Retinoids in Oncology

Book excerpt: This reference provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in basic research that are relevant to the application of retinoids for cancer prevention and treatment.;Organized in a quick-referral format by specific disease site, this book: describes the effects of retinoids on squamous differentiation in normal, pre-malignant, and malignant epithelial tissues; addresses the mechanisms by which cultured keratinocytes respond to retinoids; considers the antitumor activity of combination therapy with retinoids and cytokines; reviews the toxicity profiles of the vitamin A molecule and the synthetically derived retinoid compounds and their effects on humans; examines the use of retinoids in the prevention of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and in the therapy of advanced SCC; and summarizes data on the potential of retinoids to prevent epithelial cancer, to act as adjuvants to current therapies in early stages of the disease and to aid in the management of both solid tumours and hematologic malignancies.;A guide for the many disciplines involved in the preclinical studies and direct care of cancer patients, this book serves as useful reading for clinical, surgical and radiation oncologists; clinical immunologists; dermatologists; obstetricians/gynaecologists; haematologists; otolaryngologists; internists; nutritionists; and pulmonary-disease specialists.