Clinical Cancer Advances 2005 is the first independent annual review of the top advances in cancer treatment, screening, and prevention across all cancer types. Produced by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), this report identifies major clinical research advances in a broad range of cancer types.

Major research advances over the past year include new standards of care for breast, lung, and colon cancer, as well as evidence that an increasing number of newer more targeted therapies can improve survival in some of the most common cancers, and are active against a range of other cancers.

  • Adjuvant therapy—A number of studies over the past year provide new adjuvant therapy strategies for reducing the risk of cancer recurrence and increasing survival for patients with early-stage breast, lung, and colon cancers. Adjuvant therapy involves the administration of chemotherapy alone or with newer targeted drugs following surgery to eliminate clinically undetectable cancer cells.
  • Targeted therapies—A growing number of targeted therapies that predominately attack cancer cells—leaving most healthy cells intact—proved effective against a range of cancers including breast, colon, lung, kidney, and head and neck cancers, and lymphoma.