This work comprehensively describes etiological factors in the development, Progression and metastasis of human cancers, both for hematological malignancies and for solid Tumors. Approaches for the diagnosis as well as for therapies are outlined too. The fourth edition of the "Encyclopedia of Cancer" features a vastly extended number of terms as compared to the previous edition. Previously published entries have enjoyed a vigorous updating and adjustment to current status of knowledge, a large number of new timely entries have been added to consider the amazing progress and modern developments both in basic and clinical aspects of cancer. Up-to date and authoritative Essays present a comprehensive picture of topics ranging from pathology, to clinical oncology, and targeted therapy for personalized cancer medicine for major human cancers, in particular breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, renal cancer lung cancer and hematological malignancies, leukemias and lymphomas. Each author is an international authority for the particular topic, and each entry has been adjusted to an easy-to-follow reader-friendly structure that allows to collect very rapidly essential information. At the same time, these essays should be considered a starting point from which the quest for more detailed information can depart. Extensive cross referencing of essays is an instrument by whic
h the acquisition of the complete picture of a particular topic will be facilitated.
Professor Manfred Schwab is the Head of the Division of Tumor Genetics at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany. He holds academic affiliations with the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg and with the Biology Faculty of the University of Kaiserslautern. His current research interest is in translational aspects of the biology and genetics of neuroblastoma and in the contribution of genes at "common fragile sites" to genetic instability and cancer.
Manfred Schwab received his PhD from the University of Giessen, Germany, where he also concluded his Habilitation, the formal entrance point for becoming a Professor. Subsequently, he was awarded a 5-year Heisenberg fellowship by the German Research Council (DFG) that allowed him to perform scientific work in any international laboratory. He choose to join the laboratory of Mike Bishop and Harold Varmus in San Francisco where, using chicken models, genes causing cellular transformation ("oncogenes") had just been identified. There, in 1985, he was appointed "Assistant Professor". In 1987, he joined the German Cancer Research Center, where he has worked since. In 1992, he received the "Deutscher Krebspreis" (National Cancer Award), and in 1998 the Gerhard Domagk Award.
Throughout his scientific career Manfred Schwab has been interested in and actively contributed to tumor genetics, continuously trying to follow original avenues. His initial work focused on a genetic melanoma model
in fish, where he worked out the role of genetic factors in tumor susceptibility, predominantly for melanoma. This work also uncovered a genetic susceptibility for neuroblastoma, published in 1978 in the international journal "Cancer Research". Working in San Francisco, Manfred Schwab turned to human neuroblastoma, the most frequent extracranial cancer in young children. His most significant personal scientific contributions include
*first establishment and use of parallel (array) analysis for mRNA expression profiling (Schwab et al. (1983) Nature 303, 497-501
*discovery of the MYCN-gene and its amplification in neuroblastomas using mRNA expression profiling (Schwab et al. (1983) Nature 305:245-248)
*work out MYCN-transforming functions (Schwab et al. (1985) Nature 316, 160-162)
*localization of amplified MYCN to previously enigmatic abnormal chromosomal structures specific to tumor cells (Schwab et al. (1984) Nature 308, 288-291)
Amplified MYCN was the very first identified oncogenetic biomarker, now in clinical use worldwide for personalized therapy design of neuroblastoma (Schwab et al. (2003) Lancet Oncology 4:472-480).
Manfred Schwab has been a Member, or Chairperson, of numerous national and international grant review and award committees. Throughout his scientific career he has received major science grants. He has been the Coordinator (together with A. Eggert) of Research Network "Systems Biology of Embr
yonal Tumors: Neuroblastoma as a Model" within National Genome Research Network (NGFN-2), funded by Federal Ministry of Research and Technology, and is now Coordinator (with A. Eggert) of Research Network "ENGINE"
Extended
Neuroblastoma
Genome
Interaction
NEtwork (ENGINE): Further Steps Towards Personalized Medicine" within NGFN-plus.
Manfred Schwab is Editor-in-Chief of the international journal "Cancer Letters" (IF 3.75).
Manfred Schwab is married to Christel Schwab. They have 3 children, Felix (PhD in Physics), Philipp (Doctor of Philosophy), and Charlotte (studying Medicine).
