We are delighted to present the Frontiers in Oncology "Women in Breast Cancer” Volume II series of article collections. At present, less than 30% of researchers worldwide are women. Long-standing biases and gender stereotypes are discouraging girls and women away from science-related fields, and STEM research in particular. Science and gender equality are, however, essential to ensure sustainable development as highlighted by UNESCO. In order to change traditional mindsets, gender equality must be promoted, stereotypes defeated, and girls and women should be encouraged to pursue STEM careers.

"Providing comprehensive, current, and reliable information on breast cancer, this book, written by an experienced oncologist, a surgeon, and a breast cancer survivor, informs and inspires readers, wherever they are in the breast cancer experience. Patient stories, essays from medical specialists, and illustrations add clarity and insight"--

This contributed book covers all aspects concerning the clinical scenario of breast cancer in young women, providing physicians with the latest information on the topic. Young women are a special subset of patients whose care requires dedicated expertise. The book, written and edited by internationally recognized experts who have been directly involved in the international consensus guidelines for breast cancer in young women, pays particular attention to how the disease and its planned treatment can be effectively communicated to young patients. Highly informative and carefully structured, it provides both theoretical and practice-oriented insight for practitioners and professionals involved in the different phases of treatment, from diagnosis to intervention, to follow-up – without neglecting the important role played by prevention.

Breast cancer is the leading site of new cancer cases in women. Breast cancer detection is currently primarily based on physical examination by health care professionals, chance findings by women, breast self-examination and mammography used for diagnosis or for routine screening. Early enough detection through mass screening with mammography has been introduced in many countries in the hope that early intervention would lead to reduced mortality and less aggressive treatment. The aim of this publication is to provide an independent, authoritative review of the evidence of the efficacy and effectiveness of breast cancer screening. This will be of value to governments, public health officials and others concerned with policy recommendations for cancer control.

Two years after she underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy, Barbara Bradfield's aggressive breast cancer had recurred and spread to her lungs. The outlook was grim. Then she took part in Genentech's clinical trials for a new drug. Five years later she remains cancer-free. Her-2 is the biography of Herceptin, the drug that provoked dramatic responses in Barbara Bradfield and other women in the trials and that offers promise for hundreds of thousands of breast cancer patients. Unlike chemotherapy or radiation, Herceptin has no disabling side effects. It works by inactivating Her-2/neu--a protein that makes cancer cells grow especially quickly-- produced by a gene found in 25 to 30 percent of all breast tumors. Herceptin caused some patients' cancers to disappear completely; in others, it slowed the progression of the disease and gave the women months or years they wouldn't otherwise have had. Herceptin is the first treatment targeted at a gene defect that gives rise to cancer. It marks the beginning of a new era of treatment for all kinds of cancers. Robert Bazell presents a riveting account of how Herceptin was born. Her-2 is a story of dramatic discoveries and strong personalities, showing the combination of scientific investigation, money, politics, ego, corporate decisions, patient activism, and luck involved in moving this groundbreaking drug from the lab to a patient's bedside. Bazell's deft portraits introduce us to the remarkable people instrumental in Herceptin's history, including Dr. Dennis Slamon, the driven UCLA oncologist who played the primary role in developing the treatment; Lily Tartikoff, wife of television executive Brandon Tartikoff, who tapped into Hollywood money and glamour to help fund Slamon's research; and Marti Nelson, who inspired the activists who lobbied for a "compassionate use" program that would allow women outside the clinical trials to have access to the limited supplies of Herceptin prior to FDA approval of the drug. And throughout there are the stories of the heroic women with advanced breast cancer who volunteered for the trials, risking what time they had left on an unproven treatment. Meticulously researched, written with clarity and compassion, Her-2 is masterly reporting on cutting-edge science.