This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of a wide variety of pathologies. Sonography reliably identifies a wide range of diseases, and the efficacy of modern ultrasound has dramatically improved with contrast enhancement. This book covers almost all aspects of CEUS starting from basic principles and ending with features of its application in individual organs. In particular, it explores the diseases of abdominal, retroperitoneal, and pelvic organs as well as superficial structures, highlighting the characteristic features of typical findings. Focal lesions are discussed in depth, with attention to their early detection and differential diagnosis. Besides, a practical approach to the stratification of the risk of malignancies is provided. The authors summarized their own experience with CEUS in oncology, hepatology, gynecology, urology, endocrinology, and other fields of medicine. The role of CEUS in differential diagnosis of various disorders of the female reproductive system is comprehensively discussed as well. The presentation is clear and concise, and richly illustrated. The book will be a helpful tool for both residents and practitioners approaching ultrasound diagnostics, as well for more experienced radiologists and other professionals.

Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Cancer is a multi-volume series that will focus on an emerging area of cancer research. In 1968, R.H. Williams first reported that elevated prostaglandin levels are present in human medullary car- cinoma. Since that time, the concept that arachidonic acid metabolites may be in- volved in cancer has expanded to include every aspect of the disease from cell transformation through metastasis. Prostaglandins and leukotrienes are generic terms used to describe a family of bioactive lipids produced from unsaturated fatty acids (principally from arachidonic acid) via the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways, respec- tively. Cyclooxygenase products consist of diverse products such as prosta- glandin E2 (PGE2), prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2), whereas lipoxygenase products consist of hydroperoxy fatty acids and mono-, di-and tri-hydroxy acids including leukotrienes. The precursor fatty acids for the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways are present in cellular phospholipids. This finding established an important control point in their biosynthesis-the release of substrate. This occurs in response to numerous stimuli that act at the cell surface. Dr. Bengt Samuelsson's extensive study of the metabolism of pros- taglandins indicated that they are rapidly inactivated on a single pass through pulmonary circulation. Thus, they cannot act as circulating hormones and appear to be made on demand in or in the vicinity of target tissues leading to the concept that prostaglandins are local hormones or autocoids.

A complete introduction and guide to the latest developments in cancer gene therapy-from bench to bedside. The authors comprehensively review the anticancer genes and gene delivery methods currently available for cancer gene therapy, including the transfer of genetic material into the cancer cells, stimulation of the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, and the targeting of the nonmalignant stromal cells that support their growth. They also thoroughly examine the advantages and limitations of the different therapies and detail strategies to overcome obstacles to their clinical implementation. Topics of special interest include vector-targeting techniques, the lessons learned to date from clinical trials of cancer gene therapy, and the regulatory guidelines for future trials. Noninvasive techniques to monitor the extent of gene transfer and disease regression during the course of treatment are also discussed.

This book was inspired by a gatheringofscientists in Los Angeles in 1994 under the auspices of the UCLA Clinical Nutrition Research Unit which is funded by the National Cancer Institute to promote new research into nutrition and cancer prevention. This unit supports research integrating basic and metabolic/clinical investigations which examine observations from epidemiologic studies and their application to the prevention ofcommon forms ofcancer through nutritional intervention. There is a great deal ofinformation from epidemiologic, experimental and metabolic studies implicating elements ofthe diet as important in the development and progression of common forms ofcancer including breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and uterine cancer. When these forms ofcancerareexaminedcarefully, it isclearthat they share anumber ofcommon etiologic factors related to dietary fat, lipids, and hormones. A human cancer is usually discovered at a point where it has formed a detectable mass. For many forms of cancer, this may require 10 to 15 years from the time when the cancer is first initiated. Nutritional efforts at prevention may delay the progression ofcancer to a detectable mass resulting in reduced incidence and may retard the clinical progression and metastatic spread ofcancer after its primary treatment.

The book presents a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of phytochemicals as efficient cancer therapeutics. Over the last few decades there has been a paradigm shift from conventional cancer therapeutic approaches to alternative and complementary medicinal approaches especially using phytoconstituents from natural products. As such, the book provides an in-depth understanding of phytochemicals targeting diverse signaling pathways involved in cancer along with the evaluation of the cancer modulatory effects of phytochemicals. It also highlights the potential modulatory effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the cancer-associated cellular pathways and their interactions with the phytochemicals. Further, it analyzes the drug delivery methods, bioavailability of active components of botanicals, and toxicity of phytochemicals. Lastly, the book elucidates the 3D cell culture and animal models systems to analyze the beneficial effects of phytochemicals in cancer.

