Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention

Abstract The third edition of this book reviews the global burden of cancer, causes of cancer, and current priorities and future directions in cancer epidemiology and prevention research. The book maintains the structure of previous editions with seventy-two chapters organized into five major sections: Basic Concepts; The Magnitude of Cancer; The Causes of Cancer; Cancer by Tissue of Origin, and Cancer Prevention and Control. The introductory chapters under Basic Concepts highlight the advances in genomic and molecular biology that have applications in morphologic classification of malignant tumors, and in the elucidation of critical genetic events that result in malignant transformation and tumor invasion. The section on the Magnitude of Cancer reviews global patterns of cancer incidence and mortality in relation to country of residence, age, gender, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The section on The Causes of Cancer reviews the spectrum of environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk factors that are associated with the origin of human cancers. Chapters on Cancer by Tissue of Origin review systematically the demographic, environmental, and host factors that impact the origin and progression of cell-and organ-specific neoplasms. The concluding section, Cancer Prevention and Control, addresses methods and applications for translating epidemiologic, laboratory, and clinical research observations into preventive interventions. Special emphasis is provided on measuring the impact of behavioral interventions on health-promoting practices, as well as governmental policies that regulate environmental carcinogens.