An Illustrated Guide to Cancer Biology
- 1st Edition - June 26, 2026
- Latest edition
- Authors: Tomas Koltai, Larry Fliegel
- Language: English
An Illustrated Guide to Cancer Biology offers a comprehensive exploration of the fundamentals of oncological molecular biology and provides valuable insights into topics such a… Read more
Description
Description
An Illustrated Guide to Cancer Biology offers a comprehensive exploration of the fundamentals of oncological molecular biology and provides valuable insights into topics such as cancer cell migration, chemotherapeutic drug mechanisms, and the roles of RNA in cancer. With 33 chapters covering a wide array of subjects, including the Hanahan and Weinberg hallmarks of cancer, tumor heterogeneity, and hormone-dependent cancer, this guide serves as an indispensable resource for researchers, students, and practicing oncologists in medicine, oncology, and biochemistry alike. This book stands out not only for its comprehensive coverage of diverse topics but also for its unique approach.
With over 400 figures strategically interspersed throughout the text, this book offers readers a visually engaging journey through the intricacies of cancer biology. These illustrations, ranging from molecular pathways to cellular interactions, make navigating topics like chemotherapeutic drug mechanisms and tumor heterogeneity more accessible. Additionally, the inclusion of sections on repurposing drugs, tumor kinetics, and epigenetics further aids in a deep understanding of cancer biology.
With over 400 figures strategically interspersed throughout the text, this book offers readers a visually engaging journey through the intricacies of cancer biology. These illustrations, ranging from molecular pathways to cellular interactions, make navigating topics like chemotherapeutic drug mechanisms and tumor heterogeneity more accessible. Additionally, the inclusion of sections on repurposing drugs, tumor kinetics, and epigenetics further aids in a deep understanding of cancer biology.
Key features
Key features
- Contains more than 400 figures simplifying the understanding of cancer biology
- Combines molecular features with clinical approaches to support practicing oncologists
- Provides a detailed description of new developments in cancer biology, including hypoxia, ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species), PPAR (Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors), and alternative drug treatments
Readership
Readership
Researchers working across the biosciences in fields of oncology, pharmacology
Table of contents
Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Basics of oncological molecular biology
PART I
3. Basics of oncological molecular biology
PART II: JUNK DNA AND CANCER: POSSIBLE ROLE OF TRANSPOSONS.
4. Basics of oncological molecular biology
Part 3: THE LABORATORY IN MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY. A SYNOPSIS OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS
5. Basics of oncological molecular biology
PART 4: SOME BASIC DEFINITIONS
6. The Hanahan and Weinberg hallmarks of cancer
7. Biology of metastasis
8. Mitotic errors, mutations and DNA repair
9. Growth factors, their receptors and proliferative pathways
10. Angiogenesis
11. Hypoxia in cancer
12. The Unique Metabolism of Cancer Cells - Part 1: Carbohydrates
13. The Unique Metabolism of Cancer Cells - Part 2:
14. The Unique Metabolism of Cancer Cells - Part 3:
15. The Unique Metabolism of Cancer Cells - Part 4: Iron metabolism in cancer
16. Molecular mechanisms of action of chemotherapeutic drugs
17. ROS and cancer
18. Targeted Cancer Treatments - Part I
19. Targeted Cancer Treatments - Part II: Antibody Drug Conjugates for cancer treatment: present and future
20. Cancer and the immune system - Part I
21. Cancer and the immune system - Part II
22. Cancer and the immune system - Part III: Some caveats about immunology and cancer. A historical and clinical perspective
23. The tumor microenvironment - Part I: Cancer environment and Groucho Marx’s principles
24. The tumor microenvironment - Part II: CELLS IN THE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT
25. The tumor microenvironment - Part III: Non-cellular components of the tumor microenvironment
26. The tumor microenvironment – Part IV: Adhesion molecules
27. The tumor microenvironment - Part V: Cytokines
28. The tumor microenvironment - Part VI: Chemokines in the TME
29. Tumor heterogeneity: A different way of looking at cancer
30. Resistance to treatment and multidrug resistance (MDR)
31. Pancreatic cancer: a paradigm of difficulties and drug resistance
32. Cancer cachexia
33. Tumor markers
34. The origins and pathogenesis of cancer
35. Extracellular vesicles: Exosomes and microvesicles in cancer. A message in a bottle.
36. Cancer stem cells
37. Repurposing drugs and nutraceuticals for cancer treatment - PART 1: General Concept
38. Repurposing drugs and nutraceuticals for cancer treatment - PART 2: Repurposable Drugs
39. Repurposing drugs and nutraceuticals for cancer treatment - PART 3 Repurposing Metformin
40. Repurposing drugs and nutraceuticals for cancer treatment - PART 4 Repurposable Nutraceuticals
41. The metabolic control center: a survival hub for normal and cancer cells
42. pH homeostasis and ion channels in cancer
43. Tumor growth and genetic evolution - Part I: Tumor growth and kinetics
44. Protein degradation in cancer - Part 1
45. Protein degradation in cancer - Part II : The unfold protein response (UPR)
46. Cell migration in cancer - Part I: mechanisms of migration and invasion
47. Cell migration in cancer - Part II: Targeting cancer cell migration and invasion
48. Cell migration in cancer - Part III: The “go or grow” hypothesis and some caveats
49. RNA in cancer - Part I: MicroRNAs MiRs or miRNAs
50. RNA in cancer - Part II: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)
51. RNA in cancer - Part III: RNA binding proteins (RBPs)
52. Epigenetics and cancer
53. Peroxisome, peroxisome proliferators and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors in cancer
54. The renin-angiotensin system signaling pathways and cancer: two sides of the same coin
55. Hormone-dependent cancer
56. Chapter 34 Part 1: Cancer and inflammation
57. Chapter 34 part 2: Links between inflammation and cancer
58. Chapter 34 part 3: Caveats about anti-inflammatory drugs and cancer
59. Summary and final words
2. Basics of oncological molecular biology
PART I
3. Basics of oncological molecular biology
PART II: JUNK DNA AND CANCER: POSSIBLE ROLE OF TRANSPOSONS.
