Cancer in its many forms is one of the world's leading causes of death. Basic scientific research is slowly revealing a great deal about the causes of cancer and finding potential cures and preventive measures. This three-volume encyclopedia provides an overview of cancer research for medical practitioners; most articles will also be accessible to educated laypersons.
Editor in chief Joseph R. Bertino, chair of the Program of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, has assembled an international team of 297 scientists currently working in the field to write the 163 signed articles in the encyclopedia. The alphabetically arranged articles cover a wide range of subjects in the areas of molecular biology, genetics, pharmacology, radiation therapy, biology, and virology. Specific topics covered include Cell cycle control, Multistage carcinogenesis, DNA damage, Mutation and repair, and Viral agents. Each lengthy article has a table of contents, a glossary of terms, and a bibliography. Cross-references facilitate access to related material. Approximately 500 black-and-white and color illustrations and 250 tables augment the text.
Each volume contains two tables of contents for the entire set: an alphabetical list and a subject area list that arranges entries by broad topic. There is also a detailed index with more than 10,000 entries. A 1,500-term glossary completes the set.