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.

Discusses advances in cancer research and shows how research into the causes of cancer have led to a greater understanding of the normal biological functioning of cells

Demonstrating how the malfunction of normal molecular pathways and components can lead to cancer, this text explores how our understanding of these defective mechanisms can be harnessed to develop new targeted therapeutic agents.

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.

A concise overview of the fundamental concepts of cancer biology, ideal for those with little or no background in the field. From cancer epidemiology and the underlying mechanisms, through to tumour detection and treatment, the comprehensive picture revealed will enable students to move into the cancer field with confidence.

This comprehensive text provides a detailed overview of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the development of cancer and its treatment. Written by an international panel of researchers, specialists and practitioners in the field, the text discusses all aspects of cancer biology from the causes, development and diagnosis through to the treatment of cancer. Written by an international panel of researchers, specialists and practitioners in the field Covers both traditional areas of study and areas of controversy and emerging importance, highlighting future directions for research Features up-to-date coverage of recent studies and discoveries, as well as a solid grounding in the key concepts in the field Each chapter includes key points, chapter summaries, text boxes, and topical references for added comprehension and review Supported by a dedicated website at www.blackwellpublishing.com/pelengaris An excellent text for upper-level courses in the biology of cancer, for medical students and qualified practitioners preparing for higher exams, and for researchers and teachers in the field

Offers a broad audience a concise presentation of the most up-to-date knowledge about the biology and treatment of cancer Full coverage of cancer prevention and control Clear, thorough discussion of current and possible future therapies Edited by two of the most eminent and widely recognized scholars of cancer research and therapeutics in the world, with contributions from top researchers and clinicians from across North America

This textbook takes you on a journey to the basic concepts of cancer biology. It combines developmental, evolutionary and cell biology perspectives, to then wrap-up with an integrated clinical approach. The book starts with an introductory chapter, looking at cancer in a nut shell. The subsequent chapters are detailed and the idea of cancer as a mass of somatic cells undergoing a micro-evolutionary Darwinian process is explored. Further, the main Hanahan and Weinberg “Hallmarks of Cancer” are revisited. In most chapters, the fundamental experiments that led to key concepts, connecting basic biology and biomedicine are highlighted. In the book’s closing section all of these concepts are integrated in clinical studies, where molecular diagnosis as well as the various classical and modern therapeutic strategies are addressed. The book is written in an easy-to-read language, like a one-on-one conversation between the writer and the reader, without compromising the scientific accuracy. Therefore, this book is suited not only for advanced undergraduates and master students but also for patients or curious lay people looking for a further understanding of this shattering disease

The Molecular Biology of Cancer discusses the state of progress in the molecular biology of cancer. The book describes the effects of anticancer agents on nucleolar ultrastructure; the role of chromosomes in the causation and progression of cancer and leukemia; the replication, modification, and repair of DNA. The text also describes the metabolism and utilization of messenger RNA and other high molecular weight RNA and low molecular weight nuclear RNA; the characteristics, structures, and functions of nuclear proteins; and the process of protein synthesis. Nucleotides are reviewed with regard to its biosynthesis, inhibition of synthesis, and development of resistance to inhibitors. The book further tackles the biochemical mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis; the oncogenic viruses; and the molecular correlation concept. The text also demonstrates phenotypic variability as a manifestation of translational control; and plasmacytomas. Molecular biologists, virologists, pathologists, cell biologists, oncologists, pharmacologists, and students taking related courses will find the book useful.

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.