Highly Commended in the category of Oncology at the British Medical Association Awards 2019The accessible guide to the principles behind new, more targeted drug treatments for cancerWritten for anyone who encounters cancer patients, cancer data or cancer terminology, but have no more than a passing knowledge of cell biology. A Beginner's Guide to Targeted Cancer Treatments provides an understanding of how cancer works and the many new treatments available.Using over 100 original illustrations, this accessible handbook covers the biology and mechanisms behind a huge range of targeted drug treatments, including many new immunotherapies. Dr Vickers translates a complex and often overwhelming topic into something digestible and easily understood. She also explains what cancer is, how it behaves and how our understanding of cancer has changed in recent years.Each chapter takes the reader through how new cancer drugs work and their benefits and limitations. With the help of this book, readers will be able to better understand more complex, in-depth articles in journals and books and develop their knowledge. This vital resource:* Offers the latest insights into cancer biology* Provides a broad understanding of how targeted cancer treatments work* Describes many of the new immunotherapy approaches to cancer treatment, such as checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-modified T cells* Helps readers feel confident discussing treatment options with colleagues and patients* Provides an overview of which treatments are relevant to each of the most common solid tumours and haematological cancers, and the rationale behind them* Demystifies the jargon - terms such as the EMT, cancer stem cells, monoclonal antibodies, kinase inhibitors, angiogenesis inhibitors etc.* Explains the resistance mechanisms to many new treatments, including issues such as the way cancer cells diversify and evolve and the complex environment in which they live

Acknowledgments viiAbout the Author ixHow to Use This Book xiChapter 1 An Introduction to Cancer Cell Biology and Genetics 11.1 Introduction 11.2 DNA Damage is the Cause of Every Cancer 21.3 The Defining Features (Hallmarks) of Cancer Cells 151.4 Genetic Variation among Cancer Cells in a Single Tumor 161.5 The Cancer Microenvironment 171.6 Cancer Spread/Metastasis 191.7 Cancer Stem Cells 231.8 Obstacles That Prevent us from Curing Cancer 241.9 Final Thoughts 28Chapter 2 Introducing Targeted Cancer Treatments 332.1 Introduction 342.2 Monoclonal Antibodies 362.3 Kinase Inhibitors 482.4 Final Thoughts 60Chapter 3 Treatments That Block Proteins Involved in Cell Communication 653.1 Introduction 653.2 Introducing Growth Factor Receptors 673.3 Drugs That Target EGFR 753.4 Drugs That Target HER2 813.5 Drugs That Block Other Growth Factor Receptors 853.6 Introduction to Signaling Pathways as a Target for Cancer Therapy 863.7 Targeting the MAPK Signaling Pathway 873.8 Targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway 943.9 Targeting the JAK-STAT Pathway 1003.10 Final Thoughts 103Chapter 4 Drugs That Target: Angiogenesis, Fusion Proteins, PARP, Hedgehog Signaling, and CDKs 1114.1 Angiogenesis Inhibitors: Introduction 1124.2 Drugs That Block Fusion Proteins: Bcr-Abl, ALK, RET, and ROS1 1224.3 PARP Inhibitors 1274.4 Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors 1344.5 Cyclin-Dependent Kinase (CDK) Inhibitors 1394.6 Final Thoughts 145Chapter 5 Immunotherapies for Cancer 1515.1 Introduction 1525.2 A Bit About Cancer and the Immune System 1545.3 Checkpoint Inhibitors 1605.4 Adoptive Cell Transfer 1685.5 Modified Bi-specific Antibodies 1755.6 Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines 1765.7 The Future of Immunotherapy 181Chapter 6 Targeted Treatments for Common Solid Tumors 1876.1 Introduction 1886.2 Targeted Treatments for Breast Cancer 1886.3 Targeted Treatments for Prostate Cancer 2006.4 Targeted Treatments for Lung Cancer 2046.5 Targeted Treatments for Bowel Cancer 2146.6 Targeted Treatments for Malignant Melanoma Skin Cancer 2206.7 Targeted Treatments for Kidney Cancer 2256.8 Targeted Treatments for Head and Neck Cancer 2316.9 Targeted Treatments for Brain Tumors 2356.10 Targeted Treatments for Bladder Cancer 2366.11 Targeted Treatments for Pancreatic Cancer 2406.12 Final Thoughts 244Chapter 7 Targeted Treatments for Hematological Cancers 2597.1 Introduction 2597.2 A Bit About Hematological Cancers 2607.3 Antibody-Based Treatments That Target CD Antigens 2747.4 Drugs That Block B Cell Receptor Signaling 2877.5 Bcr-Abl Inhibitors 2927.6 Drugs That Block the Proteasome 2947.7 Thalidomide and its Derivatives 2977.8 JAK2 Inhibitors 2987.9 Bcl-2 Inhibitors 2997.10 FLT3 and KIT Inhibitors 3017.11 IDH2 Inhibitors 3047.12 CAR-Modified T Cell Therapy 3047.13 Final Thoughts 304Appendix 313Glossary of Terms 315Index 329