DNA and RNA fractions have been isolated from the whole blood, serum, plasma, the surface of blood cells, urine, saliva and spinal fluid from both healthy individuals and clinical patients. Recent developments are presented concerning the isolation, quantification and analysis of these molecules and their use in the identification of specific nucleic acid fragments related to a variety of clinical disorders thereby permitting their early diagnosis and prognosis.

Population studies and epidemiology facilitate the discovery of genetic and environmental determinants of cancer and the development of new approaches to cancer control and prevention, therefore they play a central role in the creation of health policies. Cancer Epidemiology compiles areas of research which cover etiological factors or determinants that contribute to the development of cancer and describe the the latest technologies in cancer epidemiology. In Volume 2, Modifiable Factors, leading experts provide chapters on modifiable factors in cancer epidemiology, epidemiology of organ specific cancer, and environmental and life style factors. Although a non-standard volume of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series, this comprehensive text retains the commitment of the series to collecting the kind of detailed, up-to-date information and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results. Cutting-edge and essential, Cancer Epidemiology allows readers to get the maximum advantage of the methods involved in this exciting and important field.

In this volume, the specific challenges and problems facing the evaluation of new oncology agents are explored with regards to pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic modeling and clinical pharmacology development strategies. This book delivers, with an emphasis on the oncology therapeutic area, the goals set in the first three volumes: namely - to provide clinical pharmacologists practical insights for the application of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics for new drug development strategies. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic concepts for tyrosine kinases, the evaluation of cardiac repolarization prolongation through QTc interval effects, efficacy- and safety-response analyses to support new drug approvals, clinical and preclinical tumor growth modeling, and flat- vs weight-based dose selection are showcased from an oncology clinical pharmacologist's point-of-view. Oncology development strategies are surveyed for new FDA-approvals to identify patterns in expectations at time of first approval. The special considerations necessary to address combination drug development, metronomics, biosimilars and breakthrough therapies are also presented.

The imbalance between rapidly proliferating tumor cells and inadequate and inefficient tumor vasculature leads to a decrease in oxygen levels (hypoxia and/or anoxia) in tumor tissues. Intra-tumor hypoxia profoundly affects the biological behavior of cancer cells, which become resistant to conventional therapies and acquire a more invasive and metastatic phenotype.Hypoxia is a hallmark of the malignant phenotype and a key feature of the tumor microenvironment. Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 (HIF-1) is a master regulator of the transcriptional response to oxygen deprivation.HIF triggers the expression of genes whose products induce angiogenesis, decrease oxygen consumption, switch metabolism to glycolysis, maintain a stem cell phenotype and select for more invasive and metastatic cells. Therapeutic approaches targeting HIF, directly or downstream mediators of its transcriptional activity, are being developed. Intra-tumor hypoxia is atopic hasbeen gaining scientific interestover the last few years for its wide involvement in many physiological and pathological processes.
This volume will cover the latest research and translational aspects associated with intra-tumor hypoxia, along with opportunities for drug development offered by this unique feature of the tumor microenvironment. The ongoing efforts to translate our understanding of the biology underlying intra-tumor hypoxia in viable therapeutic options face many challenges, but this book will provide an opportunity for an in-depth analysis of the fundamental mechanisms implicated in the adaption to low oxygen levels and will scrutinize the potential for opportunities that are being pursued in both research and the drug development industry."

Prostate Cancer: Biology, Genetics, and the New Therapeutics, Second Edition, reviews new, valuable approaches to the treatment of prostate cancer in men. The latest edition contains new material on molecular imaging, new treatments for prostate cancer, molecular targets, cell signaling pathways, bioinformatics, and pathogenomics. The book details the latest innovations and advances in prostate cancer and may be used as a rapid reference text for readers.

The volume profiles the latest advances in cancer research and treatment and includes profound studies in prostate stem cells, cancer-host interactions, hedgehog signaling in development and cancer, cholesterol and cell signaling, gene therapy for advanced prostate cancer, and noninvasive strategies such as molecular imaging to visualize gene expression. This new edition also investigates expression profiling and somatic alterations in prostate cancer progression and linkage studies of prostate cancer families to identify susceptibility genes. The issues of racial differences in prostate cancer mortality, radiotherapy for the treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer, recombinant antibody candidates for treatment, taxane-based chemotherapy, lethal phenotypes, and novel and efficient translation clinical trials are also presented in great depth.

