Cancer Chemotherapy and Biotherapy: Principles and Practice
http://www.100md.com
《新英格兰医药杂志》
Medical oncology has undergone profound changes in the past decade, driven in part by the explosive growth in the field of molecular biology. In turn, drug development has progressed from empirical screening to combinatorial chemistry, computer-aided design, and rationally identified targets. At present, approximately 400 drugs for the treatment of cancer are in development, and a large number of standard cytotoxic agents and biologic agents for the treatment of cancer are commercially available. The editors of this fourth edition of Cancer Chemotherapy and Biotherapy have taken on the Herculean task of melding chemotherapy and biologic therapy, with an emphasis on clinical relevance. To a great degree, they have accomplished their goal.
The book's 37 chapters — the topics of which span the field from drug discovery to the role of the Food and Drug Administration in drug approval — were written by 81 contributors, many of whom are responsible for the current state of anticancer treatment. This latest version of the book is an expansion of the previous edition and, like its predecessor, is a resource for medical oncologists. Much thought and effort were obviously employed in the compilation of this edition, since each chapter provides a comprehensive overview of its designated topic. The chapters are also surprisingly up to date, considering the rapid changes in this field. Yet the text is not bogged down in minutiae, instead presenting information in a readily understood form. There is extensive use of illustrations and tables, and summary tables in each chapter reinforce the central themes.
Most of the book is organized into chapters dealing with specific classes of commercially available drugs, with a uniform format of presentation — history, chemistry, pharmacology, drug interactions, and clinical use. Drug disposition and drug interactions are discussed in detail. The more mature analogues and related compounds in development are discussed in the appropriate chapters. The bibliographic references are extensive. However, a discussion of arsenic trioxide, an extremely effective commercially available agent in the treatment of promyelocytic leukemia, is missing. Notable chapters include discussions of pharmacokinetics, infertility after treatment, the carcinogenesis of cancer treatment, new targets, molecularly targeted drugs, and hormonal therapy. The chapter on infertility is extremely useful; the topic is rarely discussed in such detail in medical oncology training programs. The discussion of carcinogenesis becomes even more relevant to the clinician as survival among patients with cancer continues to improve; it should be read by all practicing oncologists.
The editors have also included chapters on biologic agents in which the use of tables and illustrations is extensive. The discussion of antibody therapy provides an excellent overview of the current state of functional mechanisms, but surprisingly, it includes only a very short discussion of trastuzumab, one of the great success stories of anticancer therapy. The chapter on adoptive cellular therapy is lucid and extensive without overwhelming the reader. Additional chapters include a discussion of hematopoietic growth factors but not of antiemetics, which have undergone revolutionary changes in the past 5 years. The inclusion of a chapter on trial design, written by a statistician, would have complemented the clinical discussions of anticancer drug activity.
This textbook will continue to be a resource for clinical oncologists, and it remains one of the essential readings for medical oncologists in training. The editors and contributors should be complimented on the results of their labors, which improve on their previous exceptional efforts.
Daniel R. Budman, M.D.
Monter Cancer Center of North Shore University Hospital
Lake Success, NY 11040
budman@nshs.edu(Fourth edition. Edited by)
The book's 37 chapters — the topics of which span the field from drug discovery to the role of the Food and Drug Administration in drug approval — were written by 81 contributors, many of whom are responsible for the current state of anticancer treatment. This latest version of the book is an expansion of the previous edition and, like its predecessor, is a resource for medical oncologists. Much thought and effort were obviously employed in the compilation of this edition, since each chapter provides a comprehensive overview of its designated topic. The chapters are also surprisingly up to date, considering the rapid changes in this field. Yet the text is not bogged down in minutiae, instead presenting information in a readily understood form. There is extensive use of illustrations and tables, and summary tables in each chapter reinforce the central themes.
Most of the book is organized into chapters dealing with specific classes of commercially available drugs, with a uniform format of presentation — history, chemistry, pharmacology, drug interactions, and clinical use. Drug disposition and drug interactions are discussed in detail. The more mature analogues and related compounds in development are discussed in the appropriate chapters. The bibliographic references are extensive. However, a discussion of arsenic trioxide, an extremely effective commercially available agent in the treatment of promyelocytic leukemia, is missing. Notable chapters include discussions of pharmacokinetics, infertility after treatment, the carcinogenesis of cancer treatment, new targets, molecularly targeted drugs, and hormonal therapy. The chapter on infertility is extremely useful; the topic is rarely discussed in such detail in medical oncology training programs. The discussion of carcinogenesis becomes even more relevant to the clinician as survival among patients with cancer continues to improve; it should be read by all practicing oncologists.
The editors have also included chapters on biologic agents in which the use of tables and illustrations is extensive. The discussion of antibody therapy provides an excellent overview of the current state of functional mechanisms, but surprisingly, it includes only a very short discussion of trastuzumab, one of the great success stories of anticancer therapy. The chapter on adoptive cellular therapy is lucid and extensive without overwhelming the reader. Additional chapters include a discussion of hematopoietic growth factors but not of antiemetics, which have undergone revolutionary changes in the past 5 years. The inclusion of a chapter on trial design, written by a statistician, would have complemented the clinical discussions of anticancer drug activity.
This textbook will continue to be a resource for clinical oncologists, and it remains one of the essential readings for medical oncologists in training. The editors and contributors should be complimented on the results of their labors, which improve on their previous exceptional efforts.
Daniel R. Budman, M.D.
Monter Cancer Center of North Shore University Hospital
Lake Success, NY 11040
budman@nshs.edu(Fourth edition. Edited by)