Product Description

For everyone whose life has been touched by cancer, One Renegade Cell tells the story of the search for the ultimate causes of this dreaded disease.

"One Renegade Cell…offers a breathtaking picture, both wonderful and frightening, of the fantastic intricacy of aberrant cellular functioning." -New York Times

"Part primer, part history and part meditation. [One Renegade Cell] succeeds on all counts." -Wall Street Journal

One of the leading cancer researchers in the world, Robert A. Weinberg is perfectly suited to describe the search for cancer's origins from the early days of this century to the present. Presuming little knowledge of biology, he tells how a cancer-causing virus was first discovered in 1909, how the correlation was made between chemical carcinogens and cancer, and how oncogenes (the genes that can turn a cell malignant) work. He explains clearly how malignant cells send messages to one another and also block the messages of normal cells. Finally, Weinberg predicts that cancer prevention may depend on our ability to understand the mysterious chemical clock that regulates our cells' most basic functions. One Renegade Cell offers a concise, accessible route into the complex and often daunting world of cancer and cancer research.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #343516 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780465072767
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
"Cancer wreaks havoc in almost every part of the human body"--Robert Weinberg's opening remark is a chilling reminder of the pervasiveness of an all-too-familiar disease. Cancer touches most families, and if you have ever wondered why, despite so much time, effort, and money, it has proved such a seemingly intractable problem, then read One Renegade Cell, Robert Weinberg's masterful explanation. As director of the Oncology Research Laboratory at the Whitehead Institute and professor of Biology at MIT, Weinberg has been at the forefront of cancer research for well over a decade.

Unlike most diseases, cancerous tumors are not foreign invaders but "take on the appearance of alien life forms, invaders that enter the body through stealth and begin their programs of destruction from within." But as Weinberg shows, these are deceptive appearances. And since he is foremost a scientist, he finds the truth "subtle and endlessly interesting" and manages to convey fascination for something that most of us dread--cancer. Much of the present increase in cancer is due to increased longevity because "given enough time, cancer will strike every human body."

By telling the story of the historical discovery of cancer, Weinberg is able to introduce gradually the intricacies and complications of the genes and proteins involved (oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, etc.) for the general reader. He characterizes cancer cells as renegade because, unlike normal body cells, they "disregard the needs of the community of cells," they are "selfish and unsociable," and are only interested in "their own proliferative advantage." By comparison, normal cells hold down cell numbers by "inducing them to commit suicide" (apoptosis).

The understanding of cancer has been developed enormously over the last few decades by Weinberg and the worldwide community of researchers. As Weinberg eloquently shows, cancer research and its related disciplines "have moved from substantial ignorance to deep insight." --Douglas Palmer, Amazon.co.uk

From Publishers Weekly
The last 20 years have brought a revolution in cancer research that will profoundly change diagnosis and treatment of the disease, writes Weinberg in this comprehensive but rigorous introduction to the subject. Weinberg, founder of the Whitehead Institute for Cancer Research and a biology professor at MIT, traces the development of previous theories of cancer, and explains that scientists are now certain that cancer is caused when genes are damaged through a succession of mutations. These can result from damage to a cell's DNA inflicted by mutagens (which can be of foreign origin, such as tobacco smoke, or of internal origin); from normal mistakes made when DNA is copied during cell growth; or from defects in the body's DNA repair machinery. Weinberg discusses the roles of chemical carcinogens, retroviruses and heredity in developing cancer, and explains the body's intricate defenses against tumor growth. Though he argues that cancer will never be fully eradicated because so many mutations occur during long lifetimes ("Given enough time, cancer will strike every human body"), Weinberg is optimistic that increasingly sophisticated understanding of cellular functions will yield more effective treatments for those cancers that cannot be prevented. Though some readers might find the technical sections of the book difficult, it readily conveys the challenge and excitement of scientific discovery. Two illustrations.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Scientific American
This is the cancer story, told with care and clarity and unfolding like a good detective novel. Skilled detective work is what it has taken to determine the causes and nature of the disease and to bring medical science to a time when it is becoming increasingly possible to prevent or treat cancers. Weinberg, professor of biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a founding member of the nearby Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, is prominent among the detectives. His account starts with the single "renegade cell" that begins an uncontrolled growth in one of the body's tissues, eventually giving rise to a cancerous tumor. But his main focus is on the findings of the past two decades that have yielded an understanding of the disease--among them the role of carcinogens and viruses and the discovery of oncogenes, growth factors and the cell cycle clock. "We have learned much about the invisible forces that create human cancer," he writes. "Knowing the causes of many tumors, we should be able to prevent their appearance, or if they appear, to treat them and achieve permanent cures."

Customer Reviews

Must have: great intro and overview of current research
No prior knowledge of cell biology or genetics is required. I have gained an appreciation for the complexity of cancer research thanks to the book. I highly recommend it. You also learn a fair amount of the history of the development of cancer research. And don't think you need to read through hundreds of introductory pages to accomplish this. The book is under 200 pages.

Once again: What I found great about the book is it explains very clearly the current thories on how cancer starts and spreads without requiring any prior knowledge in the field.

For the scientifically oriented who are interested in the details, it has a big reference and endnote section. 5 stars for sure.

Excellent overview for the nonscientist and scientist
As a scientist, I am familiar with most of the discoveries in cancer research discussed in the book. Weinberg nicely ties them together and explains how one exciting discovery in cancer research led to another. This is an excellent overview of what has been discovered about cancer and what is not known. Weinberg points out that many of the discoveries were from areas of research not directly related to cancer. This book should help the nonscientist understand the complexities of research and why so much time and resources have been required to uncover the mechanisms of cancer. I also highly recommend this book to students at all levels that are interested in any type of research.

"Cancer 101"
When my mother was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, I frantically read everything I could lay my hands on to try to understand what was happening to her. As a former English major and flunker-of-high-school science classes, educating myself about the disease was a daunting task. "One Renegade Cell" explains in intelligent but clear language the theories that currently best explain how the disease begins and spreads.

In my search for knowledge, I have found many books that explain cancer as though to the Village Idiot. And I have found others that explain it as though to a PhD in Biology. I am truly thankful that Weinberg wrote this rare book that can be enjoyed and understood by the rest of us.