Understanding Cancer Therapies

Cancer is one of the world's most dreaded diseases. Yet the past two decades have seen major revolutions in cancer therapy and steadily growing hopes for a cure. This book, written in easily understood language, provides an extensive look at the way medical professionals are treating the disease today. Chapters provide rationale and principles integral to disease management; biological basis for different therapies; explanations of the protocols behind radiation, chemotherapy, drug treatments, and surgery; logic behind therapies chosen for such different kinds of cancer as leukemia, lymphoma, retinoblastoma, hepatoblastoma, germ-cell tumors, soft-tissue and bone sarcomas, among others; information on the most current procedures; and further reading and resources for patients and families Chapters on clinical practice discuss the differing approaches to cancer in adults and in children. The book closes with a survey of some of the most experimental therapies and the status of the search for a cure.