Few diseases have made more difference to our understanding of illness, the relation of the patient to the physician and other health care professionals, and the social context of disease than breast cancer. Breast cancer activism has provided a model of public policy advocacy for women, as well as for sufferers from other diseases, and even in causes unrelated to health. In many ways it has become emblematic of issues in womena (TM)s health.

This volume offers a discursive analysis of breast cancer. From multiple perspectivesa "historical, philosophical, psychological, socio-politicala "these essays explore the competing narratives that have made breast cancer a contested site. It addresses debates about the autonomy of the patient in relation to the authority of the physician, as well as the importance of patient narratives in understanding disease. It analyzes the relation between the community and medical practice, particularly with regard to the effect of breast cancer activists and feminists on the medical understanding and treatment of breast cancer. And, it questions the intersection of medical science with political institutions and agencies of public policy in determining priorities of research and strategies of treatment.

This volume presents the latest techniques used to study germ cell tumors (GCTs), including histopathology; in vitro and in vivo techniques for investigating GCT biology; novel methods for detecting minimal residual diseases; and sequencing considerations as they apply to GCTs. Chapters cover topics such as clinical applications of immunohistochemistry in GCTs in men; fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) detection of chromosomal 12p anomalies in testicular GCTs; evaluation of chemotherapeutic drugs for treatment of (cisplatin-resistant) germ cell cancer cell lines; targeted methylation analyses; and circulating microRNA panel for malignant GCT diagnosis and monitoring. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: Methods and Protocols provides valuable information that is useful for both novice and expert GCT researchers interested in learning more about this field.

This book gathers multidisciplinary articles that present advances of our understanding of diseases and the effective treatment of patients. The authors share recent clinical and experimental research findings, highlighting poorly understood areas with uncertain treatment outcomes, such as giant-cell bone tumors and their propensity to metastasize to the lungs; subterranean rehabilitation in pulmonary disorders; male reproductive hormone regulation during physical exercise in hyperbaric, hyperoxic environments, like underwater diving; and amelioration of cognitive decline owing to increased cerebral blood transit time after internal carotid artery stenting. Other topics include new concepts and innovations in the treatment of diabetes in pregnancy, and leg ulcers in chronic venous insufficiency, as well as molecular research on the toxic effects of oxidative stress, impaired cell autophagy, and experimental conditions resembling air pollution. Featuring the latest interdisciplinary advances in biomedicine, this book is a valuable resource for medical professionals, both academics and practitioners, and all allied health-care workers.

This fully updated edition provides the most recent advances in cancer cell signaling knowledge combined with some discussion of the current challenges and prospects in cancer therapy. Beginning with an important section on cancer resistance, the main obstacle to effective cancer therapy, the book continues with chapters exploring state-of-the-art methods in epigenetic control of cancer, metastasis promotion, as well as a variety of new technologies in the study of cancer. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and timely, Cancer Cell Signaling: Methods and Protocols, Third Edition serves as an ideal guide to researchers seeking to overcome the challenges in the vital field of cancer cell signaling.

This book comprises protocols describing systems biology methodologies and computational tools, offering a variety of ways to analyze different types of high-throughput cancer data. Chapters give an overview over data types available in large-scale data repositories and state-of-the-art methods used in the field of cancer systems biology. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Cancer Systems Biology : Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field. The chapters "Identifying Genetic Dependencies in Cancer by Analyzing siRNA Screens in Tumor Cell Line Panels", "Perseus: A Bioinformatics Platform for Integrative Analysis of Proteomics Data in Cancer Research" and "Phosphoproteomics-based Profiling of Kinase Activities in Cancer Cells" are available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license via link.springer.com.

This book is specifically designed to provide information about various nanocarriers currently developed under the emerging field of nanotheranostics for a sustained, controlled, and targeted co-delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Diverse theranostic applications of nanotechnology and their limitations are also addressed. It integrates nanobiotechnology with theranostic applications. The combined term nanotheranostics has diverse application particularly in chemotherapy and other infectious diseases.Among other topics addressed are antimicrobial resistance, targeting intra-cellular pathogens, viruses and bacteria, chemotherapy, cancer therapeutics, and inflammatory disorders. This interdisciplinary volume is essential for a diverse group of readers including nanotechnologists, microbiologists, biotechnologists, bioengineering and bioprocess industry.

