Alkylating agents are an important class of carcinogens. O6-methylguanine (O6 MG) formed in cellular DNA by alkylating agents is a mutagenic lesion. Reactive metabolites, which are capable of alkylate in the DNA base, are produced during the catabolism of precursors of alkylating agents in the diet. Active alkylating agents can also be synthesised endogenously in the body. Endogenous alkylating agents are produced via nitrosation of primary amines by nitrates and nitrous anhydride formed by nitric oxide. Exposure of alkylating agents is at a minimum level in daily life. On the other hand, alkylating agents are used in certain chemotherapy regimens. Various investigators determined that O6-MGMT is at a high level in human tumours, thus they exhibit resistance to chemotherapy, including alkylating agents. Various anaolgs of O6-MG were suggested as a potential adjuvant in combination chemotherapy with alkylating agents to treat O6-MGMT proficient tumours. The susceptibility of any tissue to mutagenic effect of alkylating agents is dependent upon the balance between the ability of the tissue to metabolise alkylating agents to carcinogenic intermediates, the extent of O6-MG formation, rate of repair by O6-MGMT, and the extent of DNA replication which occurs when O6-MG is present. This book is a reliable reference for the sources of alkylating agents and their effects in human body.

Si usted conoce a alguien con el cancer, y ellos van a recibir tratamientos de radiacion y quimioterapia; este libro puede ayudar a aliviar el dolor y la incomodidad causada por estos tratamientos asperos las tecnicas y los productos secretos descritos en estas paginas seran el differance entre su comodidad y su miseria Este libro hace un gran regalo

In 1985 the media announced a new therapy for cancer. It was expensive, labor-intensive, and toxic--but, they said, it worked. How it worked is the story Ilana Lowy tells in "Between Bench and Bedside," a compelling account of the clinical trials of interleukin-2 at a major French cancer hospital. Her book offers a remarkable insider's view of the culture of clinical experimentation in oncology--and of how this culture affects the development of new treatments for cancer.

Lowy, a historian of science who trained as an immunologist, makes the life of the laboratory and the hospital comprehensible and immediate. Before immersing us in the clinical drama, she fills in the history behind the action--a background of chemotherapy and radiation, controlled clinical trials, and the long line of immunological approaches that finally led to interleukin-2. The story then shifts to the introduction of interleukin-2 in a cancer ward. Lowy conveys the clinical investigation as a complex, multilayered phenomenon that defies the stereotypes of modern biomedicine. In this picture, the miracle-makers and arrogant, self-centered professionals of myth give way to moving images of real people negotiating the tensions between institutional and professional constraints, the search for a scientific breakthrough, and the obligation to alleviate the suffering of a patient. The result is a rare firsthand look at the multiple factors that shape real-life clinical experiments and the institutional tangle and emotional muddle that surround such trials--an invaluable view at a time when medicine is undergoing such great and confusing changes.

What is it really like to hear the words "you have throat cancer"? In Bangers and Mash, food-and wine-loving photographer Keith Hern tells us with honesty and humour exactly what it's like. From the grim reality of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments to unexpected moments of real warmth and kindness from friends old and new, the fight to survive is vividly described. With the help of an NLP coach, Keith challenges the cancer head-on and emerges triumphant into a new, more colourful world. A powerfully uplifting read.

Cancer is a word that rightly strikes fear into the collective heart of humanity. It is a brutally indiscriminate killer and incurable (to date) disease. Able to infest any part of the body, from the brain to the bones to the lungs and liver, cancer seemingly mocks the inability to eliminate it. Treatment for cancer varies depending on the severity and type of neoplasm the patient has. The most well-known of these responses is chemotherapy, which involves the use of chemicals. In order to stem the spread of a patient's cancer, chemotherapy has the patient undergo a series of doses aimed at killing the cancerous cells. Unfortunately, the chemicals can also destroy healthy cells, particularly those that divide quickly. This action leads to side effects such as hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and anaemia. Even though the treatments may be of an overall benefit in eliminating or slowing cancer, the period of treatment is often an arduous one for the patient. Modern research has led to a virtual new era in chemotherapy with target drugs. This book brings together the latest research results in the fast moving field.

It is too early to conclude that vitamin E has all the beneficial effects attributed to it, but even if only 25% of current expectations were to be fulfilled, vitamin E would become an important weapon against a range of chronic diseases.

The book is not simply scientific and education but also a please to read.Dimitrios Trichopoulos, MDVincent L. Gregory Professor of Cancer Prevention and Professor of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health

In the last decade the use of interstitial microwave antennas to deliver localized and controlled power to deep-seated tumours has been explored in institutes around the world. Simultaneously the field of brachytherapy also progressed as clinicans began to develop new implantation approaches for a variety of tumour sites, thereby promoting the insertion of catheters which could serve as conduits for the insterstitial microwave applicators. Although the challenges presented by deep-seated tumours have not been solved, the developments in the field of brachytherapy and the implantation of interstitial applicators for hyperthermia are such that a volume dedicated to this approach is warranted. This third volume in the series "Hyperthermia and Oncology" provides insight in and updated information on various aspects of interstitial hyperthermia. It aims to serve as a guide for clinicians who are either already working in the field or who wish to implement this treatment. It also provides basic aspects to physicists and biologists who are interested in the field of hyperthermic treatment.

The first and second editions of this best-selling guide have already helped thousands of people understand chemotherapy and prepare themselves or their loved ones for treatment. The book is used as the primary chemotherapy patient education tool in outpatient clinics nationwide. This new third edition of The Chemotherapy Survival Guide includes updated information on topics including biotherapy, immunotherapy, nutrition, stress reduction, chemotherapy drugs, and more. Written by experienced oncology nurses Judith McKay and Tamera Schacher, this reassuring, optimistic guide helps readers understand their treatment options and explains in plain English how different types of chemotherapy really work. The book includes detailed advice on how to cope with and alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy, such as hair loss and nausea, and describes how good nutrition, meditation, support groups, and other techniques and resources can help chemotherapy patients recover both physically and emotionally during this difficult time.

First Published in 1988. This is a collection of the Proceedings of a course held at the International School of Medical Sciences Ettore Majorana Centre for Scientific Culture, Italy 5-13 September 1986.