Quo vadis Krebstherapie?

In the last 60 years, fascinating discoveries have been made in cancer research. However, these discoveries have not changed the main methods of standard cancer treatment. Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy were developed in the first half of the 20th century. At that time, little was known about the biology of cancer metastasis and the role of the immune system in the fight against cancer. This book is a plea for updating cancer treatment by incorporating biology-based therapies such as immunotherapy and oncolytic virotherapy. These treatments have higher tumor selectivity and fewer side effects than radiation or chemotherapy. Furthermore, they can induce long-lasting effects based on a cancer-specific immunological memory. We now know that epigenetic mechanisms allow tumors to develop therapy-resistant variants. Therefore, the effectiveness of future cancer therapies could be improved by targeting cancer-associated epigenetic mechanisms. The tumor microenvironment represents an important support system for cancer growth, invasion, and metastasis. Future strategies targeting the tumor microenvironment are considered promising. The book is aimed at anyone dealing with cancer.