Preface

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, and as such, research in this field remains one of the most important healthcare priorities. This book elucidates some of the new concepts in cancer research, including basic science and open questions in cancer treatment. Chapters cover a broad spectrum of currently very relevant topics, from biomarkers and immunotherapy to some unanswered questions in everyday clinical practice. Biomarkers are extremely important tools for early detection and prediction of cancer prognosis and response to therapeutic interventions. Authors comment on the value of miRNA as a biomarker, which seems to be a new and very promising one. In addition to biomarkers, two other hot topics are covered: angiogenesis and immunotherapy. There are many open questions regarding treatment with these two modalities. Angiogenesis has been a target for quite a few years, but there are still issues to address such as non-optimal therapeutic scenarios, lack of biomarkers and poor understanding of mechanisms of resistance. In recent years, immunotherapy has become one of the cornerstones of cancer treatment. Chapters describe both angiogenesis and immunotherapy as well as examine the influence of gastrointestinal microenvironement and the role of dendritic cells. Regarding cancer treatment, the recent trend is to try to deescalate treatment intensity and to spare patients avoidable side effects, of course with the same oncological results. Sentinel node biopsy for uterine cancer, as described in this book, is an important step toward this goal. Finally, the book addresses pediatric central nervous system tumors, which are the second most common childhood tumors, and reviews current treatment options and efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality.

I would like to thank all the authors and my co-editor, Prof. Eva Sgelov. They accomplished an excellent task. It was a privilege collaborating with them. I sincerely hope that this book will help readers, leading them to new horizons of cancer care and enlightening them to generate new research ideas.

**Mirjana Rajer, MD, PhD**

Assistant Professor, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

**Eva Segelov** Professor, MBBS (Hons 1) PhD FRACP, Professor/Director of Oncology, Monash Health and Monash University, Australia Board Member, Australasian Gastrointestinal Trials Group (AGITG) Co-Founder, Commonwealth Neuroendocrine Tumour Collaboration (CommNETS)

Section 1

Basic Science

**1**

Section 1
