Oxford Textbook of Cancer Biology

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.

1 - The multicellular organism and cancer
2 - DNA repair and genome integrity
3 - Evolution and cancer
4 - Genetics and genetic instability in cancer
5 - Epigenetics
6 - Viral carcinogenesis - an overview
7 - Chemical carcinogens
8 - Radiation as a Carcinogen
9 - Growth factors and associated signalling pathways in tumour progression and in cancer treatment
10 - Hormones and Cancer
11 - Oncogenesis and tumour suppression
12 - The signaling pathways in cancer
13 - Cell cycle control
14 - Cancer and cell death
15 - Telomerase and immortalisation
16 - Cancer metabolism
17 - Chaperones and protein quality control in the neoplastic process
18 - Oxygen and cancer: the response to hypoxia
19 - Invasion, Metastasis and Tumor Dormancy
20 - Cancer Stem Cells
21 - Cancer associated stroma
22 - Blood vessels and cancer
23 - Cancer Immunology
24 - Molecular profiling in cancer research and personalized medicine
25 - Proteomics and metabolomics applications in cancer biology
26 - Cancer systems biology: from molecular profiles to pathways, signalling networks and therapeutic vulnerabilities
27 - Cancer biology through immunohistology
28 - Principles of chemotherapy
29 - Immunotherapy and Tumour Resistance to immune mediated control and elimination
30 - Biological effect of radiotherapy on cancer cells
31 - Benign tumours: the forgotten neoplasms
32 - Conclusions: cancer biology, a moveable feast

Francesco Pezzella is Professor of Tumour Pathology at the University of Oxford, UK, and Consultant Pathologist at the Oxford University Hospitals. His early work focused on the pathology of HIV and its effect on lymph nodes, followed by the molecular alterations of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. His research then turned to cancer and blood vessels, whereby he discovered the non-angiogenic pathway of the growth of human cancers, leading to a change in one of the hallmarks of cancer. Professor Pezzella continues to specialise in haematopathology and has published over 200 papers. Mahvash Tavassoli is Professor of Molecular Oncology at King's College London, UK. She has held several positions internationally, including at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, the University of Sussex, and the Max Planck institute in Munich. Professor Tavassoli's early research focused on understanding the signaling and apoptosis pathways which are deregulated in cancer, before shifting towards the clinical application of her lab work. She currently leads a research team at KCL focused on developing genetic tests for the early detection and prediction of patient response to radiotherapy in head and neck cancer. They aim to develop more effective, less toxic cancer therapeutics. David J. Kerr is Professor of Cancer Medicine, at the University of Oxford, UK, and Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell College of Medicine in New York, USA. Professor Kerr has made a sustained and internationally recognised contribution to cancer care and research in the field of medical oncology over the past three decades. He has published over 400 papers in high profile journals, authored over twenty books, and has been awarded four prestigious, international research prizes, including the NHS's first Nye Bevan award for Innovation. His scientific standing has been recognised by election as Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Fellow of Academy of Medical Sciences, President of the European Society of Medical Oncology (2009-2011), and Founding Fellow of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences.