Focusing on new approaches in the molecular and clinical management of gastrointestinal tumours, this volume: presents recent insights into carcinogenesis; offers new diagnostic tools; and updates successful approaches in primary and secondary prevention of colorectal carcinoma.

I. Basic Research.- The Molecular Biology of Esophageal Carcinoma.- Preventing Colorectal Cancer.- Adhesion Receptors in Malignant Transformation and Dissemination of Gastrointestinal Tumors.- Human Gene Therapy in Gastrointestinal Diseases: In Vivo and In Vitro Approaches.- Signal Transduction as Target of Gene Therapy.- II. Diagnostic Tools.- Prognostic Significance of Molecular Biological and Immunohistological Parameters in Gastrointestinal Carcinomas.- Molecular Mechanisms and Possibilities of Overcoming Drug Resistance in Gastrointestinal Tumors.- Radiological Modalities in the Staging of Colorectal Tumors: New Perspectives for Increasing Accuracy.- Immunological and Molecular Classification of Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma.- Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy in the Diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Gastroenteropancreatic Tumors.- III. Therapeutic Approaches.- Basis and Consequences of Primary and Secondary Prevention of Gastrointestinal Tumors.- Drug Therapy in Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Gastroenteropancreatic System.- Laparoscopic Lymph Node Assessment in Pretherapeutic Staging of Gastric and Esophageal Cancer.- Radiation Therapy Alone or Combined with Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Esophageal Cancer.- Preoperative Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancer.- Current Aspects of Sphincter Preservation in the Surgical Therapy of Rectal Cancer.- Preoperative and Postoperative Radiotherapy in Rectal Carcinoma.- Hyperthermia in the Multimodal Therapy of Advanced Rectal Carcinomas.- Adjuvant Treatment of Colon and Rectal Cancer: Impact of Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy, and Immunotherapy on Routine Postsurgical Patient Management.- Current Treatment Modalities in Advanced Colorectal Carcinoma.- Antibody-Based Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Colorectal Cancer.- Surgical Concepts for Therapy of Pancreatic Neoplasms.- Chemotherapy for Patients with Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas.- Phase II Data on Paclitaxel and Docetaxel in Gastrointestinal Malignancies.