Where do you begin to look for a recent, authoritative article on the diagnosis 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 The few general oncology textbooks are generally out of date.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 indepth reviews of cancer topics, and published symposium lectures are often the best overviews available. Unfor tunately, 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 which 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, 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 can cer, genitourinary cancer, pediatric oncology, etc. Second, by asking emi nent 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 diagnosis, staging, markers, all forms of treatment modalities, basic biology, and more."

It is now becoming very clear that the development and progression of tumor towards the malignant (metastatic) phenotype depends tightly on the interaction between the tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment. Tumor cells respond to stimuli generated within the tumor microenvironment for their growth advantage while the tumor cell themselves reshape and remodel the architecture and function of their extracellular matrices. The term tumor microenvironment is a wide umbrella consisting of stromal cells such as fibroblasts and endothelial cells and infiltration immune cells including T and B cells, macrophages, and other inflammatory cells (PMNs). These different components of the tumor microenvironment could have stimulatory and inhibitory effects on tumor progression by regulating the gene expression repertoire within the tumor cells on one hand and the stroma cells on the other. In this volume we have seven contributors who will discuss several different aspects on the cross talk within the tumor microenvironment components leading to the acquisition of the metastatic phenotype. It is our hope that these state-of-the-art studies will shed further light on our understanding of these complicated processes.

During the last 10 years, the role of specific nutrients in cancer prevention and cancer treatment has been the subject of intense basic, preclinical, and clinical research. At present, the major focus of nutri tional oncology is on the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and their modification by nutrients and on cancer prevention studies in animals and humans. Some human epidemiological studies have confirmed the hypothesis, developed on animals, that there is an inverse relation ship between the intake and/or level of 3-carotene, vitamin A vita min E, or vitamin C and the risk of cancer, whereas others have shown no such relationship. This is not unexpected, since the protective effect of individual nutrients may be too small to be detected by epidemiological methodologies in which a single vitamin or mineral is considered as one variable. Conclusive evidence regarding the role of nutrients in human cancer prevention will come from a well designed human intervention study using one or more nutrients in a population that has a high risk of developing cancer. The involvement of specific nutrients in the regulation of protooncogene expression has just begun. Also, some of the results of human intervention trials are beginning to yield interesting results. A large number of interna tional scientists from various disciplines, including cell biology, mo lecular biology, nutritional oncology, epidemiology, and public health, reviewed and discussed their most recent findings. The following topics were emphasized: 1. Mechanisms of carcinogenesis; 2."

Leukemia continues to offer the scientist a unique opportunity to gain new knowledge about the malignant transformation. As a result, this multi-authored volume, devoted to advances which have occurred over the last seven years, provides the reader with an important new understanding of leukemia, but perhaps even more important, predicts analogous, new developments in the other malignant diagnoses. In this respect, this volume represents the cutting edge of cancer research. This text is unique in that it includes in a single volume the leading contributors to their respective fields covering what the editors feel are the major advances in our knowledge of the biology and therapy of leukemia over the last seven years.

In this volume, international experts discuss the following topics: molecular principles of the genesis of prostate cancer and the involvement of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes; changes of cell-cell contacts; defects in androgen receptors and their effect on treatment with antiandrogens; drug resistance mechanisms and new therapeutic principles; and molecular diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Breast cancer is not only a burning public issue, but very soon we shall see genetic testing for a woman's predisposition to breast cancer. Many women will be demanding to know their degree of risk and will need counselling to cope with that information. This book is particularly aimed at primary health care professionals, including physicians, medical assistants, nurses and counsellors, who daily deal with questions from women concerned about their risk of developing breast cancer. To answer such questions, this book has combined a guide to identifying women at higher risk to breast cancer, with a balanced review of approaches which aim to reduce that risk. The book provides practical general measures which may reduce risk for women at average risk. For women at clearly increased risk various protective options with different levels of efficacy and acceptability are discussed. Central to the book is the patient-centered view. We need to face reality that it still will take many years before the current clinical trials of preventive measures provide meaningful results. Meanwhile, women who seek to diminish their risk of breast cancer need all the available information. They must be given full responsibility to make an informed decision on their own health care. Reducing Breast Cancer Risk in Women is a practical handbook, technicalities have been deliberately kept to a minimum, making it concise and easy to read.

