Foreword

The MD Anderson Manual of Medical Oncology, fourth edition, articulates the personalized, multidisciplinary approach to cancer management pioneered by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Our unique perspective has evolved from decades of clinical practice and research with more than 1.6 million patients turning to MD Anderson for care. We are expanding our reach, making it easier for the patients and communities we serve to access our expertise. We are enabling high-impact discovery and introducing novel therapies through a leading clinical trials network. And we are setting new standards for high-touch, high-value cancer care.

This book is designed to bring a pragmatic approach to cancer management that may serve as a guide for oncologists around the world. The text reflects how MD Anderson currently operates, including many patient care practices that would not have been recognized by practitioners just a decade ago. Since the first edition, MD Anderson's experts have improved our ability to identify biomarkers that are predictive for survival, a major triumph in medical oncology that is demonstrated throughout the text.

Reflecting new advances in our research and our approach to cancer management, the fourth edition of The MD Anderson Manual of Medical Oncology features a wealth of new material. The sections on Lymphoma and Myeloma and Gastrointestinal Cancer contain additional chapters focused on recently defined subsets of disease and their treatment modalities. New targeted therapies are described in Lung Cancer. Additional Cancer Topics of Interest chapters detail updated knowledge in viral and fungal infections, for example, as well as oncocardiology and thrombosis. Biostatistics now has its own section, underscoring the extraordinary wealth of information brought about by big data analytics and its application to influence value-based oncology care. Supportive and Palliative Care content reflects current approaches in advanced symptom management concurrent with a patient's entire cancer journey, starting at diagnosis.

Every chapter includes abundant tables and diagrams, including algorithms and decision trees developed at MD Anderson for specific cancers or disease subtypes; promising novel therapy targets and the latest clinical trial phase of drugs targeting them; and new molecular therapies recommended to overcome resistance to previously effective therapies.

Emphasis on safety is even more relevant now than in prior editions of this book. MD Anderson's core value of Safety drives our colleagues each day, and this was especially highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic when we came together with diligence, determination and evidence-based protocols to ensure the safest possible environment for our immunocompromised patients. Additionally, we remain laser focused on survivorship, as advances in cancer care have increased the number of people who are cancer free or who are living with cancer as a chronic condition rather than a fatal one. We remain dedicated to our bold aspiration of maximizing our impact on humanity through research-driven patient care, education, prevention and science that contribute to Making Cancer History®.