Molecular Staging of Cancer (Recent Results in Cancer Research Book 162)

An explosion of information has occurred since scientists began to define the molecular events that describe the malignant transformation and progression of cells and their development towards a life-threatening metastatic disease. The First International Congress on Molecular Staging of Cancer, held in Munich in December 2001, aimed to establish an international platform of exchange among molecular biologists, cell biologists, tumor immunologists, and clinical and surgical oncologists. This network approach should be fruitful for both clinicians and researchers. The highlighted topics included tumor-associated proteolysis, minimal residual disease, new approaches for molecular diagnosis and targeting, and the first molecular staging models. One session focused on technology transfer, opening up a new field of funding for innovative concepts. Finally, the impact of molecular staging on clinical strategies was discussed. Front Matter....Pages I-XI Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Urokinase Receptor (uPAR, CD87) as a Target for Tumor Therapy: uPA-Silica Particles (SP-uPA) as a New Tool for Assessing Synthetic Peptides to interfere with uPA/uPA-Receptor Interaction....Pages 3-14 Molecular Regulation of Urokinase-Receptor Gene Expression as One Potential Concept for Molecular Staging and Therapy....Pages 15-30 Stromal Cell Involvement in Cancer....Pages 31-42 Inhibition of the Tumor-Associated Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activation System: Effects of High-Level Synthesis of Soluble Urokinase Receptor in Ovarian and Breast Cancer Cells in Vitro and in Vivo....Pages 43-63 Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis in Gastric Cancer....Pages 65-72 Clinical Implications of Molecular Diagnosis in Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer....Pages 73-78 Minimal Residual Disease in Gastric Cancer....Pages 79-87 Minimal Residual Disease in Breast Cancer and Gynecological Malignancies: Phenotype and Clinical Relevance....Pages 89-100 Advanced Statistical Methods for the Definition of New Staging Models....Pages 101-113 Clinical Implications of the EGF Receptor/Ligand System for Tumor Progression and Survival in Gastrointestinal Carcinomas: Evidence for New Therapeutic Options....Pages 115-132 Front Matter....Pages 133-133 Minimal Residual Disease in Bone Marrow and Peripheral Blood of Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer....Pages 135-140 Estrogen Receptor Expression Profile of Disseminated Epithelial Tumor Cells in Bone Marrow of Breast Cancer Patients....Pages 141-147 Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Blood Using an Optimized Density Gradient Centrifugation....Pages 149-155 Antitumoral and Antimetastatic Effects of Continuous Particle-Mediated Cytokine Gene Therapy....Pages 157-168 Genetic Subtyping of Renal Cell Carcinoma by Comparative Genomic Hybridization....Pages 169-175 Telomere Length and hTERT Expression in Patients with Colorectal Carcinoma....Pages 177-181 Estimation of Concentration of Chosen Adhesive Factors in Suprarenal Tumours of “Incidentaloma” Type....Pages 183-188 Evaluation of the Levels of bFGF, VEGF, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 in Serum of Patients with Thyroid Cancer....Pages 189-194 Molecular Whole-Body Cancer Staging Using Positron Emission Tomography: Consequences for Therapeutic Management and Metabolic Radiation Treatment Planning....Pages 195-202 Recurrences of Thyroid Cancer After Radical Surgery and Complementary Treatment: Are Macroscopic, Microscopic, Scintigraphic, and Biochemical Criteria Sufficient in the Evaluation of Radicality of Primary Treatment?....Pages 203-207 Front Matter....Pages 209-209 Summary and Congress Report: Molecular Staging of Cancer — Concepts of Today, Therapies of Tomorrow....Pages 211-217