This volume includes comprehensive methods and protocols on autophagic pathways in cancer disorders. Chapters cover basic principles of autophagy methodology in cancer cells, translational approaches, systematic computational analyses of TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) cohorts, CCLE (The Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia) analysis, CRISPR genetics, metabolomics, biochemistry, and immunohistochemistry methodologies. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Autophagy and Cancer: Methods and Protocols aims to be a useful practical guide to researches to help further their study in this field.

With the rapid development of biotechnologies, single-cell sequencing has become an important tool for understanding the molecular mechanisms of diseases, defining cellular heterogeneities and characteristics, and identifying intercellular communications and single-cell-based biomarkers. Providing a clear overview of the clinical applications, the book presents state-of-the-art information on immune cell function, cancer progression, infection, and inflammation gained from single-cell DNA or RNA sequencing. Furthermore, it explores the role of target gene methylation in the pathogenesis of diseases, with a focus on respiratory cancer, infection and chronic diseases. As such it is a valuable resource for clinical researchers and physicians, allowing them to refresh their knowledge and improve early diagnosis and therapy for patients.

Follow along as this New York Times bestselling author details the astonishing scientific discovery of the code to unleashing the human immune system to fight in this "captivating and heartbreaking" book (The Wall Street Journal).

For decades, scientists have puzzled over one of medicine's most confounding mysteries: Why doesn't our immune system recognize and fight cancer the way it does other diseases, like the common cold?

As it turns out, the answer to that question can be traced to a series of tricks that cancer has developed to turn off normal immune responses -- tricks that scientists have only recently discovered and learned to defeat. The result is what many are calling cancer's "penicillin moment," a revolutionary discovery in our understanding of cancer and how to beat it.

In The Breakthrough, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Nurse Charles Graeber guides readers through the revolutionary scientific research bringing immunotherapy out of the realm of the miraculous and into the forefront of twenty-first-century medical science. As advances in the fields of cancer research and the human immune system continue to fuel a therapeutic arms race among biotech and pharmaceutical research centers around the world, the next step -- harnessing the wealth of new information to create modern and more effective patient therapies -- is unfolding at an unprecedented pace, rapidly redefining our relationship with this all-too-human disease.

Groundbreaking, riveting, and expertly told, The Breakthrough is the story of the game-changing scientific discoveries that unleash our natural ability to recognize and defeat cancer, as told through the experiences of the patients, physicians, and cancer immunotherapy researchers who are on the front lines. This is the incredible true story of the race to find a cure, a dispatch from the life-changing world of modern oncological science, and a brave new chapter in medical history.

This book discusses computer-supported medical diagnosis with a particular focus on ovarian tumor diagnosis - since ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose and has high mortality rates, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. It presents the theoretical foundations (both medical and mathematical) of the intelligent OvaExpert system, which supports decision-making in tumor diagnosis. OvaExpert was created primarily to help gynecologists predict the malignancy of ovarian tumors by applying the existing diagnostic models and using modern methods of computational intelligence that accommodate imprecise and imperfect medical data, both of which are common features of everyday medical practice. The book presents novel methods based on interval-valued fuzzy sets and the theory of their cardinalities.

"Merkel Cell Carcinoma" is one of the first comprehensive, single-source clinical texts on the subject. Although not as common as melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma is not rare and it is both more deadly than melanoma and increasing at an epidemic rate. The book is clinical in focus and emphasizes treatment of this poorly understood cancer. Contributing authors include dermatologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists from the US and around the world.

Features:

. Comprehensive single-source clinical reference

. Treatment focus

. Written for practitioners, with emphasis on clinical relevance and quick retrieval of information

. Contributing authors represent all disciplines involved in treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma: dermatology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology

. International in perspective, with contributors from US and abroad

.Members of active Merkel Cell Carcinoma Multicenter Interest Group have authored some of the chapters

The 15th International Symposium of the Japan Human Cell Society on Cell and Molecular Biology of Endometrial Carcinoma brought together leading researchers from Japan and around the world. The papers collected here are the work of twenty-two leaders in their field and are organized in ten major categories. The first section, in vitro experimental systems, takes up the pioneering work by Kuramoto in 1968 and Nishida in 1980 in establishing, respectively, the HEC-1 and hormone-responsive endometrial carcinoma cell lines. Other topics include apoptosis, proliferation, and growth factors; cell cycle regulators; signaling pathways; angiogenesis; carcinogenesis; hormones and hormone receptors; genes and gene expression; endometrial receptivity; and chemo-resistance and -sensitivity. Presenting the latest work in the cell and molecular biology of endometrial carcinoma, this volume is a valuable resource for gynecologists, pathologists, and molecular biologists.