Blood Stem Cell Transplantation conveys the excitement that accompanies the newest developments in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Some of the applications that stand to impact this field most significantly are based on recent advances in the biological sciences, as demonstrated by the chapters on gene therapy, on the detection of minimal residual disease using molecular techniques, and on the use of radioimmunoconjugates targeting lymphoma and leukemia-associated antigens. Others are the results of clinical observations - e.g., the association between graft-versus-host- disease (GVHD) and durable remissions that have led to creative clinical experiments such as donor leukocyte infusions (DLI). Attempts to unravel the biological events that underlie the responses seen in patients with relapsed chronic myelogenous leukemia treated with DLI are likely to provide the basis for future refinements in this clinical approach. Hopefully, improved response rates and reduced toxicity will result. The power of the immunologic response in controlling malignant disease is underscored in the chapter on post-transplant immunotherapy. The complex immunologic process that results in clinical GVHD may be dissected and engineered to provide clinical benefits that include, in addition to its antineoplastic effects, the amelioration of its clinical manifestations. Better control of GVHD with less global immunosuppression will facilitate the use of mismatched and unrelated donors. This area of investigation perfectly illustrates the continued interplay between the laboratory and the clinic. The continued cross-fertilization of ideas between immunologists, molecular biologists and clinical investigators is likely to yield important advances in this field for years to come. Possible applications of stem cell transplantation continue to grow with the identification of alternative sources of stem cells and the potential to engineer and/or expand the graft. Although the use of unrelated and mismatched donors continues to increase, the possibilities associated with umbilical cord blood transplantation are legion, especially if stem cells can be expanded ex vivo to provide grafts for full-sized adults. Using techniques in which contaminating malignant cells may be eliminated from autografts through positive selection, autologous transplantation may prove highly effective, especially when coupled with post-transplant immunotherapy. Some of these same methodologies have helped facilitate the use of autologous grafts for transplantation in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia without allogeneic donors. Advances in the supportive care of transplant patients, including the pretransplant identification of those at risk from pulmonary complications and the use of cytokines to speed engraftment, have reduced morbidity and mortality to such a degree that it is appropriate to consider high-dose therapy and stem cell reconstitution in patients with nonmalignant diseases. The impressive advances that have occurred in transplantation for thalassemia are described by pioneers in their area of investigation. The burgeoning field of transplantation for autoimmune disorders, including its immunobiologic basis and soon-to- be-realized clinical potential, is also summarized. Continued progress in the use of high-dose therapy with stem cell rescue for the treatment of pediatric tumors, which derives in part from improved supportive care, is detailed. The sobering voice of the health care economists underscores the necessary limitations to our seemingly unbridled imagination. Cost- consciousness and financial know-how will need to be reflected in future study designs. Given the seemingly endless applications of our technology, strategies to insure its cost-effectiveness will be necessary. Continued financial support for laboratory investigation and for the clinical experiments they generate will be required if we are to go forward. Blood Stem Cell Transplantation lays the foundation for many of these future advances; it is incumbent upon us all to insure its realization.

We anticipate the book to be a definitive text on the subject that explores all aspects of the study of adrenal cancer and the treatment of patients with the disease. Chapters will cover epidemiology, pathogenesis, genetics, cancer stem cells, historic and emerging therapies, mouse models of adrenal cancer, new developments in tumor profiling, worldwide collaborative groups and tumor registries together with resources for the practitioner and community of adrenal cancer scientists.

We do not wish this book to compete with the other larger books in the Endocrine and Endocrine Surgery literature. In addition, it is not expected to cover benign adrenal diseases that have been covered in detail in other venues. We envision this book to be a very specialized and exhaustive text on basic, translational and clinical aspects of adrenal cancer.

This book presents a comprehensive collection of essential and up-to-date methods for studying both the biology of microtubules and the mechanisms of action of microtubule-interacting drugs. The book contains a straightforward presentation of readily reproducible protocols, tips for troubleshooting, and advice on avoiding common mistakes. Basic scientists and clinical researchers will benefit from this collection.

