Description
Cancer remains one of the most complex challenges in modern medicine, demanding a solid understanding of its biological foundations. This textbook offers a clear and structured approach to cancer development, progression, and therapeutic response, effectively bridging molecular mechanisms with clinical practice. Readers gain in-depth insight into oncogenes and tumor suppressors, multistep tumorigenesis, the tumor microenvironment, metastasis, cancer immunology, and the rapidly expanding field of targeted and precision therapies.
Designed with a strong didactic concept, the book features informative boxed sections highlighting key concepts, numerous high-quality illustrations, and a comprehensive glossary of technical terms. Its scaffolded structure guides learners from fundamental principles to advanced applications, making it particularly well suited for students.
Based on Prof. Carsten Carlberg s long-standing lecture course Cancer Biology, taught for many years at the University of Eastern Finland, and enriched by Dr. Eunike Velleuer s clinical expertise, the book combines academic rigor with clinical relevance.
The completely revised and expanded second edition includes new content on DNA methylation based tumor classification, liquid biopsies, cancer epigenomics, aging as a cancer risk factor, sex differences, and cancer survivorship.
Cancer Biology: How Science Works is an essential resource for students, practitioners, and anyone seeking a clear and scientifically grounded understanding of cancer and its clinical implications.
Chapter 1. Introduction to Cancer.- Chapter 2. Clinical Aspects of Cancer.- Chapter 3. Living with Cancer.- Chapter 4. Oncogenes, Signal Transduction and Cancer Hallmarks.- Chapter 5. Tumor Suppressor Genes and Cell Fate Control.- Chapter 6. Multi-Step Tumorigenesis and Genome Instability.- Chapter 7. Cancer Genomics.- Chapter 8. Cancer Epigenomics.- Chapter 9. Aging and Cancer.- Chapter 10. Tumor Microenvironment.- Chapter 11. Metastasis and Cancer-Associated Cachexia.- Chapter 12. Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy.- Chapter 13. The Landscape of Cancer Therapies.
Carsten Carlberg obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1989 from the Free University of Berlin, Germany. Following postdoctoral training at Roche in Basel, Switzerland, he held successive academic positions as Group Leader at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and as Docent at the University of Düsseldorf, Germany. Since 2000, he has been Full Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, Finland. In 2022, Prof. Carlberg was appointed ERA Chair for Nutrigenomics at the Polish Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of gene regulation by nuclear hormones, with a particular emphasis on vitamin D. His current projects investigate epigenome-wide effects of vitamin D on the human immune system, especially in the context of cancer.
Eunike Velleuer received her M.D. in 2006 from the University of Düsseldorf, Germany, and completed her specialization in pediatric hemato-oncology in 2016. She currently serves as Senior Physician at the Children s Oncology Department, Helios Clinic Krefeld (Germany) and as Research Associate at the University of Düsseldorf. Her clinical expertise centers on Fanconi anemia, a cancer predisposition syndrome. Her research interests focus on the early detection and prevention of oral squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, Dr. Velleuer is committed to strengthening patient resilience and exploring innovative approaches to achieve long-term patient empowerment.
