of these important invasion-related studies to clinical approaches for the effective treatment of brain cancer.

It is widely appreciated that the pathophysiology of advanced brain cancer is intimately related to the extent of tumor invasiveness. A prerequisite for comprehensively understanding neuro-oncology is therefore the elucidation of the biochemical and molecular properties of tumor cells that contribute to their invasiveness. An understanding of tumor invasion for central nervous system tumors is crucial since malignant brain tumors are very highly invasive and extensively destroy adjacent neural brain tissue. Moreover, they are angiogenesis-dependent and lead to the death of patients by expanding within the limited space of the cranium. As more specific insights are gained towards a full understanding of the complex process of tumor invasiveness of brain tumor cells, it should be possible to design strategies for the early diagnosis and treatment of invasive, advanced brain tumors. There is therefore an urgent need to better understand the cellular properties of brain tumor cells responsible for invasiveness. This special issue of the JOURNAL OF NEURO-ONCOLOGY provides a state-of-the-art review of the general understanding of the process of tumor invasion. In addition, the articles emphasize specific aspects of aggressive brain cancers which are particularly important for deriving new insights for therapeutic approaches for advanced brain cancer that will target tumor invasiveness. The ideas discussed will stimulate further studies directed towards the translation of these important invasion-related studies to clinical approaches for the effective treatment of brain cancer.

Individual neoplastic diseases often show discrete growth direct effect of tumor metastases or to adverse consequences patterns subject to many modifications according to the associated with these therapeutic modes (e.g., complications stage of the disease, the species involved and the tumor type of immunosuppression which can lead to mortality arising concerned. Primary neoplasms are less difficult to treat in from infectious disease). contrast to secondary neoplasms. The chief type of secon­ It is therefore quite clear that there is a crucial need for dary neoplastic growth, metastasis, is also comparatively new methods for the detection of micrometastases and the development of new modalities for the treatment of estab­ less well understood. Phylogenetically, metastasis attains its highest level of development in the mammal and is best lished metastases. It is likely that such modalities must known in man, but is still far from being understood. overcome tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance to yield new therapeutic modalities with improved margin of safety The process of cancer growth and progression, from the initiation of neoplastic transformation of normal cells to the and efficacy over currently available anti-neoplastic drugs.