Book ReviewsCancer Chemotherapy and Biological Response Modifiers, Annual 17 Robert StuartMD Robert Stuart Chairman, Department of Oncology (MBC-64), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia Search for more papers by this author Published Online:1 Jul 1998https://doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.1998.373SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail AboutIntroductionR Stuart, Cancer Chemotherapy and Biological Response Modifiers, Annual 17. 1998; 18(4): 373-373The latest annual volume of a contemporary classic series will delight aficionados as much as its predecessors did. Thirty chapters authored by well-known experts in their fields are divided into three sections.The first section, “Drugs,” presents a series of reviews of the major classes of cytotoxic antineoplastics in sufficient detail to satisfy any practicing oncologist, advanced trainee, or neophyte clinical investigator. The format is reasonably consistent from chapter to chapter, and allows the reader to satisfy a hunger for information by “grazing” for tidbits rather than having to sit down for a full meal.The chapters on taxines and on DNA topoisomerase 1 inhibitors provide much useful information on these newer additions to the oncologist's clinical arsenal (paclitaxel, docetaxel, topotecan and irinotecan). The chapter entitled “New Anticancer Agents,” a perennial favorite of mine, is reasonably current, even including the new angiogenesis inhibitors. If there is a shortcoming, it is the meager use of figures and tables in deference to nicely edited text, a consistent feature of the volumes in this series.A relatively recent addition to this series is the section, “Biological Response Modifiers,” with seven chapters on the various biological approaches to cancer therapy now appearing in the clinic. The first chapter, “Monoclonal Antibody Therapy of Cancer,” provides a fascinating tale of how a simple idea, targeting tumor cells with specific antibodies, can mushroom into an unimaginably complex series of obstacles to be overcome. The recent licensing of a monoclonal antibody, rituximab, for therapy of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, assumes a new significance against the description of the long struggle to bring this technology to clinical use. Another chapter, “Strategies for Cancer Gene Therapy,” leaves the reader with a good overview of a new field and with curiosity about the unanticipated obstacles that will undoubtedly arise in the clinical development of this novel approach.The final section, “Tumors,” consists of 13 chapters on drug therapy of specific clinical cancers and a concluding section on supportive care. These chapters review the recent literature on chemotherapy and biological therapy of the major tumor types, emphasizing clinical trials in humans rather than animals or in vitro studies. These chapters are somewhat uneven, as might be expected from a multi-author book, but the organization and overall quality of the section meets the high standards of previous volumes in the series. The chapter on breast cancer is an especially comprehensive but readable review.Overall, what do I think of this book? I confess that I have envied a colleague who purchases this annual offering every year, mainly because of the impressive visual impact on his office bookshelf—a series of royal blue hardbound volumes with silver lettering. But I cannot convince myself to buy every year's offering. For one thing, the lead-time for publishing such a volume makes the “recent literature” reviewed therein about two years behind the publication date. For instance, the chapter on breast cancer begins, “The 1995 literature pertaining to clinical issues in breast cancer had similar themes to prior years.” Another chapter begins, “This chapter reviews the results of brain tumor trials published in 1994 and 1995.” (Interestingly, in a brief chapter on soft tissue and bone sarcomas, 29 of the 42 references are from 1996. This was probably a late submission). For another thing, contemplating the annual cost of this hardbound volume induces expression of my usually dormant Scottish thrift genes.If I might venture a modest recommendation to Elsevier BV, why not publish this annual volume in paperback? It would encourage those who appreciate this gem to buy it every year, despite the limited lifespan of its current information. Also, it would be more affordable to trainees who might become addicted and produce a cohort of lifelong buyers. Who knows, it might even become a bestseller in Scotland. Previous article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 18, Issue 4July 1998 Metrics History Published online1 July 1998 InformationCopyright © 1998, Annals of Saudi MedicinePDF download