This book elaborates on drug delivery targeting via intracellular delivery, specifically through the Receptor Mediated Endocytosis (RME) approach, due to the involvement of cellular receptors in various grave diseases. Targeted delivery relies on two basic approaches, passive and active targeting. While passive targeting approaches have shown great promise, the improved selectivity achieved with active targeting approaches has resulted in significantly higher efficacy. Interestingly there are numerous strategies for active targeting, many of which are already highlighted in , Targeted Drug Delivery: Concepts and Applications. Nevertheless an exciting and practical strategy for active targeting, which could enable high intracellular delivery, is through exploitation of RME. Cells in the body express receptors to enable various physiological and biochemical processes. As a result, many of these receptors are overexpressed in pathological conditions, or newer receptors expressed due to defective cellular functioning. RME is based on exploitation of such receptors to achieve intracellular delivery. While targeted delivery can have manifold applications, in this book we focus on two major and challenging therapeutic areas; i) Cancer and ii) Infectious Diseases. Targeted Intracellular Drug Delivery by Receptor Medicated Endocytosis discusses the major receptors that are useful for targeted delivery for these afflictions. A major section of this book is dedicated to details regarding their occurrence and location, the recognition domain of the receptor, structure activity relationship of substrate /ligand for selective binding, ligands explored, antagonists for ligand binding and relevance of these aspects for therapy of cancer and infectious diseases. These facets are elucidated with the help of specific examples from academic research and also emphasize commercial products, wherever relevant. In vitro cellular models relied on for assessing receptor mediated cellular targeting and in vivo models depicting clinical efficacy are focused on in a separate section. Finally, we briefly discuss the regulatory and toxicity issues that may be associated specifically with the RME approach of intracellular drug delivery.

Cancer Morbidity and mortality result from invasive and metastatic spread. Currently, no therapies are aimed at the underlying mechanisms that enable this progression due to only nascent recognition of the distinct biology which occurs only during tumor dissemination. Recent advances have highlighted the central role of cell motility during the dynamic and transient process of tumor invasion and metastasis. This book includes state-of-the-art updates by international leaders in these studies. Chapters first present the novel model systems that enable new investigations and insights. Chapters then describe in depth the key processes and molecules that may be therapeutically targeted. Finally, the role of cell motility and its signals is explored in a number of key tumor types. This compilation should be useful to researchers in basic and translational oncology as well as those developing novel agents to prevent tumor invasion and metastasis.

Metal Carcinogenesis Testing explains fundamental principles of metal carcinogenesis as they are currently understood, and provides detailed practical descriptions of rapid and inexpensive in vitro assay methodology presently in use for the detection of potentially carci nogenic metals and their compounds. Mounting experimental evidence has suggested that a number of metals and their compounds are potentially carcinogenic to humans. Since humans are exposed to these potentially carcinogenic metals in industrial situations and through environmental pollution, it is essential that experimental protocols be available to identify the specific metal compounds that are potentially carcinogenic. This book affords a thorough description of the various carcinogenesis test systems available for metals, centering on those that are rapid, inexpensive, and most reliable. The principles are discussed at the level of human exposure, of animal studies, and of research in vitro. Additionally, the molecular mechanisms of metal-induced cancer are considered at each ofthese three levels.In large part, the emphasis rests on the use of in vitro, biochemical and bacterial studies, including tissue culture, because these methods are the basis of the rapid and inexpensive screening of potentially carcinogenic substances."

This detailed volume describes a series of techniques that are essential for evaluating the efficacy of new checkpoint blockade therapies as well as understanding the mechanisms behind the therapies that have already been approved. Beginning with a section on describing the tumor microenvironment and evaluating the immune system at a systemic level, the book continues by covering functional assays that provide answers to questions that may be raised after studying the immune system and its responses to immunotherapies, as well as the use of animal models in this research. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Immune Checkpoint Blockade: Methods and Protocols serves to aid researchers in furthering our understanding of checkpoint blockage as well as the study of tumor immunology and the development of new immunotherapies.

