Tumor Biology

The four sections of this book cover cell and molecular biology of tumor metabolism, metabolites, tumor microenvironment, diagnostics and epigenetics. Written by international experts, it provides a thorough insight into and understanding of tumor cell metabolism and its role in tumor biology. The book is intended for scientists in cancer cell and molecular biology, scientists in drug and diagnostic development, as well as for clinicians and oncologists.

Incorporating the most important advances in the fast-growing field of cancer biology, the text maintains all of its hallmark features. It is admired by students, instructors, researchers, and clinicians around the world for its clear writing, extensive full-color art program, and numerous pedagogical features.

Te rapidly changing concepts in radiation oncology with the development of more precise - strumentation for delivery of radiation therapy and a greater emphasis on hypofractionation technologies require a very intimate knowledge of tumor biology and the infuence of various biologic factors on dose distribution within the tumor in terms of homogeneity as well as prev- tion of any late efects on normal tissue surrounding the tumor itself. Not only are these major factors in clinical practice but also the known factors of inhomogeneity of cancer cells, the impact of microenvironment in terms of radiation efect, and host factors make it mandatory to design therapeutic strategies to improve the outcome and to diminish any potential short-term or lo- term risks from the radiation therapy. Te authors have developed an outstanding text that deals with these strategies and how they would impact on established and emerging new technologies and treatment. Te context of the presentations within a multidisciplinary combined modality therapy program is incredibly - portant. In this volume, various topics are reviewed including tumor genesis, cell proliferation, - giogenesis, the physiologic characteristics of malignant tissues, invasion and adhesion, the route and role pursued in the development of metastasis, and the role of the human immune system in cancer prevention and development.

The study of the biology of tumours has grown to become markedly interdisciplinary, involving chemists, statisticians, epidemiologists, mathematicians, bioinformaticians, and computer scientists alongside biologists, geneticists, and clinicians. The Oxford Textbook of Cancer Biology brings together the most up-to-date developments from different branches of research into one coherent volume, providing a comprehensive and current account of this rapidly evolving field. Structured in eight sections, the book starts with a review of the development and biology of multi-cellular organisms, how they maintain a healthy homeostasis in an individual, and a description of the molecular basis of cancer development. The book then illustrates, as once cells become neoplastic, their signalling network is altered and pathological behaviour follows. It explores the changes that cancer cells can induce in nearby normal tissue, the new relationship established between them and the stroma, and the interaction between the immune system and tumour growth. The authors illustrate the contribution provided by high throughput techniques to map cancer at different levels, from genomic sequencing to cellular metabolic functions, and how information technology, with its vast amounts of data, is integrated with traditional cell biology to provide a global view of the disease. The effect of the different types of treatments on the biology of the neoplastic cells are explored to understand on the one side, why some treatments succeed, and on the other, how they can affect the biology of resistant and recurrent disease. The book concludes by summarizing what we know to date about cancer, and in what direction our understanding of cancer is moving. Edited by leading authorities in the field with an international team of contributors, this book is an essential resource for scholars and professionals working in the wide variety of sub-disciplines that make up today's cancer research and treatment community. It is written not only for consultation, but also for easy cover-to-cover reading.

-- Current coverage of diagnosis and treatment on a wide spectrum of active cancer research.

This volume discusses recent research advances in cancer biology, focusing on the role of the tumor microenvironment. Taken alongside its companion volumes, Tumor Microenvironment: Recent Advances covers the latest research on various aspects of the tumor microenvironment, as well as future directions. Useful for introducing the newer generation of researchers to the history of how scientists studied the tumor microenvironment as well as how this knowledge is currently applied for cancer treatments, it will be essential reading for advanced cell biology and cancer biology students, as well as researchers seeking an update on research on the tumor microenvironment.

The fourth edition of this classic text provides a thorough, yet concise review of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the transformation of normal into malignant cells, the invasiveness of cancer cells into host tissues, and the metastatic spread of cancer cells in the host organism. It defines the fundamental pathophysiologic changes that occur in tumor tissue and in the host animal or patient. Each chapter discusses the historical development of a field, citing the key experimental advances to the present day, and evaluates the current evidence that best supports or rules out concepts of the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating cancer cell behavior. For all the areas of fundamental cancer research, an effort has been made to relate basic research findings to the clinical disease states. The book is well written and well illustrated, with schematic diagrams and actual research data to demonstrate points made in the text. There is also an extensive, up-to-date bibliography, making the book valuable to scientists, and to physicians, students, and nurses interested in the field of cancer biology. The topics covered include pathologic characterization of human tumors, epidemiology of human cancer, regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation, cellular and molecular phenotypic characteristics of the cancer cell, mechanisms of carcinogenesis, tumor initiation and promotion, viral carcinogenesis, oncogenes and oncogene products, growth factors, chromosomal alterations in cancer, mechanisms of tumor metastasis, host-tumor interactions, fundamental aspects of tumor immunology, and the advances in cancer cell biology that will lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the future.