4. Basics of oncological molecular biology
Part 3: THE LABORATORY IN MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY. A SYNOPSIS OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS
5. Basics of oncological molecular biology
PART 4: SOME BASIC DEFINITIONS
6. The Hanahan and Weinberg hallmarks of cancer
7. Biology of metastasis
8. Mitotic errors, mutations and DNA repair
9. Growth factors, their receptors and proliferative pathways
10. Angiogenesis
11. Hypoxia in cancer
12. The Unique Metabolism of Cancer Cells - Part 1: Carbohydrates
13. The Unique Metabolism of Cancer Cells - Part 2:
14. The Unique Metabolism of Cancer Cells - Part 3:
15. The Unique Metabolism of Cancer Cells - Part 4: Iron metabolism in cancer
16. Molecular mechanisms of action of chemotherapeutic drugs
17. ROS and cancer
18. Targeted Cancer Treatments - Part I
19. Targeted Cancer Treatments - Part II: Antibody Drug Conjugates for cancer treatment: present and future
20. Cancer and the immune system - Part I
21. Cancer and the immune system - Part II
22. Cancer and the immune system - Part III: Some caveats about immunology and cancer. A historical and clinical perspective
23. The tumor microenvironment - Part I: Cancer environment and Groucho Marx’s principles
24. The tumor microenvironment - Part II: CELLS IN THE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT
25. The tumor microenvironment - Part III: Non-cellular components of the tumor microenvironment
26. The tumor microenvironment – Part IV: Adhesion molecules
27. The tumor microenvironment - Part V: Cytokines
28. The tumor microenvironment - Part VI: Chemokines in the TME
29. Tumor heterogeneity: A different way of looking at cancer
30. Resistance to treatment and multidrug resistance (MDR)
31. Pancreatic cancer: a paradigm of difficulties and drug resistance
32. Cancer cachexia
33. Tumor markers
34. The origins and pathogenesis of cancer
35. Extracellular vesicles: Exosomes and microvesicles in cancer. A message in a bottle.
36. Cancer stem cells
37. Repurposing drugs and nutraceuticals for cancer treatment - PART 1: General Concept
38. Repurposing drugs and nutraceuticals for cancer treatment - PART 2: Repurposable Drugs
39. Repurposing drugs and nutraceuticals for cancer treatment - PART 3 Repurposing Metformin
40. Repurposing drugs and nutraceuticals for cancer treatment - PART 4 Repurposable Nutraceuticals
41. The metabolic control center: a survival hub for normal and cancer cells
42. pH homeostasis and ion channels in cancer
43. Tumor growth and genetic evolution - Part I: Tumor growth and kinetics
44. Protein degradation in cancer - Part 1
45. Protein degradation in cancer - Part II : The unfold protein response (UPR)
46. Cell migration in cancer - Part I: mechanisms of migration and invasion
47. Cell migration in cancer - Part II: Targeting cancer cell migration and invasion
48. Cell migration in cancer - Part III: The “go or grow” hypothesis and some caveats
49. RNA in cancer - Part I: MicroRNAs MiRs or miRNAs
50. RNA in cancer - Part II: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)
51. RNA in cancer - Part III: RNA binding proteins (RBPs)
52. Epigenetics and cancer
53. Peroxisome, peroxisome proliferators and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors in cancer
54. The renin-angiotensin system signaling pathways and cancer: two sides of the same coin
55. Hormone-dependent cancer
56. Chapter 34 Part 1: Cancer and inflammation
57. Chapter 34 part 2: Links between inflammation and cancer
58. Chapter 34 part 3: Caveats about anti-inflammatory drugs and cancer
59. Summary and final words
Product details
Product details
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Published: June 26, 2026
- Language: English
About the authors
About the authors
TK
Tomas Koltai
Tomas Koltai is Board Certified Specialist in Medical Oncology (1985), PhD in Chemistry (1997) and Master’s in Sciences in Molecular Oncology, University of Buenos Aires (2011). He has vast experience on cancer treatment at several positions: staff oncologist, Sanatorio Mater Dei, Argentina (1985-1990); Head of Oncology, Central Hospital of the Centro Gallego de Buenos Aires (1990-2000) and Medical Director, at the same institution (2000-2002); Head of the Department of Chemotherapy, National Social Services for Retirees, Argentina (2002-2014); Head of the Department of Oncology, Social Services of the National Food Workers Union, Argentina (2010-2014) and Medical Director at the same institution (2014-2016). He has authored several seminal publications on cancer and created the new “triple-edged cancer treatment”.
Affiliations and expertise
Former Medical Director, Hospital del Centro Gallego de Buenos Aires, ArgentinaLF
Larry Fliegel
Research in Dr. Fliegel’s laboratory investigates membrane proteins’ function, how intracellular pH is regulated and the role of Na+/H+ exchanger in human disease, especially heart disease and breast cancer. The work was funded by CIHR and other sources. Dr. Fliegel has published over 150 publications in numerous journals including J. Biological Chemistry, J. Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Hypertension, Cancer Research, Basic Research in Cardiology and others. He has authored two books and served on several editorial boards of Journals and grant panels such as CIHR. His awards include a Killam Annual Professor Award (2009-10), a Tier one Basic Science Mentoring Award (2013), McCalla Research Professorship Award (2007) and Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Scientist Award (2006-2013).
Affiliations and expertise
Professor Emeritus, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, Canada