The basis for progress in chemotherapy

I meetings, a session on taiicei chemotherapy would find the speaker addressing the chairman, his fellow speakers, and a few loyal friends. I think that this was an honest reflection of the slight impact of cancer thcmotherapy on the practice of medicine. Obviously, a new day is here, and I would conclude from the desree of your interest in this national conference that chemotherapy has effected profound changes in the outlook for patients with widespread cancer, and in the need for physicians to learn all they can about making these treatments available to their patients. The program committee, in its wisdom, thought that with over 50 cancers and 40 drugs being discussed, someone should provide a few planks to hold onto, before the ocean of facts reaches high tide. Thi, I shall attempt to do by sketching out the basis for progress in chemotherapy in answering three questions: "Where are we in chemotherapy of cancer?" "How did we get here?" and "Where is chemotherapy going?"