Paul Workman – författare

Drawing on years of significant scientific advances and clinical developments, the editors of POMO III have thoroughly updated the highly praised first and second editions and added new chapters to reflect the knowledge emerging from research on genomics, proteomics, chemoprevention strategies, new molecular targets, therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, and innovative cytotoxic and cytostatic small molecular-weight molecules. The first edition of this book (Humana Press, 2000) was also the first comprehensive presentation of the concept of cancer as a “disease process” involving key regulatory pathways. The second edition (2004) reaffirmed this dynamic concept, incorporating more recent evidence, and introducing such new topics of special interest as the combination of molecular diagnostics--expression profiling of genes and proteins--with developmental therapeutics, and the “binary state” concept (active/inactive) that seeks more relevant targets within the global molecular matrix of a given cancer. Comprehensive and intellectually stimulating, POMO III not only clearly elucidates the fundamentals of this dramatically advancing field, but also interprets the vast and often complex molecular data available. It fills a much neglected gap between “information” and “knowledge”, and holds out the hope of new anticancer strategies that will reduce cancer cell proliferation and significantly reduce metastasis.

The European School of Oncology came into existence to respond to a need for information, education and training in the field of the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. There are two main reasons why such an initiative was considered necessary. Firstly, the teaching of oncology requires a rigorously multidisciplinary approach which is difficult for the Universities to put into practice since their system is mainly disciplinary orientated. Secondly, the rate of technological development that impinges on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer has been so rapid that it is not an easy task for medical faculties to adapt their curricula flexibly. With its residential courses for organ pathologies and the seminars on new techniques (laser, monoclonal antibodies, imaging techniques etc.) or on the principal therapeutic controversies (conservative or mutilating surgery, primary or adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy alone or integrated), it is the ambition of the European School of Oncology to fill a cultural and scientific gap and, thereby, create a bridge between the University and Industry and between these two and daily medical practice. One of the more recent initiatives of ESO has been the institution of permanent study groups, also called task forces, where a limited number of leading experts are invited to meet once a year with the aim of defining the state of the art and possibly reaching a consensus on future developments in specific fields of oncology.