This volume provides the most recent developments and methodologies on metastatic process, formation, and detection. Chapters guide readers through functional metastasis in vitro assays, non-mouse and mice metastasis models, methods for imaging metastasis, analyzing the tumor microenvironment, senescence and inflammation with respect to metastasis, methods to investgate the premetastatic/ metastatic, detecting biomarkers in patient, and bioinformatics to simulate the metastatic process. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Metastasis: Methods and Protocols aims to be a useful practical guide to researches to help further their study in this field.

In spite of the development of various anticancer drugs, the therapy of cancer has remained challenging for decades. The current therapy of cancer is overwhelmed because of the inability to deliver therapeutics to all regions of a tumor in effective therapeutic concentrations, intrinsic or acquired resistance to the treatment with currently available agents via genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, and toxicity. As a result, cancer therapy using conventional therapeutics and different types of treatment regimens using this therapeutics has not led to a convincing survival benefit of the patients. In this context, Macromolecular therapeutics offer several advantages over conventional low molecular therapeutics by various ways such as, enable the use of larger doses of these agents by limiting the toxicity, by enhanced permeability and retention into tumors, by tumor targeting using tumor-specific antibodies, by specific inhibition of oncogenes using anticancer oligonucleotides etc. Cancer treatment using this macromolecular therapeutics has considerably improved the survival benefit for patients. As a result, various macromolecular therapeutics are already commercialized or are under clinical development. Although we are far from a real magic bullet today, looking at the pace of research and current success in this field of macromolecular therapeutics, it appears that we are approaching a magic bullet for the efficient treatment of cancer. Thus, we believe that the subject of this book is very timely, and that the book will fill an unmet need in the market.

This book is unique and assembles various types and aspects of macromolecular anticancer therapeutics for cancer therapy in one shell and conveys the importance of this interdisciplinary field to the broad audience. Thus, in a nutshell, this book details the basics of cancer, and various therapeutic strategies such as those based on macromolecular therapeutics hence can become an important reference for practitioners, oncologists, medical pharmacologists, medicinal chemists, biomedical scientists, experimental pharmacologists, pharmaceutical technologists, and particularly it can essentially become a handbook of macromolecular therapeutics for cancer therapy for graduates, post-graduates and Ph.D. students in these fields.

This volume explores the latest models and techniques used to study brain tumor biology. Chapters in this book are organized into four sections: in vivo models, ex vivo models, treatments in mice, and clinical imaging. Some of the topics covered in this book are in vivo preclinical models of lower-grade gliomas, medulloblastoma, and brain metastases; ex vivo methods for glioblastoma patient-derived cell lines and organotypic brain cultures for metastasis; in vivo treatments of preclinical models that assess neurological function, dynamic immunotherapy, and neurological impacts of brain irradiation; and clinical imaging and modeling, such as biomechanics and vascular perfusion. In the Neuromethods series style, chapters include the kind of detail and key advice from the specialists needed to get successful results in your laboratory. Cutting-edge and practical, Brain Tumors is a valuable resource that will help readers understand the heterogeneity of the techniques used to study the complexity of brain tumors.

This third edition volume expands on the previous editions with discussions on the latest developments in 2D- and 3D-organoid cultures that allow for the execution of precision medicine, and in vitro studies of tumor cell growth and invasion. The chapters in this book explore protocols for evaluating macropinocytosis, stress granules, autophagy, metabolic alterations, and reactive oxygen species, which have proven to be possible therapeutic opportunities. The protocols described in this book look at both human and animal models, ranging from in vitro and in vivo, and will aid in future research of pancreatic cancer. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, Pancreatic Cancer: Methods and Protocols, Third Edition is a valuable resource for scientists and researchers who are interested in learning more about ways of improving patient care for pancreatic cancer.