Understanding the role of hedgehog signaling in cancer is critically important for novel cancer therapeutics. The hedgehog pathway is a major pathway regulating cell differentiation, tissue polarity, stem cell maintenance and cell proliferation. It is known by now that activation of this pathway occurs in a variety of human cancer, including basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), medulloblastomas, leukemia, gastrointestinal, lung, ovarian, breast and prostate cancers. This book provides insightful views suitable for graduate students, medical students, undergraduate students, basic and clinical scientists, cancer patients as well as the general public.

Complex chemical mixtures impact our health every day. In the United States, and also in Central and Eastern Europe, there are a number of locations where complex chemical mixtures have been released to environmental media. Although exposure to mixtures is common, minimal information exists to quantify these exposures, or to determine their impact on human or ecological receptors. These proceedings present some of the most current research conducted to quantify complex mixtures in the environment and investigate their potential impact on human health. Many of the manuscripts reported in these proceedings represent the most up-to-date measurements of population exposures in Central and Eastern Europe. These studies are of value to health and environmental professionals around the world as they develop strategies for assessing exposures, remediating contaminated environments, and improving public health.

Developments in the understanding of the biology and treatment of Hodgkin's disease and non Hodgkin's lymphoma are moving at a rapid pace. New technologies, such as gene expression profiling in malignancy have been implemented using lymphoma to demonstrate their clinical utility. The objective of this volume is to review relevant aspects of the biology, diagnosis, and management with particular emphasis on emerging data available for this disease.

Cancer drug discovery has been and continues to be a process of ingenuity, serendip ity, and dogged determination. In an effort to develop and discover better therapies against cancer, investigators all over the world have increased our knowledge of cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. The goal has been to define therapeuti cally exploitable differences between normal and malignant cells. The result has been an increased understanding of cellular and whole-organism biology and an increased respect for the flexibility and resiliency ofbiologically systems. Thus, as some new therapeutic targets have been defined and new therapeutic strategies have been attempted, so have some new biological hurdles resulting from tumor evasion of the intended therapeutic attack been discovered. Historically, anticancer drugs have originated from all available chemical sources. Synthetic molecules from the chemical industry, especially dyestuffs and warfare agents, and natural products from plants, microbes, and fungi have all been potential sources of pharmaceuticals, including anticancer agents. There is no shortage of molecules; the challenge has been and continues to be methods of identifying molecules that have the potential to be therapeutically important in human malignant disease. "Screening" remains the most important and most controversial method in cancer drug discovery. In vitro screens have generally focused on cytotoxicity and have identified several highly cytotoxic molecules. Other endpoints available in vitro are inhibition of proliferation, 3 inhibition of [ H]thymidine incorporation into DNA and various viability assays, based most frequently on dye exclusion or metabolism.

Timing, racing, combating, struggling and targeting are some actions through which cellular fate could be reflected and evaluated. Interaction between cell territory and environment occur during pre-embryonic, fetal development, and post-natal periods. What the researchers observe as the outcome of telomeres behavior is only the peak of an ice mountain within a stormy ocean. Cellular life depends on programmed behavior of telomeres, capable to surprise the cells. Telomeres provide an introduction to the history of our cells which govern the quality of life and status of health. Telomeres as the cooperative territory are capable of stabilizing the chromosomal territory. The status of telomeres reflects the key information, announcing the real age of individuals, and may be a valuable marker for prognosis and predicting cancer. Telomere territory is characterized with a multi-disciplinary manner. Therefore, this book is aimed to offer a wide range of chapters, hoping to be useful for diverse audiences, including hematologists-oncologists, radiotherapists, surgeons, cancer researchers, and all the sectors who affect the macro- and micro- environmental domains. Finally, telomeres are sensitive, cooperative, and trustable targets. It is worth to state that 'telomeres are messengers of NATURE', let's to know them as they are.

