Editorial [Hot Topic:Strategies for Molecular-Based Treatment of Hematological Malignancies (Guest Editor: Per Ole Iversen)]

摘要

Although the hematological malignancies constitute a minor fraction of the total number of newly diagnosed cancers per year, they pose a substantial burden to the individual patient. In general neoplasias affecting the lymphohematopoietic system carry a poor prognosis with median 5- year survival rates usually below 50-60%, and some are still considered incurable, like chronic lymphoid leukemia and multiple myeloma. Today the best treatment modalities are often composed of a combination of intensive chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. These therapeutic regimens are usually offered to the younger population of patients ( < 60 years), the treatmentrelated side effects might be severe, and importantly, they are costly in terms of financial and personnel resources. Hence there is a continuous need to expand our knowledge of normal and malignant hematopoiesis in order to improve our treatment repertoire of these diseases.