Cancer will remain a global major health problem unless new diagnostic, prognostic, and management approaches are discovered to address both loss of life and quality of life. Here we summarize the general physiology, pathology, heterogeneity, and evolution of cancer, current status, limitations and challenges associated with prevention, incidence, treatment, survival, and mortality, as well as future directions with regards to solid tumors. Perspectives are provided on how to improve pre-clinical understandings, outcomes, and patient care. Further, this comprehensive, timely overview of the literature has educational value as part of an academic course, seminar, or as a supplementary text. Features : This book summarizes the current status, successes, difficulties, advancements, limitations, and challenges in medical interventions that impact patients' quality of life. Includes concise descriptions of all relevant cell and molecular biology concepts including evolutionary paradigms, hallmarks of cancer, and heterogeneity to help understand the pathophysiology of cancer, cancer-associated disease conditions, and effective cancer therapy. Contains an array of colorful figures and schematics summarizing complex informative pathological, physiological, and biochemical concepts. Covers a multitude of sub-topics pertaining to cancer biology including diagnosis; chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy; metastasis; disseminated and circulating tumor cells, and cancer stem cells; drug resistance and cellular reprogramming; complex epigenetics; tumor-derived exosomes; oncogenic viruses; metabolic syndrome and cancer metabolism; convoluted neovascularization; efficient biomarkers; immunotherapy; role of nutraceuticals and natural products. Provides perspectives on how to improve pre-clinical understandings, and outcomes, linking toxicological, and pharmacological aspects in patient care. This timely, relevant comprehensive assortment of scientific literature has educational value to a wider audience including as part of an academic course, seminar, or as a supplementary text.

Cancer will remain a global major health problem unless new diagnostic, prognostic, and management approaches are discovered to address both loss of life and quality of life. Here we summarize the general physiology, pathology, heterogeneity, and evolution of cancer, current status, limitations and challenges associated with prevention, incidence, treatment, survival, and mortality, as well as future directions with regards to solid tumors. Perspectives are provided on how to improve pre-clinical understandings, outcomes, and patient care. Further, this comprehensive, timely overview of the literature has educational value as part of an academic course, seminar, or as a supplementary text. Features : This book summarizes the current status, successes, difficulties, advancements, limitations, and challenges in medical interventions that impact patients' quality of life. Includes concise descriptions of all relevant cell and molecular biology concepts including evolutionary paradigms, hallmarks of cancer, and heterogeneity to help understand the pathophysiology of cancer, cancer-associated disease conditions, and effective cancer therapy. Contains an array of colorful figures and schematics summarizing complex informative pathological, physiological, and biochemical concepts. Covers a multitude of sub-topics pertaining to cancer biology including diagnosis; chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy; metastasis; disseminated and circulating tumor cells, and cancer stem cells; drug resistance and cellular reprogramming; complex epigenetics; tumor-derived exosomes; oncogenic viruses; metabolic syndrome and cancer metabolism; convoluted neovascularization; efficient biomarkers; immunotherapy; role of nutraceuticals and natural products. Provides perspectives on how to improve pre-clinical understandings, and outcomes, linking toxicological, and pharmacological aspects in patient care. This timely, relevant comprehensive assortment of scientific literature has educational value to a wider audience including as part of an academic course, seminar, or as a supplementary text.

This volume shares technologies that detect common epigenetic changes which are very important in the early detection, progression, and prognosis of cancer as well as the design of new therapeutic tools against cancer cells. Beginning with a bit of background on epigenetic mechanisms, Cancer Epigenetics: Risk Assessment, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis continues with cancer specific type epigenetic change, methods and technologies used for detecting epigenetic changes, factors that influence epigenetic changes in cancer, as well as a final section on future directions in the field. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters in this volume include the kind of detailed implementation advice that guarantees easily reproducible results. Comprehensive and practical, Cancer Epigenetics: Risk Assessment, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis provides the most up-to-date knowledge of epigenetics and its implication in cancer prevention by risk assessment and screening and cancer control by treatment.

This new series, based on a bi-annual conference and its topics, represents a major contribution to the emerging science of cancer research and regenerative medicine. Each volume brings together some of the most pre-eminent scientists working on cancer biology, cancer treatment, cancer diagnosis, cancer prevention and regenerative medicine to share information on currently ongoing work which will help shape future therapies. These volumes are invaluable resources not only for already active researchers or clinicians but also for those entering these fields, plus those in industry. Cancer Biology and Advances in Treatment is a proceedings volume which reflects papers presented at the 3rd bi-annual Innovations in Regenerative Medicine and Cancer Research conference; taken with its companion volume Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells: Biology and Engineering it provides a complete overview of the papers from that meeting of international experts.

