The field of microRNA biology is really emerging in the last couple of years. Several investigators highlighted the importance of miRNAs in cancer. Although there is so much literature on microRNAs exist, a comprehensive book is still not available. Thus this book will be a great use to the scientists in the field of cancer biology. In addition, this book will be a good source of information for undergraduate, graduate students who want to develop their research careers in cancer biology.

Hematopathology: Genomic Mechanisms of Neoplastic Diseases will keep physicians abreast of the rapid and complex changes in genomic medicine, as exemplified by the molecular pathology of hematologic malignancies. This timely volume will update physicians on the complexities of genomic lesions, as well as offer an integrated framework encompassing molecular diagnosis, the new WHO classification of hematologic neoplasms with focus on molecular pathology, prognostic value of molecular tests, and molecular monitoring of response to gene-targeted therapy. As such, it will be of great value to hematologists, oncologists, pathologists, internal medicine and pediatric specialists, as well as bioscientific staff and laboratorians in private hospitals and academic institutions.

My training started in 1971, when I joined the First Department of Medicine of Chiba University, as Dr. Kunio Okuda became chair ofthe department. To acquire training ingeneralpathology, Iapplied for the Intern MatchingProgram and started as aninternin the DepartmentofPathologyofYale University, in 1973.While Iwas achiefresident, Ispent 10months in Dr. GeraldKlatskin'sofficestudyingthe com plete set of his famous liver biopsy samples (the Klatskin Collection). In 1976, I movedtoJohnWesleyHospital, where therewasagroup from the USC (University ofSouthern California) Liver Unit, to obtain further pathology training under the guidanceofDr. Robert L. Peters. Those experiences have given me ample opportu nity to see the differences between the United States and Japan. Ofcourse, 28 years ago in downtown Los Angeles there were enormous num bers ofpatients suffering from typical alcoholic liver diseases. Now in Japan, in contrast, we have an enormous number ofpatients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), due in particular to hepatitis C viral infection. Last year, in the DepartmentofGastroenterology at the University ofTokyo, we had approximately 500 admissions due to HCC. Thus, we have an urgent need to prevent the develop ment ofHCC and to provide better treatment for such patients through a basic un derstanding ofvirology, clinical features, and treatment modalities. The first single-topic conference on "TherapyofViral Hepatitis and Prevention ofHepatocellular Carcinoma" was organized by the Japan Society ofHepatology (Kiwamu Okita, Director General) and was held November 14-15,2002, near Mt. Fuji. Thisbook, which is asummaryofthe meeting, helps toupdate relevantinforma tion on this vital topic. June 28, 2003 Masao Ornata, M.D."

Protein kinase CK2 (formerly casein kinase II or 2) is known to play a critical role in the control of cell growth and cell death and is thus intimately involved in the development of cancer. More specifically, CK2 has been found to be elevated in all cancers examined. While CK2 levels are known to be high in proliferating normal cells, CK2 has also been found to be a potent suppressor of apoptosis and is a link to the cancer cell phenotype, which is characterized by deregulation of both cell proliferation and cell death. Indeed, it would appear that CK2 impacts many of the hallmarks of cancer and it has now gained considerable attention as a potential target for cancer therapy. Protein Kinase CK2 and Cellular Function in Normal and Disease States increases knowledge of the role of CK2 in the development of cellular dysfunction and emphasizes that this protein may serve as a target of drug development for improved cancer therapy. In addition, it is a handy tool that provides cancer researchers, graduate students, and all scientists involved in CK2 research with one main source for the latest advances in CK2 research.

This volume details basic principles of experimental and computational methods for the study of microRNAs in cancer research and, therefore, provides a firm grounding for those who wish to develop further applications. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, MicroRNA and Cancer: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field

This excellent research based textbook addresses nursing care issues rather than disease processes and therefore looks at issues such as discharge planning, adolescents and cancer, coping strategies for family and staff. It concentrates on the psychological and social aspects of care and reflects the radical changes that have occurred in recent years in thisfield. These include better survival rates in childhood cancer, advanced therapies, the move to community based care and increasing awareness of the long term effects of treatment.All post-graduate nurses working with children with cancer, whether in a community or hospital setting will find this text invaluable. It will equally benefit post-graduate nurses studying professional and academic specialist courses such as the ENB 240 paediatric oncology course or those who are already qualified paediatric oncology nurses but who need to keep themselves updated or need a reference in this area.Expert contributors and editor in this field who will provide up-to- date and relevant analysis of the subject. Emphasises the partnership between nurse, child and family.Discusses the impact of treatment on the nursing team. This is an important chapter as there is a lack of knowledge regarding the emotional cost of caring for children with cancer.

Antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) directly addresses the major problem in cancer chemotherapy-its lack of selectivity. Antibody delivery combined with the amplification provided by the enzymatic activation of prodrugs enables selection to be made between tumour and normal tissue. ADEPT offers a novel field of opportunities in the therapy of systemic cancer and may be a major advance for the treatment of solid tumours. This book is the first to describe ADEPT in detail. Each chapter reviews an aspect of the immunology, enzymology, biochemistry, chemistry, and cancer chemotherapy which have been integrated into the ADEPT concept. An additional chapter describes the related approach of gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT). This latter approach is still in its infancy but ADEPT has entered the clinic. The initial clinical studies with ADEPT are included and discussed in detail.

This vital collection provides a unique set of techniques to explore the clinical, pathological, and research aspects of the management of patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. Beginning with an introduction to the basic features of esophageal adenocarcinoma, the book continues with clinical protocols for the management of the cancer, pathological methods for management of the patients and research, as well as protocols for molecular research, which could aid researchers in furthering our understanding of pathogenesis as well as in identifying new targets for the treatment and prevention of adenocarcinoma. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions on their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and authoritative, Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: Methods and Protocols is a valuable guide to stimulate specialists from various disciplines in their continuing research into esophageal adenocarcinoma and translating that research into improving the management of this cancer of rising importance.

Gene expression studies have revealed diagnostic profiles and upregulation of specific pathways in many solid tumors. The explosion of new information in gene expression profiling could potentially lead to the development of tailored treatments in many solid tumors. In addition many studies are ongoing to validate these signatures also in predicting response to hormonal, chemotherapeutic and targeted agents in breast cancer as well as in other tumors. Diagnostic, Prognostic and Therapeutic Value of Gene Signatures provides readers a useful and comprehensive resource about the range of applications of microarray technology in oncological diseases. Topics covered include gene signatures and soft tissue sarcomas, prognostic relevance of breast cancer signatures, gene expression profiling of colorectal cancer and liver metastasis, gene signatures in GISTs, CNVs and gene expression profiles in pancreatic cancer, and gene signatures in head/neck, lung and gastric tumors. Diagnostic, Prognostic and Therapeutic Value of Gene Signatures will be of great value to residents and fellows, physicians, pathologists and medical oncologists.

Diverse molecular, cellular, and environmental events must all come together to allow the successful formation of secondary cancers, metastases. The second edition of Metastasis Research Protocols, brings together the most up to date versions of the seminal techniques that were presented in the first edition and also includes new techniques that have recently been shown to be important in illuminating the processes underlying this important area of biology. Presented by top scientists, the collection includes a wide spectrum of articles encompassing important key methods and to introduce new methods which are making an impact in the area of metastasis research. Volume 1 includes key cellular and molecular techniques relevant to the exploration of cancer cells and tissues, the focus is on the tools that have been shown to be helpful in unravelling the molecular processes important in cancer metastasis. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) 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, Metastasis Research Protocols, Second Edition seeks to aid scientists in the further study of new methods in the area of metastasis research.

In recent decades, cytopathology has assumed an increasing role in the primary diagnosis of mass lesions owing to its ability to deliver rapid, non-invasive, and timely information. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the role of cytology at various body sites. The diagnostic details covered are abbreviated in comparison with those in pathology texts. Instead, a more clinical approach is taken, with the focus on the advantages and limitations of techniques and the key features of entities that are important to clinicians. Pathological-clinical correlation is highlighted throughout the book, ensuring that it will be highly relevant for clinicians. In particular, physicians who deal with oncology patients will find it to be a rich source of guidance on how to use and understand cytopathology in the diagnosis and exclusion of malignancy.

