Foreword – European Oncology & Haematology, 2012;8(2):80

This edition of European Oncology & Haematology is notable for the breadth of information presented. Topics range from a paper by Gianni Bisogno and colleagues on very rare tumours in paediatric patients, their experience in gathering a database and the need for international collaboration, to two papers involving the older cancer population. Maria José Molina-Garrido and Carmen Guillén-Ponce introduce the use of a geriatric assessment to predict frailty in elderly cancer patients. The impact of age, co-morbid conditions and decreased B-cell diversity is examined by Christopher R Flowers and colleagues in the context of treatment decisions regarding elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Discussions of new approaches to uncommon cancers can be found. Arun D Singh and Breno R Lima look at bevacizumab for the treatment of choroidal melanoma; Muriel Meiring and colleagues provide a review of the literature and new data regarding HIV-associated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Articles on more common cancers but with new approaches are also to be found in this issue. Florian Lordick’s article presents current standards and new trends in oesophageal cancer; Stéphane Oudard and colleagues give new insights in the management of renal cancer; and Domenica Lorusso et al. describe coupling NGR peptide and tumour necrosis factor to increase doxorubicin activity in recurrent ovarian cancer. Federica Cavallo and colleagues give an overview of studies that may guide physicians in their treatment decisions for patients with refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma in an exciting era of new agents introduced to treat the disease. Lucie Moukova et al. write about the human papillomavirus (HPV) fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) assay, which can be used to effectively identify patients with high-risk HPV infection and chromosomal aberrations associated with development of cervical malignancies.
Finally, two papers look at supportive cancer care. Paula Bolton-Maggs and Hannah Cohen explain the UK’s Serious Hazards of Transfusion haemovigilance project that collects information on transfusion adverse events, resulting in changes in practice. And my own paper describes the background, development, dissemination and availability of the MASCC Oral Agent Teaching Tool^® (MOATT) issued by the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC), an easy-to-use tool developed in recognition of the importance of giving patients receiving oral chemotherapy a comprehensive and consistent education regarding their treatment. Enjoy! ■