Abstract

The search for new, effective anti-cancer therapies is driven by two main issues: the often severe side effects of existing therapies caused by their toxic effects on normal cells and the many cancers still resistant to such therapies. For example, there is no accepted treatment for pancreatic cancer where median survivals are measured in months. This book concentrates on two entirely new approaches to the treatment of cancer: unsaturated lipids and the use of porphyrins and chlorins in photodynamic therapy. It presents the latest data on these two approaches, describing their mechanisms, evaluating their efficacy in animal and human cell models, and reporting the latest results from current patient trials. Many of the key investigators in their fields have contributed to this volume. (Publisher's summary)