This book comprehensively summarizes the biology, etiology, and pathology of ovarian cancer and explores the role of deep molecular and cellular profiling in the advancement of precision medicine. The initial chapter discusses our current understanding of the origin, development, progression and tumorigenesis of ovarian cancer. In turn, the book highlights the development of resistance, disease occurrence, and poor prognosis that are the hallmarks of ovarian cancer. The book then reviews the role of deep molecular and cellular profiling to overcome challenges that are associated with the treatment of ovarian cancer. It explores the use of genome-wide association analysis to identify genetic variants for the evaluation of ovarian carcinoma risk and prognostic prediction. Lastly, it highlights various diagnostic and prognostic ovarian cancer biomarkers for the development of molecular-targeted therapy.

Revealing essential roles of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research on how different signaling pathways are important in the tumor microenvironment. Multiple signaling pathways are covered, including Src, Neuregulin, Adenosine, TGF , Androgen, Wnt, and more. Taken alongside its companion volumes, these books update us on what we know about various aspects of the tumor microenvironment as well as future directions. Tumor Microenvironment: Signaling Pathways - Part B is essential reading for advanced cell biology and cancer biology students as well as researchers seeking an update on research in the tumor microenvironment.

Janet Lau's thesis describes her studies into the use of phthalocyanine-based photosensitizers in combined chemo- and photodynamic therapy (PDT) and targeted PDT. In order to carry out this study, Lau uses several approaches: conjugation with a chemotherapeutic oxaliplatin derivative, use of a polyamine ligand 2 with a view to targeting the polyamine transporters over-expressed in tumor cells, and employment of a quencher that can inhibit their photodynamic activity but can still be removed under a tumor-associated environment such as low pH and high thiol concentration. This thesis reports dual activatable photosensitizers for the first time. Overall the studies included are original and the effects have been well demonstrated at the cellular level. The work in this thesis is of much current interest and importance, and can pave foundation for further developments. Accordingly, part of the results has been published in prestigious scientific journals.

Atlas of Selective Lymphadenectomy for Melanoma, Breast Cancer and Colon Cancer emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach combining the experiences of a nuclear medicine physician, surgeon, and pathologist. This is an important reference also for researchers and clinicians who want to become familiar with sentinel lymph node mapping. The underlying thesis in solid tumor biology is that metastasis in general starts in an orderly progression with lymphatic spread first to the sentinel lymph node (SLN) in the nearest lymph node basin. Therefore, the logical approach is to harvest that specific SLN for thorough analysis.

This book comprises proceedings from the Third International Conference on Advances in Nutrition and Cancer, held in Naples in May 2012. This highly multidisciplinary meeting analyzed "nutrition and cancer" from different perspectives and on the basis of distinct and up-to-date experimental approaches. Knowledge on the relation between lifestyle, diet, and cancer is explored in a number of contributions, and the role of dietary intervention in cancer patients is discussed. Issues of vital interest to the research community, such as epidemiological and experimental oncology (genetics, epigenetics, and the mechanisms of action of natural compounds in the diet), receive detailed consideration. A further key topic is the emerging molecular technologies (the "omics") that can cast light on the interplay between nutrition and human malignancies. Chapters take the form of reviews that include sections presenting expert opinions.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research on the molecular players in the tumor microenvironment, including Cathepsin D, galectins, iron, oxygen, Phospholipase D1, leptin, extracellular vesicles, and more. Taken alongside its companion volumes, these books update us on what we know about the tumor microenvironment as well as future directions. Tumor Microenvironment: Molecular Players - Part A is essential reading for advanced cell biology and cancer biology students as well as researchers seeking an update on research in the tumor microenvironment.

This volume presents techniques needed for the study of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer from their identification to functional characterization. Chapters guide readers through identification of lncRNA expression signatures in cancer tissue or liquid biopsies by RNAseq, single Cell RNAseq, Phospho RNAseq or Nanopore Sequencing techniques; validation of lncRNA signatures by Real time PCR, digital PCR or in situ hybridization; and functional analysis by siRNA or CRISPR based methods for lncRNA silencing or overexpression. Lipid based nanoparticles for delivery of siRNAs in vivo, lncRNA-protein interactions, viral lncRNAs and circRNAs are also treated in this volume. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols.   Authoritative and practical, Long Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer aims to provide a collection of laboratory protocols, bioinformatic pipelines, and review chapters to further research in this vital field. 