This volume represents a collection of contributions from the 6th International Conference on Eicosanoids and Other Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation, and Related Diseases held in Boston from September 12-15, 1999. The mission of this meeting was to bring together senior and junior investigators to both announce and examine their recent advancements in cutting-edge research on the roles and actions of lipid mediators and their impact in human physiology and disease pathogenesis. The meeting focused on new concepts in these areas of interest to both clinicians and researchers. The program included several outstanding plenary lectures and presentations by leading experts in the fields of cancer and inflammation. In addition, the Boston meeting presented three Young Investigator awards, one in each of the major focus areas. The meeting was exciting and proved to be very memorable. The program was developed with an emphasis on recent advances in molecular and of lipid mediators relevant in cellular mechanisims involved in the formation and actions inflammation and cancer. Plenary lectures were presented by Prof. Bengt Sammuelsson (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm; 1982 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine) and Prof. E. 1. Corey (Harvard University; 1990 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry). Both of these plenary lectures were held on Day 1, which set an exciting tone for this meeting. Immediately following these plenary lectures, three simultaneous breakout sessions were held, one of inflammation, a second on cancer and synthesis of novel inhibitors, and a third on enzymes-lipoxygenases/cyclooxygenases and inhibitors.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in the Western world. CLL has a highly varied clinical course. While advances in CLL therapy are noted, many patients still succumb to this illness. Like most progress in medicine, solid advances in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of CLL are rooted in an in-depth understanding of the basic and translational biology of CLL. In this book, CLL experts have contributed state-of-the-art summaries of various important aspects of CLL biology and have discussed the translational implication of such findings. This book, which is directed at physicians and researchers alike, aims to educate broadly and deeply. Intentionally, the many aspects and nuances of CLL clinical care that can only really be appreciated through direct patient care are not covered here, but instead, the book presents basic aspects of CLL that underlie many of the contemporary decisions that are made in CLL research and clinical settings.
We hope that this book will critically inform the community and stimulate interest in CLL, which will ultimately translate into better CLL research, prognostication and therapy, with the end goal of providing a better outlook for patients afflicted with this common leukemia."

Aegean Conferences is an independent, nonprofit, educational organization directed and managed by the scientific community. The board is made up of nine researchers/scientists in various disciplines from Harvard, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, UCSD, Princeton, Biovista and the Foundation for Biomedical Research Academy of Athens. The board both invites and approves unsolicited proposals for Conferences in all fields of Science, Engineering, Arts, and Humanities. The purpose of the Conferences is to bring together individuals with common interests to examine the emerging and most advanced aspects of their particular field.

The Symposium on Ovarian Cancer: State of the Art and Future Directions intends to bring together international experts interested in the development of novel diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tools for ovarian cancer. The meeting will function as a think tank where clinicians, translational and basic scientists, and parties from the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry will get together to review recent advances in clinical research and translational science in ovarian cancer and define areas of future research opportunities and priorities.

This volume will detail the current state and perspectives of autophagy-based cancer therapy. Covering a wide range of topics, it will include an overview of autophagy as a therapeutic target in cancer, autophagy modulators as cancer therapeutic agents, implications of micro-RNA-regulated autophagy in cancer therapy, modulation of autophagy through targeting PI3 kinase in cancer therapy, targeting autophagy in cancer stem cells, and roles of autophagy in cancer immunotherapy. In addition, the volume will review applications of system biology and bioinformatics approaches to discovering cancer therapeutic targets in the autophagy regulatory network. The volume will be beneficial for a variety of basic and clinical scientists, including cancer biologists, autophagy researchers, pharmacologists, and clinical oncologists who wish to delve more deeply into this field of cancer research. This volume will be the first book to focus solely on autophagy as a target in cancer therapy. As well, it will comprehensively discuss the roles of autophagy in most currently available cancer treatments.

The MD Anderson Solid Tumor Oncology series presents the most cutting-edge surgical treatment and medical therapy for specific sites. Each year, more than 26,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, also called a "silent" disease because it does not usually exhibit early symptoms. This volume defines the current standard on multimodality care: surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, radiotherapy, and a review of the latest research and clinical trials. It includes sections on: epidemiology/molecular biology, inherited pancreatic cancer syndromes, staging, various surgical techniques and outcomes, multimodality therapy and emerging and future therapies. The individual chapters focus on specific topics to produce a reference work of value to those interested in pancreatic cancer from a clinical and translational research perspective. A must-have for surgical oncologists and general surgeons.

