This book discusses the emergence of a new class of genes with a specific anticancer activity. These genes, recently defined as "Anticancer Genes", are reviewed in individual chapters on their mode of action, the specific cell death signals they induce, and the status of attempts to translate them into clinical application. Anticancer Genes provides an overview of this nascent field, its genesis, current state, and prospect. It discusses how Anticancer Genes might lead to the identification of a repertoire of signaling pathways directed against cellular alterations that are specific for tumor cells. With contributions from experts worldwide, Anticancer Genes is an essential guide to this dynamic topic for researchers and students in cancer research, molecular medicine, pharmacology and toxicology and genetics as well as clinicians and clinical researchers interested in the therapeutic potential of this exciting new field.

This teaching monograph on systems approaches to cancer research and clinical applications provides a unique synthesis, by world-class scientists and doctors, of laboratory, computational, and clinical methods, thereby establishing the foundations for major advances not possible with current methods. Specifically, the book: 1) Sets the stage by describing the basis of systems biology and bioinformatics approaches, and the clinical background of cancer in a systems context; 2) Summarizes the laboratory, clinical, data systems analysis and bioinformatics tools, along with infrastructure and resources required; 3) Demonstrates the application of these tools to cancer research; 4) Extends these tools and methods to clinical diagnosis, drug development and treatment applications; and 5) Finishes by exploring longer term perspectives and providing conclusions. This book reviews the state-of-the-art, and goes beyond into new applications. It is written and highly referenced as a textbook and practical guide aimed at students, academics, doctors, clinicians, industrialists and managers in cancer research and therapeutic applications. Ideally, it will set the stage for integration of available knowledge to optimize communication between basic and clinical researchers involved in the ultimate fight against cancer, whatever the field of specific interest, whatever the area of activity within translational research.

We present an in-depth description of resistance to targeted therapies in breast cancer. Targeted therapies discussed here include those used to treat ER+ or Her2+ breast cancers (i.e., Tamoxifen or trastuzumab) or those targeting signaling pathways aberrantly activated in triple negative breast cancer (i.e., EGFR and Wnt signaling). We have also provided an overview of standard of care as an introduction into the importance of targeted therapy. It is our hope that this volume gives an insight into the landscape of breast cancer treatment, the challenges of targeted therapy, and a glimpse into the future of breast cancer therapy.

Mast cells are versatile, tissue-homing secretory cells, which were first described by Paul Ehrlich in 1878. Mast cells have long been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic reactions and certain protective responses to parasites. Their functional role, however, has been discovered to be increasingly complex and multifarious. Mast cells have been implicated in various cell-mediated immune reactions, being found in tissues from multiple disease sites, and as a component of the host reaction to bacteria, parasite, and even virus infections. They have also been shown to participate to angiogenic and tissue repair processes after injury. The importance of a possible functional link between chronic inflammation and cancer has long been recognized. As most tumours contain inflammatory cell infiltrates, which often include plentiful mast cells, the question as to the possible contribution of mast cells to tumour development has progressively been emerged. In this book, the general biology of these cells, their development, anatomical distribution and phenotype as well as their secretory products will first be discussed. The biology of tumour cells, their structural and molecular characteristics, the specificity of the tumour microenvironment and the development of a vascular network in the tumour context will be analyzed. The involvement of mast cells in tumour biology and tumour fate will then be considered, with particular emphasis on the capacity of these cells to stimulate tumour growth by promoting angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. The last chapter suggest that mast cells may serve as a novel therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

Receptor Tyrosine Kinase: Structure, Functions and Role in Human Disease, for the first time, systematically covers the shared structural and functional features of the RTK family. Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) play critical roles in embryogenesis, normal physiology and several diseases. And over the last decade they have become the Number 1 targets of cancer drugs. To be able to conduct fundamental research or to attempt to develop pharmacological agents able to enhance or intercept them, it is essential first to understand the evolutionary origin of the 58 RTKs and their roles in invertebrates and in humans, as well as downstream signaling pathways. The assembly of chapters is written by experts and underscores commonalities between and among the RTKs. It is an ideal companion volume to The Receptor Tyrosine Kinase: Families and Subfamilies, which proceeds, family by family through all of the specific subfamilies of RTKs, along with their unique landmarks.

This volume, in discussing resistance to ibritumomab, will focus on the mechanism, hematological aspects, radiological and nuclear medicine aspects, and medical physics that deal with radiation dosimetry, and will outline future prospects for overcoming resistance and enhancing efficacy of ibritumomab.

