A Beginner's Guide to Targeted Cancer Treatments and Cancer Immunotherapy - 2nd Edition by Elaine Vickers (Paperback)

About the Book

"I find it impossible to describe how targeted cancer treatments work without mentioning what it is they target. And when I try to explain what it is they target, I find myself going back to the beginning and explaining where cancers come from, what faults they contain, and why they behave as they do. And, to explain that, I need to explain concepts such as DNA damage, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and the hallmarks of cancer cells. In recent years, we've also made great progress in using a patient's immune system to treat cancer using immunotherapy. When explaining how immunotherapies work, I find it useful to offer at least a brief description of our immune system and the ways in which cancer cells and white blood cells interact. Armed with this knowledge, various strategies to use the immune system to destroy cancer cells begin to make sense. In this chapter, my goal is to bring together much of this background knowledge. I hope it will provide you with a useful foundation that enables you to understand individual targeted therapies and immunotherapies that I mention in later chapters"--

From the Back Cover

Demystifying the science behind new cancer treatments

A clear and accessible guide written in everyday language for nurses and other healthcare professionals

A Beginner's Guide to Targeted Cancer Treatments and Cancer Immunotherapy helps readers understand the science behind many of the newer drug treatments for cancer. Assuming only a basic familiarity with cell biology, this easy-to-digest guide describes how our increased understanding of cancer has been translated into the creation of new cancer treatments with a wide range of targets.

Gifted communicator and educator Dr. Elaine Vickers helps you understand the mechanisms of a wide range of individual targeted therapies and immunotherapies -- enabling you to communicate effectively with your colleagues and patients. Concise chapters explain how new cancer drugs and immunotherapies work, discuss their benefits, identify their limitations, and more.

Now in its second edition, this popular handbook is fully revised to reflect the latest developments in targeted drug therapies and immunotherapies. Entirely new chapters on advancements in various immunotherapies are accompanied by more than 100 new and updated color illustrations.

• Provides an up-to-date overview of relevant treatment targets for all major cancer types, including hematological cancers
• Describes cancer biology and the relationship between cancer and the immune system
• Offers valuable insights into cell communication pathways as a common target
• Covers small molecule drugs, antibody-based treatments, and cellular therapies, including novel immunotherapies

A Beginner's Guide to Targeted Cancer Treatments and Cancer Immunotherapy is a must-have resource for trainees, practicing nurses, and other healthcare professionals involved in the care of cancer patients, as well as non-specialists who encounter cancer data or cancer terminology in their field.

About the Author

DR. ELAINE VICKERS is the founder of Science Communicated Ltd, an independent company that provides in-person and online education on cancer biology, targeted cancer treatments, and cancer immunotherapies. In partnership with numerous hospitals, institutes, charities, companies, and clinical trials units, Dr. Vickers educates hundreds of healthcare professionals each year. She holds a degree in Medical Science from the University of Birmingham and a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Manchester.