Prominent investigators and clinicians summarize in a balanced blend of fundamental science, basic research, experimental therapeutics, and early clinical experiences, what is known about oncogenes and oncogenesis, and describe how that knowledge can be used to treat the cancer. The contributors explain how, why, and under what conditions certain proteins acquire the ability to transform eukaryotic cells, and detail the crucial biological consequences of this oncogenic transformation, particularly for cellular mitogenesis, survival, differentiation, migration, proteolysis, or angiogenic competence. Their articles thoroughly explicate the premises, principles, techniques, and approaches to oncogene targeting in various types of human cancer by using signal transduction inhibitors, immunological targeting methods, and antisense gene therapy.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Every year, about 33,700 people in the United States will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and over 32,000 patients will die from the disease. The median survival of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer is about 6-months. This dismal picture of pancreatic cancer is mainly due to the lack of early diagnosis and effective treatment for patients with advanced disease. To increase the survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients, better tumor markers for diagnosis and new molecular targets for drug development are desperately needed. A lot of effort has been made in searching for pancreatic cancer-causing genes or genes associated with progression of malignant behavior in pancreatic cancer. As a result, alterations in the expression of several cancer-related genes have been identified in pancreatic tumors. The identification and characterization of these cancer-related genes have significantly increased our understanding of pancreatic cancer development, but unfortunately the treatment of pancreatic cancer has not advanced as much in the past 20 years.

Over the past decade, tremendous advances have been made in the field of cancer drug discovery, particularly, in the area of molecular and genetic models and technologies. Many of those advanced models and technologies have been applied to the drug discovery processes for pancreatic cancer. In this book, a team of experts will describe the latest development in the application of these models and technologies in pancreatic cancer. The authors include basic researchers as well as clinicians who work in the front-line of the war against pancreatic cancer and have the first-hand experience on these cutting-edge tools and techniques. The book can be divided into two general areas: 1) model systems and 2) genomics and proteomics tools. In recent years there have been a lot of advances in the model systems for pancreatic cancer, including the further characterization of normal and cancerous pancreatic cell lines, the establishment of transgenic mouse models that recapitulate the initiation and progression of human pancreatic cancer, the development of a new xenograft model system for the evaluation of novel agents, and the establishment of a zebrafish pancreatic cancer model. The first four chapters of the book will be devoted to these models. The advances in genomics and proteomics research have made a major impact in cancer drug discovery. A number of these omics-based tools and techniques have been applied in the pancreatic cancer drug discovery. Chapters 5-9 of the book will discuss techniques for genome-wide examination of gene expression, copy number, methylation, function and regulation. Chapters 10-11 will discuss in situ techniques for studying chromosomal and gene copy number abnormalities as well protein expression changes in cancer samples. Chapters 12-14 will focus on techniques for global examination of protein expression levels in biospecimens obtained from pancreatic cancer patients. Cancer drug discovery has become more and more target-centric. "

This text is designed to present a comprehensive and state-of the-art approach to the management of breast cancer within the fields of surgery, medical oncology, and radiation oncology. Sections address changes in these fields. These areas include breast imaging, management of the axilla, atypical breast lesions, surgical margins, new techniques in breast reconstruction, and nipple sparing and contralateral mastectomies. Subsequent chapters focus on issues in medical oncology including, triple negative breast cancer and metastatic breast disease. New paradigms in radiation oncology are examined. Breast cancer treatment in the elderly and in young women, and genetic risk in breast cancer management is also be discussed. Written by experts in their field, each of these sections addresses advances and changes in the field. A brief review of the existing literature addressing the particular topic follows in each section. The text concludes with chapters on pathological issues and advances in radiation oncology. As access to a comprehensive multidisciplinary resource such as this is currently limited in the literature, Changing Paradigms in the Management of Breast Cancer represents the first single source to provide information on advances and outcomes for the physician caring for breast cancer patients in a multidisciplinary setting.

This volume is a valuable and timely resource for a broad audience with interests in basic and translational cancer biology, cancer drug development, as well as in the practice of personalized oncology. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Cancer Gene Networks aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this evolving and vital field. Ultimately these efforts will guide development of transformative strategies for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

This comprehensive text provides a much-needed review of a disease that is currently garnering the interest of molecular biologists, translational scientists, and clinicians. The volume includes emerging developments in the molecular genetics of endometrial carcinoma. In addition to covering the basic genetics of endometrial carcinoma, chapters also cover a wide range of signaling pathways implicated in endometrial carcinoma. A section of the book includes a number of genetically engineered mouse models, which contribute to understanding the role of various genetic alterations in the development and progression of endometrial carcinoma. These models also provide preclinical models for developing effective targeted therapeutic approaches. Endometrial carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract in the United States and the number of cases continues to increase around the world. This book is a meant to serve as a resource for a wide range of scientists, from molecular geneticists to signal transduction biologists, as well as to both clinicians and scientists interested in developing targeted therapeutic approaches for women with endometrial carcinoma.