Oncology Book of 2011, British Medical Association's Medical Book Awards Awarded first prize in the Oncology category at the 2011 BMA Medical Book Awards, Monoclonal Antibody and Peptide-Targeted Radiotherapy of Cancer helps readers understand this hot pharmaceutical field with up-to-date developments. Expert discussion covers a range of diverse topics associated with this field, including the optimization of design of biomolecules and radiochemistry, cell and animal models for preclinical evaluation, discoveries from key clinical trials, radiation biology and dosimetry, and considerations in regulatory approval. With chapters authored by internationally renowned experts, this book delivers a wealth of information to push future discovery.

The advent of hybridoma technology leading to the successful produc tion of monoclonal antibodies against a variety of tumor-associated antigens has, during the last decade, provided a very powerful tool for research and clinical investigations. These highly specific reagents have essentially replaced the polysera of the earlier days. The successful demonstration of the many wide ranging capabilities of the monoclonal antibody technique has already begun to exert an enormous impact on diverse areas of research in basic science and medicine. In particular, the potential of monoclonal antibodies to serve as carriers for selective targeting of radionuclides to tumors for diagnosis or therapy, has stimulated an intense surge of research interest and even revived hopes of realizing Ehrlich's concept of the "magic bullet". Indeed, the technology appears to be on the threshold of a revolution in diagnosing and treating malignant disease. Much work remains to be done, however, and even though the progress has been impressive, results to date have shown only moderate success. There is no question that the limited success we have achieved thus far is merely a prelude to the many more exciting developments yet to come.

This long overdue title provides a comprehensive, up-to-date, state-of-the art review of approved biologic therapies, with coverage of mechanisms of action, Indications for therapy, immunogenicity and a detailed examination of adverse effects and safety of the many and diverse therapeutic agents presented in a total of 13 chapters. It is predicted that by 2016, biologics will make up half of the world's 20 top-selling drugs and by 2018, biologic medicine sales will account for almost half of the world's 100 biggest selling drugs. Recombinant proteins dominate the growing list of the more than 200 approved biotherapeutic agents with targeted antibodies, fusion proteins and receptors; cytokines; hormones; enzymes; proteins involved in blood-clotting, homeostasis and thrombosis; vaccines; botulinum neurotoxins; and, more recently, biosimilar preparations, comprising the majority of approved biologics. Written with clinicians, other health care professionals, and researchers in mind, Safety of Biologics Therapy examines, in a single volume, the full range of issues surrounding the safety of approved biologic therapies. A good understanding of the risks and safety issues of modern biologics therapy is increasingly being demanded of all those connected with their development, handling, prescribing, administration and subsequent patient management. In addition to being of great value to clinicians in all branches of medicine, and to nurses, pharmacists and researchers, this book will prove invaluable for students taking undergraduate and graduate courses in the above disciplines and in the biomedical sciences.

The last three decades have provided opportunities to explore the potential of treating malignant diseases with antibodies or other targeting molecules labelled with nuclides. While considerable advances have been reported, there is still a signi- cant amount of work left to accomplish before our ambitions can be achieved. It now seems timely to review the accomplishments achieved to date and to clarify the challenges that remain. The choice of radionuclide, the conjugation p- cedure employed, and the selection of suitable targets were early issues that were faced by our field that still persist, however we can now tackle these obstacles with significantly better insight. The expanding array of new targeting molecules (recombinant antibodies, peptides and agents based upon alternate scaffolds) may increase the therapeutic efficacy or even modify the radiation sensitivity of the targeted tumor cell. The title of this book “Targeted Radionuclide Tumour Therapy – Biological Aspects” was selected to reinforce the concept that a major focus of this volume was devoted to understanding the biological effects of targeting and radiation. These important issues have not previously been the primary focus in this context. Furthermore, our rapidly expanding knowledge of different types of cell death and the increasingly likely existence of cancer stem cells suggests to us that even more efficient approaches in targeting might be possible in the future.

Radioimmunotherapy, also known as systemic targeted radiation therapy, uses antibodies, antibody fragments, or compounds as carriers to guide radiation to the targets. It is a topic rapidly increasing in importance and success in treatment of cancer patients. This book represents a comprehensive amalgamation of the radiation physics, chemistry, radiobiology, tumor models, and clinical data for targeted radionuclide therapy. It outlines the current challenges and provides a glimpse at future directions. With significant advances in cell biology and molecular engineering, many targeting constructs are now available that will safely deliver these highly cytotoxic radionuclides in a targeted fashion. A companion website includes the full text and an image bank.

Where do you begin to look for a recent, authoritative article on the diagnosis or management of a particular malignancy? The few general oncology text books are generally out of date. Single papers in specialized journals are informative but seldom comprehensive; these are more often preliminary reports on a very limited number of patients. Certain general journals frequently publish good in-depth reviews of cancer topics, and published symposium lectures are often the best overviews available. Unfortunately, these reviews and supplements appear sporadically, and the reader can never be sure when a topic of special interest will be covered. Cancer Treatment and Research is a series of authoritative volumes that aim to meet this need. It is an attempt to establish a critical mass of oncology literature covering virtually all oncology topics, revised frequently to keep the coverage up to date, and easily available on a single library shelf or by a single personal subscription. We have approached the problem in the following fashion: first, by dividing the oncology literature into specific subdivisions such as lung cancer, genitourinary cancer, pediatric oncology, etc.; and second, by asking eminent authorities in each of these areas to edit a volume on the specific topic on an annual or biannual basis. Each topic and tumor type is covered in a volume appearing frequently and predictably, discussing current diagnosis, staging, markers, all forms of treatment modalities, basic biology, and more.

KENNETH A. FOON and ALTON C. MORGAN, JR. Passive immunotherapy using heteroantisera for the treatment of cancer in animals and humans has been studied for over 50 years. Attempts have been made to treat animal tumors with sera from immunized syngeneic, allogeneic, or xenogeneic animals. A number of studies of passive immunotherapy using heterologous antisera in humans have also been performed. These studies have generally been attempted in patients with large tumor burdens, and as would be expected, results have been transient at best. A wide variety of solid tumors as well as leukemias and lym phomas have been treated with antisera raised in sheep, horses, rabbits, and goats. Problems such as anaphylaxis, serum sick ness, and severe cytopenias have been encountered with these antisera. There are a number of potential mechanisms by which unconju gated antibodies might be cytotoxic to tumor cells. Antibodies bound to the cell surface membrane of tumor cells may lead to cell lysis by complement-dependent or antibody-dependent cellu lar cytotoxicity. Circulating tumor cells bound by antibody may be more susceptible to phagocytosis by the reticuloendothelial system. Antibody bound to the cell surface membrane of tumor cells may enhance immunogenicity of the tumor cell leading to activation of the host's immune system.