PARP Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy provides a comprehensive overview of the role of PARP in cancer therapy. The volume covers the history of the discovery of PARP (poly ADP ribose polymerase) and its role in DNA repair. In addition, a description of discovery of the PARP family, and other DNA maintenance-associated PARPs will also be discussed. The volume also features a section on accessible chemistry behind the development of inhibitors. PARP inhibitors are a group of pharmacological inhibitors that are a particularly good target for cancer therapy. PARP plays a pivotal role in DNA repair and may contribute to the therapeutic resistance to DNA damaging agents used to treat cancer. Researchers have learned a tremendous amount about the biology of PARP and how tumour-specific defects in DNA repair can be exploited by PARPi. The "synthetic lethality" of PARPi is an exciting concept for cancer therapy and has led to a heightened activity in this area.

The Advances in Cancer Research series provides invaluable information on the exciting and fast-moving field of cancer research. This volume presents outstanding and original reviews on a variety of topics including

The Advances in Cancer Research series provides invaluable information on the exciting and fast-moving field of cancer research. This volume presents outstanding and original reviews on a variety of topics.

This detailed volume presents protocols for advancing the utility of nanotechnology in cancer research toward improving our understanding of cancer biology, prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. There are continuous new discoveries in the field of nanotechnology, thus creating new imaging systems or therapies, and this book focuses on how to employ certain discoveries for studying cancer by presenting principles along with techniques to allow for the transformation of any new discoveries in the field into cancer-studying tools with the hope of bringing in the involvement of biomedical scientists who can enhance the speed of discoveries toward cancer diagnosis and therapy. 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 motivating, Cancer Nanotechnology: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal resource for biomedical scientists interested in the potential of this field as well as for physical scientists and engineers interested in employing nanotechnology in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

From the world renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, this book is written for all physicians who treat patients with acute or chronic leukemias or myelodysplasia. It is designed to answer questions about treatment approaches that commonly arise in day-to-day practice. In keeping with the Center's groundbreaking research in bone marrow transplantation, the book provides exceptional coverage of the role of allogeneic transplant in treatment. It also addresses the important issues of supportive care and long-term complications of successful treatment. *Edited and written by experts at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center *Clinically focused and comprehensive coverage of treatment approaches *Allogeneic transplant addressed in detail *Separate chapters on supportive care and long-term complications

The various cell types have traditionally been recognized and classified according to their appearance in the light microscope following the process of fixing, processing, sectioning, and staining tissues that is known as histology. Classical histology has been augmented by
immunohistochemistry (the use of specific antibodies to stain particular molecular species "in situ"). Immunohistochemistry has allowed the identification of many more cell types than could be visualized by classical histology, particularly in the immune system and among the scattered hormone-secreting cells of the endocrine system.
This book discusses all aspects of immunohistochemistry and "in situ" hybridization technologies and the important role they play in reaching a cancer diagnosis. It provides step-by-step instructions on the methods of additional molecular technologies such as DNA microarrays, and microdissection, along with the benefits and limitations of each method. The topics of region-specific gene expression, its role in cancer development and the techniques that assist in the understanding of the molecular basis of disease are relevant and necessary in science today, ensuring a wide audience for this book.
* The only book available that translates molecular genetics into cancer diagnosis
* Provides the readers with tools necessary to perform and optimize sensitive, powerful techniques, including immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization, used in tumor diagnosis
* Written by experts in this field, the book provides theoretical considerations as well as practical approaches to carry out effectively these techniques
* Offers suggestions, tips, cautions, and guidelines to avoid artifacts and misdiagnosis
* Introduces new techniques to detect genes and proteins involved in the initiation and progression of cancer
* Covers the latest developments and a wide range of applications to the detection of antigens and single-copy DNA and RNA
* Written in a uniform format, each chapter includes Introduction, Materials required, step-by-step detailed Methods, Results, Discussion, and comprehensive up-to-date References

The gastrointestinal track provides one of the distinct systems where multiple malignancies, including adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, esophagus and colon are each associated with obesity. This unique association is covered in this volume of Energy Balance and Cancer from the epidemiologic, biologic and potential etiologic viewpoint. The focus on possible dietary contribution as well as the role of exercise in prevention and therapy is presented in both animal model and patient based studies. Special focus is provided also on the role of genetic mutations and inflammatory pathways as drivers of these obesity related gastrointestinal malignancies. Overall, this volume on Energy Balance and Gastrointestinal Malignancies should be valuable to Epidemiologists, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists, as well as to students and researchers from multiple disciplines interested in understanding and disrupting the association between obesity and cancer.

