Biochemistry of Human Cancer

Biochemistry of Human Cancer focuses on advances in the application of biochemistry to the study of human cancers, such as neoplastic immunoglobulinopathies, cancer of the bladder, tumors of the neural crest, leukemias and lymphomas, and neoplasms of the bone. It also examines certain features of human cancer ranging from general metabolic characteristics to enzymic aspects and immunochemical considerations. Organized into 18 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the general metabolic features of cancer, with emphasis on the metabolism of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. It then discusses the important biochemical aspects of pulmonary and prostatic neoplasms, including the serum acid and alkaline phosphatase activities of prostatic carcinoma. The remaining chapters look at the role of enzymes and immunoglobulins in cancer, the tryptophan metabolism in cancer of the bladder and the carcinoid syndrome, the link between amino acid metabolism and tumors of the neural crest, and the neoplasms of the digestive tract and the accessory organs (pancreas and liver). The book explains the metabolism of purines and pyrimidines in cancer, hypercalcemia in neoplastic disease without evidence of bone metastases, and neoplasms of other organs, such as the pituitary gland, thyroid, testis, and adrenal cortex. Brief case reports from the literature are included to illustrate correlations between biochemical and clinical findings. Scientists, biochemists, and clinical investigators concerned with the biochemistry of human cancer will find this book highly informative.