The face of cancer management is changing rapidly. Following the distinct improvements of the past five years in control of patients with Hodgkin disease, Wilm tumor, osteogenic sarcoma, and childhood leukemia, attention of chemotherapists and radiation therapists is being directed increasingly at those neoplasms traditionally in the domain of surgeons. Indeed, early reports of multiple-drug treatment of advanced breast cancer have shown a remarkable improvement in results, as contrasted with conventional management. During the coming decade, we will surely witness greatly intensified efforts to combine chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy with operative intervention for treatment of curable and incurable patients with neoplasms of the breast, stomach, pancreas, colon, and lung; almost as surely, results will improve.
No medical scientists have a greater opportunity than surgeons to understand the natural history of these solid neoplasms. Since at least the initial management of patients with these tumors is under the control of