This volume provides a comprehensive treatise on the latest studies linking prostate cancer with energy balance, which together constitute a major challenge and opportunity for research scientists and clinicians especially those dealing with the expanding population of older men confronted with obesity and associated comorbidities. This volume should be a valuable resource to physicians, oncologists, urologists, endocrinologists, nurses, nutritionists, dieticians, and exercise therapists dealing with men with energy balance issues and/or questions regarding the linkage between energy balance and cancer. Moreover, this volume should serve as an important resource for cancer researchers especially for scientists studying lifestyle modification and prevention strategies to better understand and disrupt the linkage between obesity and cancer.

The purpose of this book is to provide a current perspective on the epidemiology head and neck cancer. Cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx comprise an important group of tumors with diverse international patterns of incidence and mortality, established risk factors, suggested association with a virus, and potential genetic susceptibility determinants. These tumors offer a unique insight into mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression and gene-exposure interaction.

This volume contains information on the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of spinal tumors. Various aspects of different major types of spinal tumors (astrocytomas, ependymomas, and oligodendroglioma) are discussed. Insights into the understanding of molecular pathways involved in tumor biology are explained. Classification of intradural spinal tumors, including the percentages of each of the three major types, is detailed. Symptoms, radiological features, and clinicopathological parameters of spinal cord tumors are explained. Diagnosis, outcome, and prognosis of primary spinal cord and oligodendroglioma are discussed. Diagnosis of some other spinal tumors (e.g., pilomyxoid and chordomas) is also explained. The useful role of neuroimaging in diagnosing spinal teratoid/rhabdoid and gangliogliomas is included. A wide variety of treatments of a number of spinal cord tumor types are presented in detail. Therapies discussed include chemotherapy, surgery, radiosurgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, Cyberknife stereotactic radiotherapy, standard radiation alone, and rhenium-186 intracavity radiation. Also are duiscussed embolozation and spondylectomy. The usefulness of transplantation of human embryonic stem cells-derived oligodendrocyte progenitors and motoneuron progenitors in the repair of injured spinal cord is emphasized. Symptoms of the advent of spinal tumors are pointed out. Introduction to new technologies and their applications to spinal cord tumor diagnosis, treatment, and therapy assessment are explained.

Describes the ability of a series of endocrine-derived compounds, i.e. CHRH, LHRH, somatostatin, anti-androgens, and aromatase inhibitors to exert a direct anti-neoplastic activity or to potentiate the activity of traditional chemotherapeutic agents on neuroendocrine and solid tumors. In addition, a new class of potent GH-releasers, GSHs/Ghrelin, endowed with important endocrine and extra-endcocrine action, is presented. Therefore, in addition to traditional chemotherapy, characterized by high toxicity and non-selective action on tumoral cells, the reader can find a new approach with more selective, less cytotoxic endocrine derived compounds.

With the explosion of information on autophagy in cancer, this is an opportune time to speed the efforts to translate our current knowledge about autophagy regulation into better understanding of its role in cancer. This book will cover the latest advances in this area from the basics, such as the molecular machinery for autophagy induction and regulation, up to the current areas of interest such as modulation of autophagy and drug discovery for cancer prevention and treatment. The text will include an explanation on how autophagy can function in both oncogenesis and tumor suppression and a description of its function in tumor development and tumor suppression through its roles in cell survival, cell death, cell growth as well as its influences on inflammation, immunity, DNA damage, oxidative stress, tumor microenvironment, etc. The remaining chapters will cover topics on autophagy and cancer therapy. These pages will serve as a description on how the pro-survival function of autophagy may help cancer cells resist chemotherapy and radiation treatment as well as how the pro-death functions of autophagy may enhance cell death in response to cancer therapy, and how to target autophagy for cancer prevention and therapy what to target and how to target it.

Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell malignancy characterized by complex heterogenous cytogenetic abnormalities that accounts for 1.4% of all cancers, and approximately 10% of hematologic malignancies. The clinical manifestations of multiple myeloma include lytic bone lesions, cytopenia, hypercalcemia, renal dysfunction, hyperviscosity of the blood, immunodeficiency, and peripheral neuropathy. Based on the clinical and genetic data, probably all cases of multiple myeloma arise from an asymptomatic monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance. The exact mechanism of the transition from MGUS to overt multiple myeloma is still not well understood. Recent oncogenomic studies have further advanced our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of multiple myeloma. This book will give a comprehensive overview of the genetic and molecular epidemiology of multiple myeloma in order to get a more refined and conclusive understanding of this disease.

