Introduction to the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Cancer (Paperback)

~ (Editor), Peter J. Selby (Editor)
Key Phrases: death agonist proteins, molecular radiotherapy, gene therapy construct, Cancer Res, Proc Natl Acad Sci, Nat Rev Cancer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book will be much appreciated by newcomers to cancer biology and will provide a concise and thought-provoking review for experts in the field."--Quarterly Review of Biology

Product Description

This new edition o Introduction and Molecular Biology of Cancer provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of cancer biology, covering the current status of both research and treatment. For the student or new researcher the breadth of cancer research can appear daunting, yet a broad understanding is essential for translation of laboratory findings into the clinic. Within the broad scope of the book, each topic is reviewed authoritatively by experts in the field, and the accompanying bibliographies allow rapid access to the relevant current literature. The book covers topics extending from the molecular alterations found in cancer cells and their causes to the current range of approaches to treatment. Since the publication of the previous edition in 1997 there has been unprecedented progress in cancer research: this is reflected by an extensive revision of all the material, and the addition of eight new chapters, covering DNA repair, epigenetic events, the cell cycle, cell immortalization, apoptosis, angiogenesis, animal models, the genome, transcriptome and proteome, radiotherapy and molecular radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy. The fourth edition of the popular book will serve as a text for both undergraduate and postgraduate use and also as an introduction for clinicians and scientists new to the field.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 552 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 4 edition (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019852563X
• ISBN-13: 978-0198525639
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,010,342 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great primer for researchers, April 3, 2006

By	Paul Macklin (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a mathematics Ph.D. student who's working in computational oncology, meaning that I study cancer from a mathematical/engineering point of view (conservation of mass, oxygen and glucose transport, etc.) and create computer models for study. This biophysical viewpoint has been fruitful, but I've found that to make further progress, an understanding of the cellular biology is required. Furthermore, a lack of vocabulary makes it difficult to communicate with the clinical/medical community.

That's where this book comes in: it gives a great, expansive overview of cancer that is difficult to come by in the mathematical world. In places, it is perhaps too detail-oriented (which specific proteins do what and how, e.g., in DNA repair), but that's the nature of the beast, and I feel that it's very important for mathematical biologists to be exposed to this. The text gives a good sampling ranging from epidemiology, genetics and epigenetics (gene expression), oncogenes, tumor suppresor genes, DNA repair, cell cycle, and most approaches to therapy.

Because this edition was published in late 2005, it's quite up-to-date, and in that regard, the papers cited are very useful to the student and researcher for further exploration and paper writing. Probably one of the greater weaknesses is in the figures in the earlier genetics sections: the diagrams are not particularly helpful in actually illustrating the complex processes. Overall, though, this has been very helpful for me in bridging the gap between mathematical biology and oncology. I'd highly recommend this text for anybody who desires to learn more about the biology of the cancer, regardless of where they're coming from.