Prostate Cancer: Biology, Genetics, and the New Therapeutics, Second Edition, provides readers with a general reference for prostate cancer from prevention to therapy and will be of value to clinicians, scientists, and administrators who strive to solve the cancer problem.

This volume focuses on defining the unique attributes of using the zebrafish cancer model for discovering important pathways and potential drug targets for the treatment of human cancers. Using the zebrafish model, the volume explores oncogene and tumor suppressor discovery, chemical genetic approaches, genomics, epigenetics, cancer imaging, and cell transplantation. Contributed chapters come from the most prominent laboratories working in this field, which provides a unique perspective on zebrafish models from a wide spectrum of the research community. In addition, the book offers a detailed analysis of the most current research in the area for specific zebrafish cancer models, including T cell leukemia, rhabdomyosarcoma, liver and pancreatic cancer, melanoma, neuroblastoma, germ cell tumors, and malignant peripheral sheath tumors. A chapter is also dedicated to the development and utilization of other piscine models of cancer. The compilation of chapters in the volume culminates into a comprehensive and definitive text on zebrafish and cancer, providing a much needed resource on the powerful attributes of the zebrafish model system.

This comprehensive and easy-to-read monograph is an authoritative update on clinical prostate cancer. It has been prepared by an international, multidisciplinary team at the invitation of the International Prostate Health Council think tank. A particular strength of the book is its presentation of the therapeutic options for patients with localized and advanced disease, including hormonal treatment.

Cancer continues to be a growing problem as it is the foremost cause of death worldwide, killing millions of people each year. The number of people battling cancer continues to increase, owing to different reasons, such as lifestyle choices. Clinically, determining the cause of cancer is very challenging and often inaccurate. Incorporating efficient and accurate algorithms to detect cancer cases is becoming increasingly beneficial for scientists in computer science and healthcare, as well as a long-term benefit for doctors, patients, clinic practitioners, and more. Specifically, an automation of computation in machine learning could be a solution in the next generation of big data science technology. Machine Learning in Cancer Research With Applications in Colon Cancer and Big Data Analysis presents algorithms that have been developed to evaluate big data approaches and cancer research. The chapters include artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches, as well as case studies to solve the predictive issues in colon cancer research. This book includes concepts and techniques used to run tasks in an automated manner with the intent to improve better accuracy in comparison with previous studies and methods. This book also covers the processes of research design, development, and outcome analytics in this field. Doctors, IT consultants, IT specialists, medical software professionals, data scientists, researchers, computer scientists, healthcare practitioners, academicians, and students can benefit from this critical resource.

This volume explores the mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapeutics. The focus is on the cancer cell signaling network, although other mechanisms of resistance including target mutation, and new areas of study such as cancer stem cells are included. Targeted Therapies: Mechanisms of Resistance highlights examples of changes in the signaling network in response to inhibition of a signaling event and underscores the importance in having a mechanistic understanding of the signaling network in cancer for developing effective targeted cancer therapies. Moreover, cutting edge tools to analyze the cell signaling network will be discussed. This includes the leading edge of techniques as well as computational biology and systems theory. This volume provides the reader with both an overview as well as a detailed perspective on the mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapeutics and will be of great value to the oncologist, the physician-scientist treating patients and the translational scientist working on any aspect of targeted therapeutics.

This book discusses the molecular, biological, pathological, and clinical aspects of melanoma, with special emphasis in the new concepts of melanoma genetics. A multidisciplinary group of experts in Genetics, Dermatology, Pathology, and Melanoma Medical Oncology contribute state-of-the-art knowledge in melanoma research and clinical management, not only exposing the current status of knowledge of the topics but also providing their personal experiences and ideas about the future and potential practical application of the genetic aspects of melanoma. During the last few years we have witnessed an impressive amount of discoveries in the field of melanoma genetics which have changed our approach in understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of this lethal disease. Genetics of Melanoma is a practical approach to melanoma genetic mechanisms and their application in the diagnosis and treatment of this malignancy. It is an essential source of updated information and a powerful tool for clinicians, pathologists, and basic scientists who wish to understand, apply, and investigate the multiple new aspects of melanoma genetics.

The third edition is a comprehensive and updated overview of positive and negative effects of UV-exposure, with a focus on Vitamin D and skin cancer. Researchers, oncologists,and students will be provided with the most significant and timely information related to topics such as the epidemiology of skin cancer, the immune system and skin cancer, ultraviolet damage, DNA repair and Vitamin D in Nonmelanoma skin cancer and malignant melanoma. There have been a number of new, scientific findings in this fast moving field that necessitated a thoroughly updated and revised edition including new Vitamin D metabolites and skin cancer, new findings on the beneficial effects of UV and solar UV and skin cancer, adverse effects of sun protection and sunscreens, sun exposure and mortality, and more. The book will summarize essential, up-to-date information for every clinician or scientist interested in how to balance the positive and negative effects of UV-exposure to minimize the risks of developing vitamin D deficiency and skin cancer.

Sphingolipids are lipid components of the plasma membrane in eukaryotic cells. They have an important function in signaling mechanisms in the cell. This book on sphingolipids provides insights into the basics of sphingolipid biology and drug development, with a particular emphasis on the sphingolipid derivative ceramide. In the first part basic functions of sphingolipids are described, as well as the genetics of important enzymes, sphingolipid metabolism and synthesis. The second part of this first volume focuses on drug development and pharmacology. The book is intended for scientists in pharmacology, biochemistry and cell biology with a focus on biomedical research as well as for clinicians working in pharmacology, oncology, cardiology, neurology and infectious disease. Together with Volume 216 by the same editors, the collection represents a unique, comprehensive work on sphingolipids, providing information on both sphingolipids basic biology (including synthesis, metabolism and cell biology) and their important function in a (patho-)physiological context."

High-fidelity chromosomal DNA replication underpins all life on the planet. In humans, there are clear links between chromosome replication defects and genome instability, genetic disease and cancer, making a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms of genome duplication vital for future advances in diagnosis and treatment. Building on recent exciting advances in protein structure determination, the book will take the reader on a guided journey through the intricate molecular machinery of eukaryotic chromosome replication and provide an invaluable source of information, ideas and inspiration for all those with an interest in chromosome replication, whether from a basic science, translational biology and medical research perspective.

The future of oncology seems to lie in Molecular Medicine (MM). MM is a new science based on three pillars. Two of them are evident in its very name and are well known: medical science and molecular biology. However, there is a general unawareness that MM is firmly based on a third, and equally important, pillar: Systems Biomedicine. Currently, this term denotes multilevel, hierarchical models integrating key factors at the molecular, cellular, tissue, through phenotype levels, analyzed to reveal the global behavior of the biological process under consideration. It becomes increasingly evident that the tools to construct such complex models include, not only bioinformatics and modern applied statistics, as is unanimously agreed, but also other interdisciplinary fields of science, notably, Mathematical Oncology, Systems Biology and Theoretical Biophysics.

In Apoptosis and Cancer: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition, expert researches in the field detail the performance of molecular and cellular biology techniques for studying and detecting the activation of the apoptotic pathway. Chapters focus on assays developed to detect its activation not only in vitro but also in vivo, optimized multiplex analysis, medium- to high-throughput screens, and the cellular 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 key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Apoptosis and Cancer: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aids scientists as a stand-alone resource for the execution and analysis of the described protocols and as a reference for the study and detection of apoptosis within and outside the area of cancer research.

Numerous studies have shown that elevated levels of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood of cancer patients are associated with poor response to treatment and inferior survival probabilities. Despite this clinical significance, the molecular biology of CTCs remains poorly understood. The paucity in molecular information can be attributed to the tremendous technical challenges involved in isolating these extremely rare cells. Recent technological advancements in rare-cell technology, however, have allowed for the reliable enrichment and isolation of CTCs. Consequently, the use of recently developed molecular approaches -e.g., multiplexed QPCR, microarray, and next generation sequencing analyses- to profile CTCs have provided novel insights into the molecular makeup of these tumor cells. This book discusses approaches for enrichment and isolation of CTCs as well as recent advances in comprehensive molecular profiling of CTCs using cutting-edge omics technology.

While many comprehensive texts have been written on the treatment of breast cancer, the most common cancer among women, there are relatively few which cover in depth the prevention and early detection of the disease. The goal of this work is to present what experts in the ?eld feel is the current knowledge and future direction of breast cancer prevention and early detection. We begin Part I of the book with a review of risk factors, both genetic and environmental. We next review progress in the use of chemoprevention. Notably, chemoprevention risk reduction studies have led to FDA approval of two medications which measurably reduce disease incidence among women at increased risk, although with some risk of treatment related side effects. Newer agents in the pipeline, which may also reduce risk among normal risk women, are also discussed. Surgical risk reducing strategies complete the section on prevention, including both the bene?ts and downsides to this more aggressive approach. Even with aggressive prevention strategies, some women will develop breast cancer. For these women, early detection is critical to minimize disease spread and maximize long term survival. Part II of this book reviews current and upcoming approaches to early detection. Imaging strategies, including mammography, breast ultrasound, MRI, and PET imaging are reviewed. The potential for molecular tumor targeting to detect disease prior to the formation of a mass visible by anatomic imaging is presented.

Pelvic Cancer Surgery: Modern Breakthroughs and Future Advances brings together the three main pelvic specialties (Urology, Gynecological Oncology and Colorectal Surgery) into one volume. Patients have been shown to benefit from a multidisciplinary approach since it allows surgeons of different specialties to learn from one another therefore enhancing the treatment for the patient. Pelvic cancer outcomes are poor in low volume centres. These centres account for 80% of the global centres dealing with these cancers. Pelvic Cancer Surgery: Modern Breakthroughs and Future Advances is a much needed book that can focus training and assist health professionals in their care of patients with pelvic dysfunction. Pelvic Cancer Surgery: Modern Breakthroughs and Future Advance is complete with full color illustrations and schematic diagrams and makes use of key points and stepwise figures for an enhanced learning experience.

This book addresses the most pressing current questions in the management of urologic malignancies. The rapid advances in imaging and molecular markers are placed into a clinical context, with explanation of their effects on prognosis and treatment planning. Similarly, progress in immunotherapy is carefully examined, focusing in particular on the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in both early- and late-stage urologic malignancies. Looking beyond the improvements in minimally invasive techniques for urologic cancers, the impacts of care coordination pathways and enhanced recovery after surgery protocols are reviewed. Readers will also find enlightening discussion of the decision algorithm for the treatment of early-stage, high-grade bladder cancer, taking into account evidence on the most advanced treatment options and the circumstances in which surgery may need to be expedited. The penultimate chapter discusses the Cancer Genome Atlas project for bladder cancer, and the book closes by considering contemporary medical and surgical management of testicular cancer.

The American Cancer Society recently estimated that about 45,000 new cases of thyroid cancer will be diagnosed in the United States, with three-quarters occurring in women. The overall 5-year survival rate is about 97%, making it one of the least lethal cancers. We are experiencing an epidemic of well-differentiated thyroid cancer, in part due to the widespread use of imaging modalities that detect thyroid nodules and microcarcinomas. Concurrently, there have been a number of recent advances in surgical treatment, as well as diagnostic modalities that allow us to detect small amounts of residual local and metastatic disease. Additionally, a reexamination of past treatment regimens has led to new recommendations regarding the use of radioactive iodine, and to new therapeutic options, such as targeted therapy which have supplanted the use of more toxic chemotherapy for metastatic cancer. Multiple academic organizations have developed consensus guidelines for the management of thyroid cancer, occasionally with conflicting recommendations. In Thyroid Cancer, a renowned group of authors presents a broad overview of the pathology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of thyroid cancer, with an emphasis on recent evidence-based information. State-of-the-art and a significant contribution to the literature, Thyroid Cancer is an invaluable reference for endocrinologists, oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, radiation oncologists, primary care physicians, and surgeons who deal with head and neck cancer.

The mature T and NK cell lymphomas are rare, comprising approximately 10% of all malignant lymphomas. The incidence of T- cell lymphoma is variable around the world, with a higher incidence compared to B-cell lymphomas in the Asian basin. While the overall incidence of B-cell lymphomas has begun to decline in the United States, the incidence of T-cell lymphomas continues to rise. Over the last decade, a number of novel agents have been developed which target T-cell lymphomas and studies have identified novel genes and pathways associated with lymphomagenesis in T-cells. This comprehensive volume examines the clinical and biological aspects of the T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders in adults and children. The book includes an overview of both the cutaneous and the systemic T-cell malignancies and addresses the classification of T-cell lymphomas, the clinical features of each subtype, and the relevant molecular and genetic studies. Clinical outcomes and treatment strategies are discussed with an emphasis on the development of novel biological and targeted therapies. An outstanding resource for hematologists and oncologists, this book gathers insights from experts in the field and provides the most up-to-date information on all of the T-cell lymphoma subgroups and current and emerging therapies.