Recent studies have shown that cells from adipose tissue are capable of trafficking to tumors, thus enabling paracrine action of adipokines from within the tumor microenvironment. Increased tumor vascularization, immune system suppression and direct effects on malignant cell survival and proliferation have been investigated as mechanisms regulated by adipokines. The goal of this book is to discuss data pointing to the role of adipose tissue in cancer and to dissect individual mechanisms through which adipose tissue excess or restriction could influence cancer progression.

The past 6 years since the first edition of this book have seen great progress in the development of genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of cancer. These models are finding an important role in furthering our understanding of the biology of malignant disease. A comfortable position for GEM models in the routine conduct of screening for potential new therapeutics is coming more slowly but is coming. Increasing numbers of genetically engineered mice are available, some with conditional activation of oncogenes, some with multiple genetic changes providing mouse models that are moving closer to the human disease.

How are cancer and inflammation interrelated mechanistically and clinically? Though extensive literature exists on the topic "Cancer and Inflammation," there are relatively few texts that have truly integrated the two in spite of the many common mechanisms shared by their processes. Certainly, areas such as cytokines, growth factors, proliferation, signal transduction and angiogenesis, for example, are found in both. Yet, the dynamics of how these common mechanisms are maybe interrelated in the pathologies of the two is not widely covered. Such coverage, as presented in this volume, may help further understanding and bring new approaches to therapeutics.

The first section of the book discusses inflammatory mechanisms, studied in cellular and animal studies. The second part concentrates on clinical studies with antiinflammatory drugs in cancer treatment. The volume is written for biomedical researchers in the health care industry and in academia who are working in these areas.

Breast and prostate cancers are both hormone-dependent, at least in some stages of their progression. Hormonal manipulation represents an important therapeutic approach. Although most of breast and prostate cancers initially respond to hormone therapy, most tumors reinitiate to growth. Finally, hormone-resistant and metastatic breast and prostate cancers may develop. Thus, the challenge is the dissection of mechanisms by which steroid receptor signaling pathways continue to influence cell growth and invasiveness. Compelling evidence indicates that steroid hormones elicit non-genomic responses in extra-nuclear compartment of target cells. In this cellular location, steroid-coupled receptors rapidly recruit signaling effectors or scaffold proteins and activate multiple pathways leading to proliferation, survival, migration and invasiveness. The immediate challenge is the dissection of key events regulating the steroid response of target tissues to prevent progression and improve treatment of breast and prostate cancers.

An increasing number of exercise scientists are applying their skills collaboratively (with medics and physiotherapists) to clinical populations and investigating the effects of exercise in relation to wide-ranging clinical, pathophysiological and psycho-social outcomes. The book is aimed at final year Undergraduate and Master's level students of Exercise Science, who are interested in working with clinical populations such as cancer patients. Many university Sport and Exercise Science courses in the UK and USA now have modules which are focused on exercise for health, and cover aspects of exercise science which are appropriate for clinical populations. The book would also be a very valuable resource for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Physiotherapy courses and a very useful resource for students of Exercise Science and Physiotherapy, as well as practitioners working with cancer patients.There are an increasing amount of research opportunities for exercise scientists who are interested in working with clinical populations. Furthermore, a considerable amount of Government and Charity research funding is being targeted at active lifestyles and this is helping to generate a new culture of collaboration between exercise scientists and medics. Hence, it is highly likely that an increasing number of students from Sport and Exercise Science courses will pursue careers within the clinical realm in the future. Practicing exercise therapists, clinical exercise physiologists and physiotherapists would also find lots of useful up-to-date knowledge to support their evidence-based clinical practice. This book would also be of interest to informed readers who are themselves undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment.

Hedgehog-GLI Signaling in Human Disease represents the first compilation of up-to-date reviews by top-level scientists in this important field of research. The chapters cover a wide spectrum of related interests, from the molecular bases of morphogen function, to human genetics to cancer research. The aim of the book is to disseminate information on this exciting field, to allow students, scientists and the public in general to gain access current information from research leaders and to provide a book that encompasses different aspects of research showing the fusion of basic research in model systems and medicine. This is a timely primer on how a system of cell communication, Hedgehog-GLI signaling, plays a critical role in human disease and thus provides the background for the development of novel and rational therapies.