Cancer is one of the world's most dreaded diseases. Yet the past two decades have seen major revolutions in cancer therapy and steadily growing hopes for a cure. This book, written in easily understood language, provides an extensive look at the way medical professionals are treating the disease today. Chapters provide: Rationale and principles integral to disease management; Biological basis for different therapies; Explanations of the protocols behind radiation, chemotherapy, drug treatments, and surgery; Logic behind therapies chosen for such different kinds of cancer as leukemia, lymphoma, retinoblastoma, hepatoblastoma, germ-cell tumors, soft-tissue and bone sarcomas, among others; Information on the most current procedures; Further reading and resources for patients and families. Chapters on clinical practice discuss the differing approaches to cancer in adults and in children. The book closes with a survey of some of the most experimental therapies and the status of the search for a cure. Helen S. L. Chan, M.D., of Toronto, Canada, is a staff hematologist/oncologist and professor at the University of Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. Her work has been published in New England Journal of Medicine , Journal of Clinical Oncology , Cancer Research , and other periodicals.