The scientific collaboration between the United States and Japan in the field of cancer goes back many years. In this successful international collaboration cancer chemotherapy has been one of the most productive areas. Pioneers such as YOSHIDA, UMEZAWA, SHEAR, and GOLDIN established firm links of mutual trust and respect in the period after the Second Great War. Japanese drugs, such as mitomycin C and bleomycin have become mainstays of clinical oncology in the U. S. and throughout the world. Many drugs developed in the U. S. have become established in Japanese cancer therapy. Within the cancer chemotherapy field the antitumor antibiotics rank as one of the most important groups. In the U . S. -J apanese collaboration this group of drugs has taken the paramount role. The Japanese, under the leadership of U mezawa, are considered to be among the most innovative and productive in this area which has also had great emphasis in the United States as part of the National Cancer Institute's drug development program and in the pharmaceutical industry. This extended collaboration in general oncology, and chemotherapy in particular, has received increased impetus by and support from the official U . S. -J apan Joint Agreement on cancer research, which was established in 1974 between the National Cancer Institute and the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science. One of the subsections of this agreement is cancer therapy with emphasis on chemotherapy.

This volume is the third in the series devoted to Antibiotics initiated by Springer Verlag in 1967. The first two volumes were devoted to the Mode of Action of Antibiotics and Biogenesis, respectively and were received graciously. During the intervening years these two works have been used often by research workers and students alike and have been quoted extensively. Although a number of other excellent treatises on antibiotics have appeared, the Springer series has set a standard for thoroughness and quality that meets the need of the scientific community. It is against this background that the present Editors set about the preparation of a third volume in the Series on Antibiotics. Since the appearance of Volume I, also dealing with Mechanism of Action, tremendous strides have been made in the depth and breadth of our knowledge of molecular biology, microbial chemistry and molecular pharmacology and of their direct application to studies on the mode of action of drugs. The field of molecular biology itself was in its relative infancy during the preceding decade and the unique role played by many anti biotics in the development of our understanding of nucleic acid synthesis and function and its relationship to protein synthesis and cell physiology has led rapidly to a very precise, understanding of how many of these same antibiotics inhibit susceptible cells.

Medicinal Chemistry of Anticancer Drugs, Second Edition, provides an updated treatment from the point of view of medicinal chemistry and drug design, focusing on the mechanism of action of antitumor drugs from the molecular level, and on the relationship between chemical structure and chemical and biochemical reactivity of antitumor agents. Antitumor chemotherapy is a very active field of research, and a huge amount of information on the topic is generated every year. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is gradually being supplemented by a new generation of drugs that recognize specific targets on the surface or inside cancer cells, and resistance to antitumor drugs continues to be investigated. While these therapies are in their infancy, they hold promise of more effective therapies with fewer side effects. Although many books are available that deal with clinical aspects of cancer chemotherapy, this book provides a sorely needed update from the point of view of medicinal chemistry and drug design. - Presents information in a clear and concise way using a large number of figures - Historical background provides insights on how the process of drug discovery in the anticancer field has evolved - Extensive references to primary literature

This cutting-edge book surveys the current knowledge on the mode of action of the major classes of DNA-interactive antitumor agents, providing information that could be crucial for the discovery of new therapeutic substances. It is an important reference for molecular biologists, cancer researchers, biochemists, biophysicists, and pharmacologists.

Treatment of patients with a brain tumor remains one of the most challenging and difficult areas of modern oncology. Recent advances in the molecular biology of these neoplasms have improved our understanding of the malignant phenotype and have lead to the development of novel forms of chemotherapy, including "targeted agents. The Handbook of Brain Tumor Chemotherapy reviews the state-of-the-art of chemotherapy development and clinical treatment of patients with this devastating disease. Handbook of Brain Tumor Chemotherapy offers a unique cutting-edge compendium of basic science and clinical information on the subject of brain tumor chemotherapy, reviewing what has been accomplished thus far and how the field will continue to evolve with the development of more specific and efficacious chemotherapeutic agents. This book represents the most complete single-volume resource available for information on the subject of brain tumor chemotherapy. - Provides the most up to date information regarding conventional forms of cytotoxic chemotherapy, as well as the basic science and clinical application of molecular therapeutics, for the treatment of brain tumors - Broadly appeals to anyone interested in the field of Neuro-Oncology and in the treatment of patients with brain tumors - Useful to clinicians interested in a thorough overview of the use of chemotherapy in patients with a broad range of brain tumors as well as serving as a source of background information to basic scientists and pharmaceutical researchers with an interest in the molecular therapeutics of brain tumors