Postgraduate medicine
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Postgraduate medicine · May 1985
Historical ArticleCancer chemotherapy. Historical aspects and future considerations.
Effective cancer chemotherapeutic agents were developed rapidly during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. With recognition of the curability with chemotherapy of certain selected advanced cancers the emphasis of treatment has changed from a palliative to a curative mode. ⋯ Other major conceptual changes, such as the recognition that regional lymph nodes are not effective barriers to tumor spread, have also had a major impact on the course of cancer treatment. The 1980s will be as productive as the preceding decades, but it is difficult at this time to determine if biologic response modifiers, monoclonal antibodies, differentiating agents, or some other as yet unrecognized therapy will be the major advance.