The development of cancer is a slow process and it very often takes a number of years before a tumor becomes clinically evident. No current te- nique is sensitive and specific enough to detect tumors at their earliest stage, i. e. , when the tumor is smaller than one billion cells. Consequently, the d- ease is usually diagnosed in an advanced state, very often when it is already beyond the reach of therapeutic strategies. This is the main stumbling block to the secondary prevention that would reduce cancer mortality. There is hope, however, because in the last decade we have witnessed an explosion of reports dealing with tumor markers. In many instances, simple, noninvasive diagnostic tests are becoming available to detect the early signs ofneoplasia. Interest in early detection of neoplasia is growing among those basic scientists, cli- cians, and health professionals who realize that progress in reducing cancer mortality is dependent to a great degree on its early detection and prevention. Some disappointment usually accompanies these discoveries, because what at first glance proves to be promising, is in many instances, applicable only to a limited number of cases. What is the cause of these failures? The answer may be that cancer is a multitude of neoplastic diseases in which endogenous and exogenous etiologic factors contribute either sim- taneously or over a lifetime to the development of disease.

Klappentext
A much-needed collection of cutting-edge methods for the detection and discovery of new cancer markers, particularly molecular tumor markers. Each method is fully described by a hands-on expert who regularly uses it in the laboratory and has perfected it to a high degree of ready reproducibility. Special emphasis is given to statistical considerations in the analysis of tumor markers, recent discoveries in the field of serum and tissue marker proteins, cytogenetic markers, molecular markers, and markers for the early detection of cancer. The well-honed procedures detailed here will enable cancer researchers and clinical oncologists alike to realize the promise of these powerful new diagnostic strategies for the detection, therapy, and successful prevention of cancer.

Inhalt
Multiple Markers: Principles and Guidelines.- Integrating Multiple Clinical Tests to Increase Predictive Power.- Statistical Considerations in the Analysis of Tumor Markers.- Selection and Development of Biomarkers for Bladder Cancer.- Clinical Application of Tissue and Serum Markers in Breast Cancer.- Immunodiagnosls of Cancer: Serum and Tissue Markers.- Serum and Tissue Biomarkers in the Prognosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer.- The Oncofetal Protein p65 in Breast Cancer Detection.- Determination of Tumor Ferritin Concentration in Breast Cancer.- Immunodiagnosis of Childhood Malignancies.- Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Biomarkers in Prostatic and Colorectal Neoplasia.- Factors Affecting Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Biomarker Expression in Neoplasia.- Instrumentation, Accuracy, and Quality Control Issues in Development of Quantitative Fluorescence-Image Analysis (QFIA).- Cytogenetic Markers.- Cytogenetics as a Diagnostic Aid for Childhood Hematologic Disorders.- Preparation of Metaphase Chromosomes for Cytogenetic Analysis.- Chromosome Staining and Banding Techniques.- Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization to Chromosomes.- Detection of Rearrangements in the bcl-2 Gene Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction.- Molecular Markers.- Applications of Tissue Microdissection in Molecular Pathology.- EWS Gene Fusions as Diagnostic Markers in Sarcomas.- p53 Detection in Breast Cancer.- Use of the Polymerase Chain Reaction Technique to Detect the t(14;18) Translocation in Lymphoid Tissue.- Detection of ras Gene Mutations Using Oligonucleotide Ligation Technology.- Detection of Prostate-Cancer Cells in Blood and Bone Marrow by RT-PCR.- Quantitative, Competitive RT-PCR Analysis of Biomarkers in the Study of Neoplasia.- Differential Display to Define Molecular Markers and Genes That Mediate Malignancy.- Miscellaneous Markers and Early Detection of Cancer.- Transforming Growth Factor Beta.- Anti-HMdU Autoantibodies in Human Sera as a Biomarker of Cancer Risk.- A Scientific Basis for Cancer Prevention.- Aberrant Crypt Foci System to Study Cancer Preventive Agents in the Colon.- Strain-Dependent Differences in the Expression of the Oncofetal Protein p65 in Mice Susceptible and Resistant to Chemical Carcinogenesis.- d-Glucaric Acid as a Prospective Tumor Marker.