Novel Biomarkers in the Continuum of Breast Cancer


Book Description

This volume provides a comprehensive review of established and novel biomarkers across the continuum of breast cancer. The volume covers topics related to breast cancer risk and prevention, prediction of response to today’s standard therapies, and markers capable of influencing treatment decisions in the near future. Chapter authors combine their wide-ranging expertise to review the current status of the biomarker and to offer their individual perspectives on how biomarkers may be used in future treatments and research. Breast cancer continues to be the most common malignancy diagnosed in women in the Western world. While there are multiple treatment approaches for breast cancer, today more than ever we recognize that each tumor is unique. The challenge ahead is to consider how to best use validated and novel biomarkers to select the most appropriate treatment(s) for individual patients.




Evaluation of Biomarkers and Surrogate Endpoints in Chronic Disease


Book Description

Many people naturally assume that the claims made for foods and nutritional supplements have the same degree of scientific grounding as those for medication, but that is not always the case. The IOM recommends that the FDA adopt a consistent scientific framework for biomarker evaluation in order to achieve a rigorous and transparent process.




Developing Technologies for Early Detection of Breast Cancer


Book Description

In November 1999, the Institute of Medicine, in consultation with the Commission on Life Sciences, the Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications, and the Board on Science, Technology and Economic Policy launched a one year study on technologies for early detection of breast cancer. The committee was asked to examine technologies under development for early breast cancer detection, and to scrutinize the process of medical technology development, adoption, and dissemination. The committee is gathering information on these topics for its report in a number of ways, including two public workshops that bring in outside expertise. The first workshop on "Developing Technologies for Early Breast Cancer Detection" was held in Washington DC in February 2000. The content of the presentations at the workshop is summarized here. A second workshop, which will focus on the process of technology development and adoption, will be held in Washington, DC on June 19-20. A formal report on these topics, including conclusions and recommendations, will be prepared by the committee upon completion of the one-year study.




Mammography and Beyond


Book Description

Each year more than 180,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women in the U.S. If cancer is detected when small and local, treatment options are less dangerous, intrusive, and costly-and more likely to lead to a cure. Yet those simple facts belie the complexity of developing and disseminating acceptable techniques for breast cancer diagnosis. Even the most exciting new technologies remain clouded with uncertainty. Mammography and Beyond provides a comprehensive and up-to-date perspective on the state of breast cancer screening and diagnosis and recommends steps for developing the most reliable breast cancer detection methods possible. This book reviews the dramatic expansion of breast cancer awareness and screening, examining the capabilities and limitations of current and emerging technologies for breast cancer detection and their effectiveness at actually reducing deaths. The committee discusses issues including national policy toward breast cancer detection, roles of public and private agencies, problems in determining the success of a technique, availability of detection methods to specific populations of women, women's experience during the detection process, cost-benefit analyses, and more. Examining current practices and specifying research and other needs, Mammography and Beyond will be an indispensable resource to policy makers, public health officials, medical practitioners, researchers, women's health advocates, and concerned women and their families.




Biomarkers of the Tumor Microenvironment


Book Description

This book reviews different aspects of the cancer microenvironment, and its regulation and importance for tumor progression. Practical applications, in terms of how biomarkers are increasingly included in therapy protocols, will also be discussed. Biomarkers of the Tumor Microenvironment: Basic Studies and Practical Applications is aimed at research pathologists in the cancer field, and also cancer researchers from other backgrounds, especially those using morphology techniques and models focusing on cross-talk between different cell types in tumors.




Machine Learning Methods for Multi-Omics Data Integration


Book Description

The advancement of biomedical engineering has enabled the generation of multi-omics data by developing high-throughput technologies, such as next-generation sequencing, mass spectrometry, and microarrays. Large-scale data sets for multiple omics platforms, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have become more accessible and cost-effective over time. Integrating multi-omics data has become increasingly important in many research fields, such as bioinformatics, genomics, and systems biology. This integration allows researchers to understand complex interactions between biological molecules and pathways. It enables us to comprehensively understand complex biological systems, leading to new insights into disease mechanisms, drug discovery, and personalized medicine. Still, integrating various heterogeneous data types into a single learning model also comes with challenges. In this regard, learning algorithms have been vital in analyzing and integrating these large-scale heterogeneous data sets into one learning model. This book overviews the latest multi-omics technologies, machine learning techniques for data integration, and multi-omics databases for validation. It covers different types of learning for supervised and unsupervised learning techniques, including standard classifiers, deep learning, tensor factorization, ensemble learning, and clustering, among others. The book categorizes different levels of integrations, ranging from early, middle, or late-stage among multi-view models. The underlying models target different objectives, such as knowledge discovery, pattern recognition, disease-related biomarkers, and validation tools for multi-omics data. Finally, the book emphasizes practical applications and case studies, making it an essential resource for researchers and practitioners looking to apply machine learning to their multi-omics data sets. The book covers data preprocessing, feature selection, and model evaluation, providing readers with a practical guide to implementing machine learning techniques on various multi-omics data sets.




Fundamentals of Cancer Prevention


Book Description

This authoritative work, now in its fourth edition, presents state of the art knowledge on all key aspects of cancer prevention. In addition to detailed summaries on preventive strategies for specific cancers, readers will find current knowledge on a range of relevant scientific topics including the benefits of cancer prevention, the importance of diet and physical activity, innate and adaptive immune responses to cancer, hereditary risks, cancer health disparities, and the preventive role of telemedicine. In this new edition of the book, the coverage has been expanded to include additional disease sites and to provide up-to-date information across the range of disciplines in the field of cancer prevention and control. Written as a collaborative work by internationally recognized leaders in the field, Fundamentals of Cancer Prevention is an essential reference guide and tool for oncologists, primary care physicians, the research community, and students with an interest in reducing the burden of cancer through the implementation of effective preventive strategies.




Studies in Natural Products Chemistry


Book Description

Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, Volume 61 discusses natural products in the plant and animal kingdom that offer a huge diversity of chemical structures resulting from biosynthetic processes that have been modulated over the millennia through genetic effects. With the rapid developments in spectroscopic techniques and accompanying advances in high-throughput screening techniques, it has become possible to rapidly isolate and determine the structures and biological activity of natural products, thus opening up exciting opportunities in the field of new drug development to the pharmaceutical industry. This series covers the synthesis or testing and recording of the medicinal properties of natural products, providing cutting-edge accounts of the fascinating developments in the isolation, structure elucidation, synthesis, biosynthesis and pharmacology of a diverse array of bioactive natural products. - Focuses on the chemistry of bioactive natural products - Contains contributions by leading authorities in the field - Presents sources of new pharmacophores




Molecular Applications in Cytology


Book Description

This book is intended for practicing pathologists and cytopathologists, as well as for pathology trainees and cytotechnicians. It starts with a detailed description of the extremely important pre-analytical phase for molecular testing followed by a presentation of the key tests and their application in different organs, e.g. the lung or thyroid. Step-by-step instructions for the different assays, reporting and clinical integration of the test results are discussed. The authors help the reader to benefit from their experiences by providing a valuable tool for the implementation of these techniques in daily practice. Though the use of molecular techniques is well established in surgical biopsies, to date they are not widely used in connection with cytological material. However, in some fields like lung cancer or aspirates from the pancreas and biliary tract the only available material for diagnosis is the cytological preparation a fact that has created a need for the standardization of molecular techniques on cytology.