In recent years, papillomaviruses in general and human papillo maviruses in particular have been recognized as possible agents of important diseases, including some forms of human cancer. The purpose of this book is to present a concise panorama of the pre sent status of knowledge of this topic. This knowledge is as impor tant to molecular biologists and virologists as it is to clinicians and pathologists. To bridge the gap among these diverse groups of investigators, we conceived of a book covering a broad spectrum of the basic scientific, clinical, and pathological aspects of diseases associated with papillomaviruses. Although the principal thrust of this book is directed at human papillomaviruses, fundamental knowledge of animal viruses is essential to the current understand ing of the molecular mechanisms of cell transformation. For this reason, a chapter on animal viruses has also been included. Some of the experimental work having to do with the elucidation of transformation and other aspects of interaction between the virus and the cell cannot be based on human papillomaviruses because of a lack of suitable experimental models. Hence, some of the chapters dealing with fundamental aspects of viral molecular biol ogy are based on animal models. We were very fortunate in having persuaded a number of distin guished colleagues to contribute to this work."

This new volume fills the gap in the literature as it will guide urologists and pathologists in the proper utilization of a variety of laboratory methods that are currently available to determine the presence, persistence or progression of tumors of the lower urinary tract. The volume emphasizes cytology of the urinary tract which is preferred over other methods (i.e. biochemical, immunological and cytogenetic) for its accuracy, especially for the important high grade tumors. This volume will appeal to urologists as well as pathologists, cytopathologists and related professions. The illustrations, nearly all in color, stress the key points of the text and enhance basic understanding of urothelial and other tumors of the urinary tract.