In September 1998 experts from 19 countries came together for an interdisciplinary discussion of the function of animal peroxidases, a family of enzymes embracing myeloperoxidase, eosinophil peroxidase, thyroid peroxidase and lactoperoxidase. Their papers have been updated for publication, yielding a wide-ranging overview of the state of the art. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including three-dimensional structure of representative family members, their biosynthesis and intracellular transport, mechanism of action as well as applications to clinical medicine. They are of clinical relevance in, for example, arteriosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, infections, tumorigenesis, rheumatic diseases and hypothyroidism. This book forms an excellent introduction for anyone interested in the peroxidase family of enzymes.

This volume contains the proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Biology of Brain Tumour. The first Symposium was held in 1979 at Gardonne Riviera, Italy. This meeting was planned in order to coincide with the lOOth Anniversary of the first reported operation for glioma in London on November 25, 1884. Since the first meeting, the field of neuro-oncology has made remarkable progress in understanding both basic and clinical factors of significance to patients with brain tumor. While the earlier meeting dealt to a large extent with clinically oriented studies, this symposium was more heavily weighted toward the biology of brain tumour and improving our understanding at the physiologic, biochemical, pharmacologic, and cellular level. The meeting was divided according to scientific content into presentations and discussions as well as posters for more leisurely viewing, so as to allow the main themes of the meeting to sequentially develop. The first session dealt extensively with neuro-oncology at the molecular level and included considerable discus sion of material related to the babic biochemical milieu in which tumors originate, proliferate, and eventually destroy the brain. Classic neuropathology has been the mainstay of tumor identification and characteriza tion, however, the process of classification has become much more complex. The availability of a variety of new tools has allowed investigation into the validity of the more traditional classification systems as well as the development of newer biologically related concepts.

Cellular drug resistance is a major limitation to the success of chemotherapy of leu kemia and lymphoma. The importance of this has now been recognized by both clinicians and scientists. It is of utmost importance to bridge the gap between laboratory and clinic in this field of research. This is the main purpose of the series of International Symposia on Drug Resistance in Leukemia and Lymphoma. These are held every three years in Am sterdam, The Netherlands, since 1992. This book contains the proceedings of the third of these meetings, organised in 1998. The book covers all important aspects of drug resistance in leukemia and lymphoma, both in the form of extensive reviews as in manuscripts describing original data. General mechanisms of resistance are discussed, including the drug resistance related proteins p glycoprotein, MRP (multi-drug resistance protein) and LRP (lung resistance protein), and the role of glutathione and glutathione-S-transferases. Moreover, more drug type-specific mechanisms of resistance are a topic, such as for glucocorticoids and antifolates. Much in formation is provided on apoptosis and its regulators, and on the results of cell culture drug resistance assays. Several papers focus on the modulation or circumvention of drug resistance."

Where do you begin to look for a recent, authoritative article on the diagnosis or management of a particular malignancy? The few general onco logy textbooks are generally out of date. Single papers in specialized journals are informative but seldom comprehensive; these are more often prelimi nary reports on a very limited number of patients. Certain general journals frequently publish good indepth 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 which 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, easily available on a single library shelf or by a single personal subscription. We have approached the problem in the following fashion. First, by divid ing the oncology literature into specific subdivisions such as lung cancer, genitourinary cancer, pediatric oncology, etc. 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 diagnosis, staging, markers, all forms of treatment modalities, basic biology, and more."

In Breast Cancer: Cellular and Molecular Biology Kluwer Academic Pub lishers, 1988], we tried to present an introduction to the emerging basic studies on steroid receptors, oncogenes, and growth factors in the regulation of normal and malignant mammary epithelium. The response to this volume was superb, indicating a tremendous interest in basic growth regulatory mechanisms governing breast cancer and controlling its malignant progres sion. In the two years since its publication, much new and exciting in formation has been published and the full interplay of regulatory mechanisms is now beginning to emerge. We have divided this book into four sections that we hope will unify important concepts and help to crystallize areas of consensus and/or disagreement among a diverse group of basic and clinical scientists working on the disease. The first section is devoted to studies on oncogenes, antioncogenes, proliferation, and tumor prognosis. The first chapter, by Sunderland and McGuire, introduces the characteristics of breast cancer as studied by patho logists to establish prognostic outcome. Of particular interest is a new proto oncogene called HER-2 (or neu), which is rapidly becoming accepted as a valuable new tumor marker of poor prognosis. The second chapter, by Lee Bookstein and Lee, introduces the best known antioncogene, the retinoblas toma antioncogene, whose expression is sometimes lost in breast cancer. Malignant progression appears to be influenced by the balance of proto oncogene and antioncogene expression."

