Immunotherapy (eBook)

Immunotherapy is a rapidly evolving field that mandates frequent revision of the book as new insights to fight cancer emerge. The third edition of Immunotherapy is an updated overview of immuno-oncology in different cancer types and toxicities associated with immunotherapy. It explores the breath of immunotherapeutic strategies available to treat a wide range of cancers, from melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer to gastrointestinal, genitourinary, gynecologic and nervous system malignancies. With increasing use of checkpoint inhibitors as standard of care and in clinical trials, the challenges associated with their use undoubtedly increase. As objective response is limited to a subset of patients and is often associated with distinct immune related side effects that are potentially life threatening, it is essential to identify patients who are likely to respond to immunotherapy and those who are at a risk for developing treatment-related side effects. In the absence of a validated predictive biomarker, innovative technologies and assays are being used to identify critical biomarkers that drive the immune response. Hence, a chapter to provide a basic understanding of the diagnostic procedures has been included besides the chapter on the cellular components of the human immune system. This new edition will also inform readers on use of novel microbiome and imaging approaches.  Finally, the book includes a chapter on patient-reported outcomes in patients treated with immunotherapies as the authors recognize the importance of including missing patient voice in clinical trials and longitudinal assessment of symptom reports. In short, the third edition of this book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in the field of immune-oncology that will help health care professionals make informed treatment decisions.

The  book's chapters are written by a diverse cast of experts conducting cutting-edge research, providing the reader with the most up-to-date science.

Dr. Aung Naing is an Associate Professor in the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at MD Anderson Cancer Center and is also a Principal Investigator on immunotherapy-based clinical trials. Focusing on clinical translation of basic immunobiology, Dr. Naing's research interests are (1) identifying immunologic biomarkers of response to immunotherapy, (2) predicting primary and secondary resistance to immunotherapy, (3) developing immunotherapeutic strategies to overcome resistance, and (4) identifying predictive markers for immune-related adverse events (irAE) associated with immunotherapies.