This book discusses the role of genetic polymorphism in susceptibility to cancers. The book explores the understanding of differences between the genetic polymorphisms and mutations.It reviews the mechanisms underlying the effect of polymorphism in genes encoding proteins that play an essential role in metabolism, signal transduction, cell cycle, and DNA repair mechanisms. Further, it investigates various techniques that are used for analyzing the genetic polymorphisms. The book contains many chapters which summarize the importance of genetic information obtained from polymorphism-based pharmaco-genetic tests to predict better drug response and life-threatening adverse reactions to chemotherapeutic agents, help in understanding of the impact of SNPs on gene function, and gives overview of the different SNP databases for examination. This book, therefore, serves as an essential guidebook for independent researchers as well as institutions working in this specialised field.

This publication originates from an international workshop which addresses a range of methodological issues underlying the use of biological markers of exposure, biological effects and individual susceptibility in cancer epidemiology. It includes a report of the workshop, with a general discussion and recommendation on epidemiology. a series of peer-reviewed authored contributors provide a more personal view on the most important aspects by key researchers.

Advances in the technology used in personalized medicine and increased applications for clinical use have created a need for this expansion and revision of Kewal K. Jain’s Textbook of Personalized Medicine. As the first definitive work on this topic, this book reviews the fundamentals and development of personalized medicine and subsequent adoptions of the concepts by the biopharmaceutical industry and the medical profession. It also discusses examples of applications in key therapeutic areas, as well as ethical and regulatory issues, providing a concise and comprehensive source of reference for those involved in healthcare management, planning and politics. Algorithms are included as a guide to those involved in the management of important diseases where decision-making is involved due to the multiple choices available. Textbook of Personalized Medicine, Second Edition will serve as a convenient source of information for physicians, scientists, decision makers in the biopharmaceutical and healthcare industries and interested members of the public.

This report considers the biological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the pathogenicity of tobacco smoke. Many Surgeon General's reports have considered research findings on mechanisms in assessing the biological plausibility of associations observed in epidemiologic studies. Mechanisms of disease are important because they may provide plausibility, which is one of the guideline criteria for assessing evidence on causation. This report specifically reviews the evidence on the potential mechanisms by which smoking causes diseases and considers whether a mechanism is likely to be operative in the production of human disease by tobacco smoke. This evidence is relevant to understanding how smoking causes disease, to identifying those who may be particularly susceptible, and to assessing the potential risks of tobacco products.