Where do you begin to look for a recent, authoritative article on the diagnosis or management of particular malignancy? The few general oncol ogy textbooks are generally out of date. Single papers in specialized journals are informative but seldom comprehensive; these are more often prelimin ary 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, 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 can cer, genitourinary cancer, pediatric oncology, etc. Second, by asking emin ent 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 diagnosis, staging, markers, all forms of treatment modalities, basic biology, and more."

Cann's Principles of Molecular Virology, Seventh Edition provides an easily accessible introduction to modern virology, presenting principles in a clear and concise manner. The new edition provides the history of virology and the fundamentals of the molecular basis of how viruses work. It discusses the interactions which control the structure of virus particles, the ways viruses infect cells, how viruses replicate themselves, and the consequences and pathogenesis of virus infection for host organisms. This fully updated edition also reflects advances made in the field and includes new content on phage therapy, CRISPR as a phage defense / offense system, new ideas about evolution, and giant viruses. With the addition of ancillary resources, Principles of Molecular Virology, Seventh Edition is an essential foundational reference for academics, graduate students, and advance undergraduates in virology, molecular biology, and microbiology as well as researchers entering virology, infectious disease, and immunology research.

This edited volume describes cell-SELEX as the fundamental tool used to generate aptamer molecules for a wide range of applications in molecular medicine, bioanalysis and chemical biology. Easily integrated into the natural heterogeneous cell matrix, aptamers can be effectively used in theranostics, bioanalysis, environment detection and biomedical studies. The book gathers reviews that reflect the latest advances in the field of aptamers and consists in fourteen chapters demonstrating essential examples of these aptamers and aptamer-nanomaterial assemblies, depending on the types of applications and biological systems. It also includes a separate chapter on the utilization of aptamers in real clinics and what will be required to achieve this significant goal. The book will be both appealing and useful to a broad audience, including biologists, bioscientists, and clinicians whose interests range from chemistry and biomedical engineering to cell and molecular biology and biotechnology. Weihong Tan is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at Hunan University, China and also a University of Florida Distinguished Professor and V.T. and Louis Jackson Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florida, USA. Xiaohong Fang is a Professor at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Photodynamic Therapy: From Theory to Application brings attention to an exceptional treatment strategy, which until now has not achieved the recognition and breadth of applications it deserves. The authors, all experts and pioneers in their field, discuss the history and basic principles of PDT, as well as the fundamentals of the theory, methods, and instrumentation of clinical diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Non-oncological applications such as the use of PDT in control of parasites and noxious insects are also discussed. This book serves as a standard reference for researchers and students at all levels, clinical specialists interested in the topic and those in industry exploring new areas for development. A comprehensive exposition of both the theory and application of PDT, this book fills the gaps in the current literature by bringing together both basic understanding of the process of PDT and an expanded vision of its applications.

Malignant disease of the genitourinary tract continues to provide a major health hazard. The study of these disease processes has been hampered at the clinical level as there has been a serious lack of reasonably controlled treatment trials, and at the basic science level as many of the animal model systems do not compare favorably with the human tumor situation. This volume defines current cancer treatment and research and its appli cation to the control of human genitourinary malignancy. The authors have developed their chapters in such a way as to provide an up-to-date resource for the clinician who is involved in day-to-day patient care problems, for the clinician-investigator who is attempting to construct programs designed to evaluate the impact of current treatments, and for the clinician-scientist who is seeking to apply basic research technology and skills to understand ing and control in this disease area. This book does not attempt to cover the entire breadth of urinary malig nant disease, but focuses in depth on specific problem areas. It provides the reader with sufficient background and understanding for him to be able to evaluate future studies in the areas addressed, or even to develop his own projects. A reasonable balance has been established between clinical and basic research problems, recognizing that the two disciplines truly are not separable. The book serves to define the state of the art and, as such, will of urologic oncology."