Cancer Chemotherapy and Biotherapy: Principles and Practice

Updated to include the newest drugs and those currently in development, this Fourth Edition is a comprehensive reference on the preclinical and clinical pharmacology of anticancer agents. Organized by drug class, the book provides the latest information on all drugs and biological agents—their mechanisms of action, interactions with other agents, toxicities, side effects, and mechanisms of resistance. The authors explain the rationale for use of drugs in specific schedules and combinations and offer guidelines for dose adjustment in particular situations. This edition provides expanded coverage of monoclonal antibodies, molecularly targeted drugs, vaccines, cell based therapies, growth factors, and pharmacogenetics.

This second edition is published as a follow-up to The Pharmacologic Principles of Cancer Treatment, originally released in 1982. It provides a comprehensive review of new and old chemotherapy and biologic agents, while also providing a discussion of other related topics such as potential long-term toxicities and routes of administration. The purpose of this book is to provide a detailed review of new and old chemotherapeutic and biologic agents, including the basis for their use, aspects of pharmacology, and guidelines for safe clinical use. A provocative role for the combination of chemotherapeutic and biologic agents is also presented. This publication is a very useful review, because the authors are highly successful at thoroughly presenting the topics. This textbook will appeal to a wide range of audiences from a student to a practitioner level. It may also be a useful reference for scientific investigators. Some chapters may even provide general information that could be used for patient education. All the authors are well known and respected clinicians and investigators. The text features numerous graphs, charts, and illustrations that appropriately assisted in the presentation of the material. The large number of references available at the end of each chapter are very current and may serve as a useful research tool. The appearance of the book is professional, and the layout of the topics is rational and easy to follow. This is a very useful book that will serve a diverse audience. The book would be appropriate for a library reference or for personal use. This book is the second edition and serves as a thorough and useful follow-up to the initialreview published in 1982.

Chabner, Bruce A., MD; Longo, Dan L., MD