The study of molecular events leading to cellular transformation and cancer has progressed considerably during the 1990s. It has become apparent that many genes subject to modification in cancer are, in fact, transcription factors that govern the execution of the genetic programme of the cell. Transcription factors can behave either as oncogenes or as tumor supressor genes. To date only a very limited number of transcription factors have been associated with cancer. This volume gives molecular information on several oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes or chromosomal translocations. Each chapter contains a description of the structure of such transcription factors, the nature of target genes, the regulation of their activities and an explaination of how they can deregulate cell growth and differentiation. This book should be suitable for the specialist scientist and the advanced student

Spreading to every corner of the Earth, the COVID-19 virus has had an unparalleled impact on all aspects of our lives. This book explores in detail how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected clinical practice, education, and research in medical physics, and how colleagues on the frontline dealt with this unpredictable and unprecedented pandemic. It tackles key questions such as: How did medical physicists first respond to the situation? What innovative strategies were taken and how effective were they? How are medical physicists preparing for the future? There will be a focus on the different experiences of regional medical physicists and the responses and outlooks in clinical practice, education, and research in the affected continents, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and North and Latin America. With over 91 contributors from 39 countries, this unique resource contains key perspectives from teams from each territory to ensure a global range of accounts. The collective opinion and wisdom from the major medical physics journal editors-in-chief are also explored, alongside how the pandemic has affected the quantity and quality of publications. Voices of early-career researchers and students of medical physics will be included, with narratives of their experiences coping with life during the pandemic. Lastly, communicating leadership in times of adversity is highlighted. This book will be a historic account of the impact of the COVID-19 virus on the field of medical physics. It will be an ideal reference for medical physicists, medical physics trainees and students, hospital administrators, regulators, and healthcare professionals allied with medical physics. Key features: The first book to cover the impact of COVID-19 on the field of medical physics Edited by two experts in the field, with chapter contributions from subject area specialists around the world Broad, global coverage, ranging from the impact on teaching, research, and publishing, with unique perspectives from journal editors and students and trainees

Where do you begin to look for a recent, authoritative article on the diag nosis or management of a particular malignancy? The few general oncology textbooks are generally out of date. Single papers in specialized journals are informative but seldom comprehensive; these are more often preliminary reports on a very limited number of patients. Certain general journals frequently publish good in-depth reviews of cancer topics, and published symposium lectures are often the best overviews available. Unfortunately, these reviews and supplements appear sporadically, and the reader can never be sure when a topic of special interest will be covered. Cancer Treatment and Research is a series of authoritative volumes that aim to meet this need. It is an attempt to establish a critical mass of oncology literature covering virtually all oncology topics, revised frequently to keep the coverage up to date, and easily available on a single library shelf or by a single personal subscription. We have approached the problem in the following fashion: first, by dividing the oncology literature into specific subdivisions, such as lung cancer, genitourinary cancer, pediatric oncology, etc.; and second, by asking eminent authorities in each of these areas to edit a volume on the specific topic on an annual or biannual basis. Each topic and tumor type is covered in a volume appearing frequently and predictably, discussing current diag nosis, staging, markers, all forms of treatment modalities, basic biology, and more."

- Discusses the latest drug treatments in the field - Gleevec arranged a bulk sale for this title

- Written by leaders in the industry

Differential gene regulation and targeted therapy are the critical aspects of several cancers. This book covers specific gene regulation and targeted therapies in different malignancies. It offers a comprehensive assessment of the transcriptional dysregulation in cancer, and considers some examples of transcriptional regulators as definitive oncogenic drivers in solid tumors, followed by a brief discussion of transcriptional effectors of the programs they drive, and discusses its specific targets. Most targeted therapeutics developed to date have been directed against a limited set of oncogenic drivers, exemplified by those encoding cell surface or cytoplasmic kinases that function in intracellular signaling cascades.