On The Cancer Frontier

In 1950, a diagnosis of cancer was all but a death sentence. Mortality rates only got worse, and as late as 1986, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine lamented: “We are losing the war against cancer.” Cancer is one of humankind's oldest and most persistent enemies; it has been called the existential disease. But we are now entering a new, and more positive, phase in this long campaign. While cancer has not been cured—and a cure may elude us for a long time yet—there has been a revolution in our understanding of its nature. Years of brilliant science have revealed how this individualistic disease seizes control of the foundations of life—our genes—and produces guerrilla cells that can attack and elude treatments. Armed with those insights, scientists have been developing more effective weapons and producing better outcomes for patients. Paul A. Marks, MD, has been a leader in these efforts to finally control this devastating disease. Marks helped establish the strategy for the “war on cancer” in 1971 as a researcher and member of President Nixon's cancer panel. As the president and chief executive officer for nineteen years at the world's pre-eminent cancer hospital, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, he was instrumental in ending the years of futility. He also developed better therapies that promise a new era of cancer containment. Some cancers, like childhood leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, that were once deadly conditions, are now survivable—even curable. New steps in prevention and early diagnosis are giving patients even more hope. On the Cancer Frontier is Marks' account of the transformation in our understanding of cancer and why there is growing optimism in our ability to stop it.

Advances in cancer research over the recent decades have been plentiful and often successful, with 5 year survival rates increasing almost uniformly across the board. The advent of new technologies has presented solutions for yesterday’s barriers to research, allowing us to leap forward in our ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat various cancers. Developments in omics studies has provided new insights into the underlying molecular basis of different cancers and their subtypes, greatly enhancing our understanding of the vast heterogeneity that exists. Progress in our ability to diagnose and detect early-stage cancers has resulted in numerous screening and prevention programs. Novel imaging technologies allow us to study and comprehend cancers with greater clarity than ever before. Although the field, as a whole, has experienced many successes, arduous challenges must be overcome in order to see continued success. The truth of the matter is cancer related deaths continue to rise in number worldwide, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. It is evident that there is still a lot of work to be done. This Frontiers in Oncology Special Issue marks the 1st edition of a collection of selected articles published in the journal over the course of the previous calendar year, highlighting ongoing research and advances being carried out in the different disciplines of cancer research.

This volume covers classic and modern cell and molecular biology of prostate cancer, as well as novel biomarkers, inflammation, centrosome pathologies, microRNAs, cancer initiation novel biomarkers, inflammation, centrosome pathologies, microRNAs, cancer initiation and genetics, epigenetics, mitochondrial dysfunctions and apoptosis, cancer stem cells, angiogenesis and progression to metastasis, and treatment strategies including clinical trials related to prostate cancer. Cell & Molecular Biology of Prostate Cancer is one of two companion books comprehensively addressing the biology and clinical aspects of prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer: Molecular & Diagnostic Imaging and Treatment Stategies, the companion volume, discusses both classic and the most recent imaging approaches including analysis of needle biopsies, applications of nanoparticle probes and peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals for detection, early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Taken together, these volumes form one comprehensive and invaluable contribution to the literature.