This thesis presents a simple, yet highly effective surface engineering solution that uses non-covalent binding peptides to control the autophagy-inducing activity of nanomaterials and nanodevices. The author presents RE-1, a short synthetic peptide that sequence-specifically binds to lanthanide (LN) oxide and upconversion nanocrystals with high affinity, which was discovered using an innovative phage display approach. RE-1 effectively inhibits the autophagy-inducing activity and toxicity of these nanocrystals by forming a stable coating layer on the surface of the nanoparticles, and by reducing their sedimentation and cell interaction. RE- 1 and its variants provide a versatile tool for tuning cell interactions in order to achieve the desired level of autophagic response and are useful for the various diagnostic and therapeutic applications of LN-based nanomaterials and nanodevices.

During May 21-June 1 1990, the eleventh course of the International School of Pure and Applied Biostructure, a NATO Advanced Study Institute, was held at the Ettore Majorana Center for Scientific Culture in Erice, Italy, co-sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Universities and of Scientific and Technological Research, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Italian National Research Council, the Sicilian Regional Government and Technobiochip. The subject of the course was "Molecular Basis of Human Cancer" with participants selected worldwide from 15 different countries. The purpose of the course was to address, in a tutorial and structural fashion, the molecular basis of human cancer, including the mechanism of signal transduction in mammalian cells, the genetic mechanism of malignant transformation in man, growth factors, hormone receptors, cell membrane and cytoskeleton, and DNA high order structure. The course had this as its major objective and the resulting book reflects it. The participants were exposed to a critical evaluation of current knowledge about cancer and to some of the key problems that remain as stumbling blocks to our eventual understanding of this important biological and medical problem. Through the media of formal and informal lectures, workshops, symposia and informal discussions, a select group of interested young and senior scientists were acquainted with many of the aspects of human cancer.

This volume provides the current understanding of death receptor's/TLR3 signaling regulation in cancer. Death receptors, including TRAIL-R1, TRAIL-R2, Fas and TNF-RI, owing to their ability to trigger apoptosis and to contribute to the elimination of cancer cells by the immune system have been considered, to variable extent, as important therapeutic targets for cancer therapy. But an increasing body of evidence suggests that some of these receptors may also contribute to tumorigenesis, or that new players such as TLR3 may be targeted for cancer therapy due to their ability to behave like death receptors.

This book comprises select peer-reviewed proceedings of the medical challenge - C-NMC challenge: Classification of normal versus malignant cells in B-ALL white blood cancer microscopic images. The challenge was run as part of the IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (IEEE ISBI) 2019 held at Venice, Italy in April 2019. Cell classification via image processing has recently gained interest from the point of view of building computer-assisted diagnostic tools for blood disorders such as leukaemia. In order to arrive at a conclusive decision on disease diagnosis and degree of progression, it is very important to identify malignant cells with high accuracy. Computer-assisted tools can be very helpful in automating the process of cell segmentation and identification because morphologically both cell types appear similar. This particular challenge was run on a curated data set of more than 14000 cell images of very high quality. More than 200 international teams participated in the challenge. This book covers various solutions using machine learning and deep learning approaches. The book will prove useful for academics, researchers, and professionals interested in building low-cost automated diagnostic tools for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

This book illustrates the basics and underlying molecular machinery of cancer cells and biochemical assays that detect the type and stage of cancer through cell signaling biomarkers. It starts with a brief introduction to cancer biomarkers and addresses technologies for identifying and validating cancer biomarkers, biomarkers for cancer drug development, prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers, and microbiome as cancer biomarkers. It reviews predictive biomarkers for anticancer drugs, biomarkers in cancer survival and drug resistance, biomarkers in tumor recurrence and metastasis, the role of the biomarker in immunotherapy and personalized medicine, and the development of a novel cancer biomarker. Finally, this book also underpins the role of nanotechnology in the use and detection of cancer biomarkers for enhanced sensitivity and specificity. Lastly, it discusses the challenges with biomarkers in cancer drug discovery and development. This volume is an indispensable tool for researchers working in the field of cancer and also for clinical oncologists.