An authoritative survey of the scientific background for therapeutic cancer vaccines, the challenges to their development, and their current uses in treating cancer. The authors examine the basic issues that effect all vaccines (such as immune adjuvants and prime-boost strategies), describe the methods for antigen discovery, and review the preclinical development phases for each major vaccine strategy. They also spell out the clinical results for cancer vaccines now beginning to be used in the treatment of many common cancers. The quest to harness the immune system for the treatment of cancer has been of great interest for more than 100 years, but new discoveries illuminating the requirements for immune activation and recognition of cancers have greatly increased the promise of reaching this goal. In Handbook of Cancer Vaccines, leading scientific investigators and clinicians distill the vast body of literature on cancer vaccines to create an authoritative survey of the scientific background for such therapeutic vaccines, the challenges to their development, and their current uses in treating cancer. The authors examine the basic issues that affect all vaccines (such as immune adjuvants and prime-boost strategies), describe cutting-edge methods for antigen discovery, and review the preclinical development phases for each major vaccine strategy. Topics of particular interest include the clinical results for cancer vaccines now beginning to be used in the treatment of many common cancers, the monitoring of biologic responses to these vaccines, and the statistical and regulatory issues affecting the design and conduct of their clinical trials.
Comprehensive and authoritative, the Handbook of Cancer Vaccines makes available to medical oncologists and immunologists a cutting-edge synthesis of the scientific rationale, preclinical data, and clinical results for the powerful new generation of vaccines now under development for the treatment of a wide range of human cancers. "This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in tumor immunotherapy. It is truly a comprehensive review of vaccination strategies for the treatment of cancer. The third section looks at the results of vaccine-based clinical trials for various malignancies. This section is an exceptional reference for oncologists. The chapters on melanoma are particularly helpful in sorting through the saga of vaccination for this deadly disease. The concluding section, important for clinical researchers, focuses on clinical trial design, the analysis of immune responses, and vaccine regulatory issues. " -Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal

"Highly recommended for medical schools and hospital libraries." - E-STREAMS

"...Comprehensive and authoritative...makes available to medical oncologists and immunologists a cutting-edge synthesis of the scientific rationale, preclinical data, and clinical results for the powerful new generation of vaccines now under development and treatment of a wide range of human cancers." - Tumori