Editorial introductions

Current Opinion in Oncology was launched in 1989. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of psychiatry is divided into 15 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Journal's Section Editors for this issue. Section Editors Robert ParidaensFigure 1Robert Paridaens, MD and PhD, has been Professor and Head of the Medical Oncology Clinic since 1991 at the U.Z. Gasthuisberg, the academic Hospital of the Catholic Universitity of Leuven, Belgium. Between 1978 and 1987, after having trained in internal medicine, he further specialized in medical oncology at the Institut Jules Bordet in Brussels, where he also carried out the functions of assistant director of the cancer screening unit, and of assistant director at the EORTC (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer) data centre. He developed a special interest in breast cancer and conducted in parallel clinical and fundamental investigations on the theme of hormone-dependence of tumors. After his PhD thesis in 1987 he moved to the academic hospital Sart Tilman (Université de Liège) where he carried out the functions of professor and head of the department of Oncology and radiotherapy until 1991. Dr Paridaens serves on several editorial boards, and is a member of all major Belgian and of most international societies that focus on cancer research and treatment. He played an active role in many cooperative groups of the EORTC and was the recipient of the Belgian Endocrine Society Award (1987), of the Golden Helix Award for quality improvement in European health care (1995) and of the Astra Zeneca Foundation Lectures in Medicine Award (2004). He was chairman of the Belgian Society of Senology, of the Belgian Society of Medical Oncology and of the Belgian Association for Cancer Research. He trained numerous medical oncologists and radiotherapists in their clinical practice and also in getting accustomed with clinical trials. He very actively contributed to the development of modern forms of endocrine therapy, as shown by his numerous international publications in the field. In parallel with his clinical and academic functions, he presently pursues fundamental research on hormone dependence and cancer proteases. Wen G. JiangFigure 2Professor Wen G Jiang is Professor of Surgery and Tumour Biology in Cardiff University School of Medicine, in Cardiff, UK. He obtained his MB BCh degree from the Peking University (Beijing Medical University, China) in 1984 and his MD degree from University of Wales College of Medicine in the UK in 1995. From 1984 to 1989, he was trained in Peking University First Hospital, as surgical resident and then chief surgical resident. In 1989, he came to Wales and started his research training in the University Department of Surgery of the then University of Wales College of Medicine (now Cardiff University). Following completion of his research MD degree, he was appointed as senior research fellow, senior lecturer, and reader. In 2004 he became Professor of Surgery and Tumour Biology. Dr Jiang and his research laboratories have an interest in breast cancer and prostate cancer with a particular interest in cancer metastasis and angiogenesis. The research has focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the metastasis and angiogenic process as well as potential methods to combat the conditions. He is the founding editor and co-editor of Cancer Metastasis, Biology and Treatment, and sits on the editorial board of International Journal of Molecular Medicine, International Seminars of Surgical Oncology. He has published over 250 scientific papers and edited Cancer Metastasis, Metastasis of Breast cancer and Growth Factors in Cancer Metastasis. Steven RosenFigure 3Steven Rosen, MD, FACP, is Genevieve Teuton Professor of Medicine, at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, USA and Director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and Director of Cancer Programs at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Following his graduation with distinction from Northwestern University Medical School's 6 year honors program in 1976, Dr Rosen completed his residency in internal medicine at Northwestern and a fellowship in medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute. Dr Rosen's laboratory research focuses on experimental therapeutics and hematologic malignancies. Dr Rosen has received numerous grants awards and contracts and has published more than 200 scientific papers. As director of the Cancer Center, Dr Rosen has successfully competed for an NCI Cancer Center Support Grant, NCI grants for his laboratory research, an NCI RAID contract grant for the development of a novel purine analog, and grants from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America and the American Cancer Society. Dr Rosen serves on several editorial boards and is editor of Cancer Treatment & Research. He is a member of all major national associations that focus on oncology and has held leadership positions in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, the American Association of Cancer Institutes and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. He serves on the advisory boards of several NCI-designated cancer centers, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the Lymphoma Research Foundation and the Wendy Will Cancer Research Foundation. He has also served as an advisor to Great Britain's Cancer Research campaign. Dr Rosen was the recipient of Northwestern University Medical School's Alumni Achievement Award (1994), the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from Northwestern Memorial Hospital (1995), the Marv Samuel Award from the Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities (1996) and recognition from the Women's Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital for Compassionate Care (1996). He is acknowledged in Best Doctors and Oncologists in America, and Best Doctors in Chicago. Marc SansonFigure 4Marc Sanson, MD, PhD is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Neurology and Neuro-oncology, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, P&M Curie University in Paris, France. Dr Sanson has published numerous research articles, including 80 papers on gliomas, as well as book chapters, and is a frequently requested lecturer on this topic. He is a reviewer on a number of journals, including Journal of Clinical Oncology, Lancet, Annals of Neurology, Neurology, Cancer, Clinical Cancer Research, and Cancer Research. His main interest is focused on gliomas, including clinical research, genetic alterations, novel therapies, and translational research. Dr Sanson earned his MD at University R Descartes and his PhD at University D Diderot, both in Paris. He completed a residency in Neurology in Paris, and a post-doc at McGill University, Canada. Miguel A. SanzFigure 5Dr Miguel A. Sanz is Chief of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at University Hospital La Fe in Valencia, Spain, as well as Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Valencia. He earned her medical degree at the University of Salamanca, Spain. He was intern, resident and completed a fellowship in Hematology at University Hospital La Fe. Dr Sanz is chairman of the Spanish PETHEMA Group and of the Working Parties of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Infections in Neutropenic Patients. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology, European Haematology Association, American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Spanish Association of Hematology, Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, and Spanish Society of Chemotherapy. He has been a member of the editorial committee of several medical journals and a reviewer of New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Blood, Journal Clinical Oncology, British Journal of Haematology, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Leukemia, Haematologica/The Hematology Journal, American Journal of Hematology, Annals of Hematology, Annals of Oncology, European Journal of Hematology, Leukemia and Lymphoma, Oncogene, and Archives of Medical Research, among others. He has authored more than 350 papers, 80 book chapters and more than 850 abstracts of national and international meetings.