Welcome to the summer edition of European Oncology and Haematology, a bi-annual journal that features a wide variety of topical articles of interest to oncologists and haematologists as well as the wider medical community. We begin with two editorials debating whether we should address biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer as soon as possible. Hendrik Van Poppel argues in favour of early intervention with targeted therapies, while Chandler et al. present the case against the proposal, arguing that further work is needed to identify those for whom intervention would be beneficial.
Our expert interviews have become a popular feature of the journal, and this issue features two such interviews. Bertrand Tombal discusses the use of radiopharmaceuticals for the detection of recurrent prostate cancer. In addition, Irene Ghobrial, a recent recipient of the International Congress on Controversies in Multiple Myeloma (COMy) excellence award, discusses her research and the latest advances in multiple myeloma.
Biosimilars have become increasingly popular in cancer care as they increase patient access to biological therapies through lower-cost equivalent treatments. Cornes and Aapro review real-world evidence describing the use of biosimilar filgrastim and epoietin in Europe since 2008.
Targeting the tumour microenvironment has emerged as a useful treatment strategy in recent years. Seufferlein et al. describe the role of hyaluronic acid (HA) in the microenvironment of several tumour types, particularly metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, as well as various therapeutic approaches to targeting HA.
Haemorrhage from a cervical tumour can be difficult to control due to the extensive blood supply to the uterus and cervix. Matylevich et al. present the experience at the National Cancer Centre of Belarus of pelvic artery embolisation in patients with advanced and recurrent cervical cancer presenting with haemorrhage.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is often the only potentially curative therapeutic option in haematologic malignancies with a poor prognosis. However, it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Kaeding et al. describe a randomised controlled trial investigating the use of whole body vibration training as a supportive therapy during allogeneic HSCT.
Finally, Cappellini et al. explore the role of the haematologist in finding and treating Gaucher disease type 1, the most common lysosomal storage disease. Since its early presenting symptoms – unexplained splenomegaly and/or thrombocytopenia – often result in referrals to haematologists, there is a need to increase awareness of this rare disorder.
European Oncology and Haematology would like to thank our Editorial Board for their continuing support and guidance. Special thanks also go to our expert authors, who gave their time and effort to produce an insightful selection of articles. We are also grateful to all organisations and media partners for their ongoing support. The expert discussions and the range of topics covered ensure there is something of interest for every reader and we hope you find this edition useful and thought-provoking.
