J. Pathol. 186: 222 (1998)

? 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

BOOK REVIEW

Introduction to the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Cancer.3rd edn. L. M. F and N. M. T. Oxford University

Press, Oxford, 1997. No. of pages: 468. Price: £55.00 (Hard-back). ISBN: 0 19 854854 0.

One of the success stories of modern biology is the relentlessonslaught on our understanding of the mechanistic basis ofneoplasia. While only the most enthusiastic (and they do exist)would argue that new panacea therapies are ‘just around thecorner’, it is clear that incredible progress in genetics, molecu-lar biology, and biochemistry over the past two decades hasgiven profound new insights into the biology of cancer.Without question, this information will, in due course, havereal impact in clinical practice. Already our understanding ofthe phenotypes that we see down the microscope are dramati-cally advanced over our perspective even a decade ago. Giventhis progress, given the rates of advance, given the manydisciplines and subjects that have contributed, how can anindividual keep up to date? How can we formulate relevantcourses for science, medical, and other vocational courses?How can we teach and communicate with our colleagues?

While there are a number of pathology and oncologytextbooks that promise much in this area, remarkably fewtextbooks exist with sufficient breadth and depth to provide asolid and up-to-date background. Certainly it is unusual forthem to provide the ‘spice’, the enthusiasm, the detail, theinsight needed for the teacher, the neophyte researcher, theestablished scientist who may have become a bit too focused,the practising pathologist, the busy oncologist or the general-ist. Fewer still are sufficiently accessible to be easily digested.

The third edition of the well-known text of Natalie Teichand Lennie Franks fills the gap admirably. The first twoeditions were good: now it is excellent. The authors are allexperts, mainly drawn from the Imperial Cancer ResearchFund, and all are excellent communicators. Inevitably onecould quibble with omissions and favourite details left out orunderemphasized, but in general everything is covered andrelevant citations are given. Not only are important basicclinical and pathological issues covered, but so too are all theimportant areas of tumour biology and the molecular pro-cesses and genetics relevant to cancer. This is coupled, as inprevious editions, with thoughtful and pithy perspectives of theunderlying therapeutic strategies. The new chapter on screen-ing is excellent—informative, critical, objective, and deliveredin a clear and lucid manner. I know a number of pathologistsand cytologists who would benefit considerably from anacquaintance with the powerful logic and reasoning of its 19

crafted pages! Robin Weiss concludes the book with perspec-tives on the future implications of our burgeoning knowledge.It is an optimistic book but with its feet (fonts!) placed firmlyon a bedrock of sound science. Indeed, I consider this aninvaluable book. As I run a lab focused principally on cancer,I intend to advise all my new graduate students and post docsto buy, read, and study a copy.

Of course, such a book as the third edition of Teich andFranks should be an invaluable source for preparing under-graduate courses. Unfortunately, it may be that it will not beused for this purpose as it might be. Why? Well, nothing to dowith the masterfully edited and well-illustrated text. No, it isthe relentless changes in medical education that will, in thiscontext, leave it wasted on the shelf. My own perspective,having been involved in cancer education (as student andteacher) for two decades, is that I am totally appalled by the‘dumbing down’ consequences of the new medical curriculathat have been introduced throughout the United Kingdomand to an extent further afield.

It certainly seems ironic, given that we are on the thresholdof a renaissance of scientific medicine, with developments ingenetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and the like, thatthe next generation of students will be so poorly educated andtrained in the scientific method. The clear consequence is thatthe drive in the future will not come from within medicine butfrom without! However, we are told by the educationalists(theoreticians every one!) that this is the way forward. I notethat in primary education, which went through a comparableprocess over the past two decades, there has been a refreshingswing back to ‘traditional’ approaches. Maybe the same willhappen in medicine . . .? I hope so, since I view with horror thecomplete loss of focus and realism in contemporary medicaleducation, with the clear consequences for the practice ofscientific medicine (‘touchy feely’ is all fine and dandy, but Iwant my doctor to know some facts). The students and newlyqualified of today will be practising well into the next century:a century that will be dominated by the consequences of themarch of genetic and biochemical knowledge that we seetoday. This will inevitably affect practice!! Good accessiblesources of information will be vital for the remedial teaching ofour current students in future years!

This book is great! If you are interested in cancer, buy acopy!

P A. HUniversity of Dundee