Includes bibliographical references and index

1. Lessons from epidemiology : Incidence ; Deaths ; Patterns around the world: how many cancers and what sort? ; Trends ; Age ; Where do we stand and is there any good news? -- 2. Causes of cancer : Infection ; Radiation ; Ionising radiation ; Radon ; Ultraviolet radiation ; Low-frequency magnetic fields ; High-frequency magnetic fields (mobile phones) ; Tobacco ; Alcohol ; Tea and coffee ; Diet: epidemiological studies ; Obesity ; Stress -- 3. Signalling in normal cells : Enzyme-coupled receptors ; Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) ; Intracellular signalling from activated tyrosine kinase receptors ; Activating RAS and MAPK ; Sustained versus transient activation of RAS and MAPK ; Mitogenic activation of cell cycle progression ; MYC is a central regulator of cell growth and proliferation ; MYC and proliferation ; Cytokine receptors ; G-protein-coupled receptors ; Ligand-gated ion channel receptors ; Steroid hormones -- 4. 'Cancer genes': mutations and cancer development : Collecting mutations ; Genetic roulette ; The cancer genomic landscape ; Mutations in 'cancer genes': oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes ; Oncogenes ; The first human oncogene ; What turns a proto-oncogene into an oncogene? ; Tumour suppressor genes ; What does the retinoblastoma protein do? ; Tumour protein 53 (TP53 aka p53) ; p53, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and MYC ; p53 and cancer ; p53 is not entirely a tumour suppressor ; DNA repair ; Hereditary cancers ; Hereditary breast cancer ; Hereditary colon cancer ; DNA repeats itself ; Polymorphisms and cancer ; Modulating gene expression without mutation: epigenetic changes ; Micro RNAs (miRNAs) -- 5. What is a tumour? : Benign tumours ; The benign-malignant boundary ; Types of malignant (non-benign) cancer ; What makes a cancer cell a cancer cell? ; Cancer cell characteristics ; Cell growth is largely independent of normal signals ; Resistance to inhibitory growth signals ; Resistance to cell death ; Unlimited replicative capacity ; Induction of angiogenesis ; Abnormal metabolism ; Inflammation and the immune system ; The uniqueness of malignancy ; Metastasis and metastatic potential ; How does cancer kill you? -- 6. Cancer signalling networks : The central axis: ARF, MDM2, p53, INK4, RB1 ; MYC and RAS ; Cancer and cell senescence ; Tumourigenic DNA viruses ; Signalling pathways that impact on the central axis ; Cellular responses during tumour development ; Signalling and systems biology -- 7. The future of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment : The development of anti-cancer drugs ; Chemotherapeutic strategies for cancer ; Drug resistance ; Non-specific effects ; The efficacy of chemotherapy ; Cancer detection: tumour imaging and molecular imaging ; Molecular imaging ; Proteomics ; Metabolomics ; Gene expression profiling ; Protein imaging ; Nanotubes, graphene and nanocells -- 8. The future of cancer in the post-genomic era : Human genome sequencing ; Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and cancer ; Chromothripsis ; Genomic partitioning ; Genome-wide association (GWA) studies and inherited cancer predisposition ; Therapeutic strategies for cancer driven by the sequencing revolution ; Tailoring therapy on the basis of whole genome sequencing ; Tumour biomarkers ; Microfluidics and the isolation of circulating tumour cells ; Drug development ; The expanding field of cancer treatment ; Balancing priorities -- Appendices : A: Tumour grading and staging ; B: Targets of specific anti-cancer drugs ; C: Classes of major oncoproteins ; D: Major tumour suppressor genes ; E: Ten major cancers at a glance

"This concise overview of the fundamental concepts of cancer biology is ideal for those with little or no background in the field. A summary of global cancer patterns introduces students to the general principles of how cancers arise and the risk factors involved. By focusing on fundamental examples of the signalling pathways within cells, the functional effects of DNA damage are explained. Later chapters then build on this foundation to provide a comprehensive summary of the major signalling pathways that affect tumour development. Current therapeutic strategies are reviewed, along with a discussion of methods for tumour detection and biomarker identification. Finally, the impact of whole genome sequencing is discussed, bringing students up to date with key recent developments in the field. From basic principles to insights into cutting-edge research, this book will enable the reader to move into the cancer field with confidence"--