The processes of tumor metastasis, apoptosis and anti-tumor immune response are among the most complex yet rapidly advancing fields in the area of cancer research. This monograph, with its leading authorship, presents a comprehensive coverage of the recent advances in the various key concepts in these fundamental aspects of human cancer. It contains state-of-the-science reviews on invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, apoptosis and immunologic aspects related to cancer.

This volume examines in detail the role of chronic inflammatory processes in the development of several types of cancer. Leading experts describe the latest results of molecular and cellular research on infection, cancer-related inflammation and tumorigenesis. Further, the clinical significance of these findings in preventing cancer progression and approaches to treating the diseases are discussed. Individual chapters cover cancer of the lung, colon, breast, brain, head and neck, pancreas, prostate, bladder, kidney, liver, cervix and skin as well as gastric cancer, sarcoma, lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma.

Sugar chains (glycans) are often attached to proteins and lipids and have multiple roles in the organization and function of all organisms. "Essentials of Glycobiology" describes their biogenesis and function and offers a useful gateway to the understanding of glycans.

The acknowledgment that viruses are potent biological factors in driving many cancers have seen a dramatic upsurge in recent years in large part to the success of the human papilloma virus vaccine against invasive cervical carcinomas and followed by the awarding of the noble prize in medicine in 2008 to Dr. Harald zurHausen who identified the link between papilloma virus and cervical cancers. Over the last few years there have been some volumes addressing different aspects of viruses and cancers and to some extent focusing on the DNA viruses, more specifically the human DNA viruses. This proposed volume will attempt to review and address the major gaps in current knowledge in DNA viruses as well as RNA viruses bringing a historical perspective of where studies began to a more recent molecular approach and vaccine successes in tumor viruses. We will also cover other known oncogenic viruses associated cancers in other mammals in addition to humans.

Most cancer deaths are a result of metastasis. The spread of a primary tumor to colonize neighboring and distant organs is the relentless endgame that defines the neoplastic process. Patients who have been diagnosed with cancer are treated to prevent both the recurrence of the tumor at the site of origin and metastasis that would re-stage them as advanced stage IV cancer. Historically and still with some types of cancer, stage IV is perceived by patients as “terminal.” Fortunately, recent molecular therapies have extended the lives of patients with advanced cancer and reassuringly people living with metastatic disease increasingly visit our clinics. What is the path forward? Given that the consilience of science and medicine is a dynamic art from which therapies arise, it would be misguided to consider any single work adequate at capturing the horizon for research. So with humility we constructed this text as primer for scientists. It begins with a broad introduction to the clinical management of common cancers. This is intended to serve as a foundation for investigators to consider when developing basic science hypotheses. Unquestionably, medical and surgical care of cancer patients reveals biology and dictates how novel therapeutics will ultimately be evaluated in clinical trials. The second section of this text offers provocative and evolving insights that underscore the breadth of science involved in the elucidation of cancer metastasis biology. The text concludes with information that integrates scientific and clinical foundations to highlight translational research. This book serves as a framework for scientists to conceptualize clinical and translational knowledge on the complexity of disease that is metastatic cancer.