The Oncologist, Vol. 10, No. 5, 323-324, May 2005; doi:10.1634/theoncologist.10-5-323
© 2005 AlphaMed Press
Section Editor’s Note
Franco Muggia, M.D.
Director, Division of Medical Oncology, NYU Medical Center
Seldom do oncologists get an opportunity to read fully referenced presentations of opposing views. Editorials may partly dispute the analysis in an article under review, but they are usually selected to reinforce the importance of a new finding. This issue of The Oncologist provides an in-depth discussion of opposing views concerning the adjuvant therapy of stage II colon cancer. The importance of this subject is further emphasized by it having been the focus of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recommendations (Table 1
), since it concerns a large number of patients every year that undergo resection for colon cancer. Although the authors of Table 2 argue against adjuvant therapy, the points of discussion between the physician and the patient identify several issues that may, in fact, lead a person (and his or her physician) to be inclined to opt for adjuvant treatment.
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Table 2. Points of discussion between the patient and physician: the value of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer
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Perhaps not entirely coincidental, the opposing view to revisit the issue in an all-inclusive clinical trial comes from the other side of the Atlantic. In order to identify controversies of the highest priority to our readers, I am pleased that Hernán Cortés-Funes will be joining me as co-editor of The Oncologist’s Dialogues in Oncology section. His appointment will help ensure that we both identify the most knowledgeable and passionate debaters to provide future Points and Counterpoints.
