Cancer precursors: epidemiology, detection, and prevention

Description

Drs. Franco and Rohan bring together a timely and comprehensive set of reviews describing the biologic basis of carcinogenesis, issues related to measurement and interpretation of cancer precursors, site specific precancerous conditions, and control of cancer precursors ...The book has several important strengths, most notably the wealth of current information on cancer precursors and related topics provided by an impressive cast of cancer researchers. ... it effectively provides specific and compelling reasons for studying cancer precursors, the most up-to-date and comprehensive collection of reviews on the topic, and a realistic picture of the complexities facing research of cancer precursors. -American Journal of Epidemiology ''In this book, Drs. Franco and Rohan have succeeded in preparing a comprehensive, timely, and critical review of the substantial progress that has been made in our understanding of cancer precursors. They have enlisted experts in the field who have contributed authoritative chapters to a wide variety of cancers with emphasis on the etiology and natural history, including the role of environmental and heritable factor that provoke normal cells to undergo malignant transformation. Epidemiologic data are linked whenever possible to molecular as well as clasical cellular pathology, providing a fuller understanding of the casual events and mechanisms that initiate the carcinogenic process.'' -From the Foreward by Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr., M.D., M.S. Director, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics National Cancer Institute National Institutes of Health Rockville, MD This book provides an overview of the progress made in the last few years on the epidemiology, detection methods, and preventive stategies for cancer precursors. Contributors to the 25 chapters are among the world's most knowledgeable scientists in the areas of molecular pathology, epidemiology, and control of cancer precursors. Their reviews of the topic are accessible to a large professional base that includes basic cancer researchers, clinical oncologists, pathologists, molecular biologists, epidemiologists, nurses, health professionals working on policy implications, and graduate students in cancer-related fields. Divided into five sections, the book begins with brief overviews of the molecular basis of carcinogenesis and of the histological aspects of cancer precursors. Issues related to the measurement, interpretation, and the study of precursor lesions are addressed in Part II, including timely chapters on epidemiologic approaches to studying intermediate endpoints, the impact of measurement error, and methods of processing biological specimens for molecular epidemiology studies. The main section of the text is found in Part III, with chapters on cancer precursors at the most important anatomical sites at which solid tumors occur, including the lung, breast, colon, esophagus, and prostate. The site-specific reviews include discussions of the epidemiology of those lesions, and, where appropriate, aspects of their detection and prevention. The final sections of the book feature valuable overviews on screening and prevention strategies and the role of evidence-based medicine in judging the value of such strategies for national and international policy guidelines on cancer control.