Approximately one in two individuals in high-income countries will face a cancer diagnosis during their lifetime, but the good news is, fewer than half of all cancer patients die from the disease, and every second cancer-related death is preventable. What’s more, many environmental factors that either promote cancer or protect against it lie within our own control. The updated and extended textbook Cancer Biology: How Science Works by Professor Carsten Carlberg and Dr Eunike Velleuer provides the reader with a holistic view of cancer, spanning from the fundamental mechanisms underlying cancer to different aspects of cancer prevention as well as efficient therapies against cancer.
Cancer is not a single disease but a heterogeneous group of disorders that can arise in virtually any organ. What they all have in common is uncontrolled cellular growth.
Behind every newly diagnosed malignant tumor in adulthood there is an individual history of probably 20 or more years of tumorigenesis. This often makes cancer an age-related disease that may even seem inevitable as we grow older. However, the authors emphasize that tumorigenesis is dependent on multiple environmental influences. “Many environmental factors that either promote or protect against cancer lie within our own control: avoiding smoking, choosing a healthy diet, and staying physically active are key examples. Thus, cancer prevention through lifestyle choices remains the most powerful strategy for reducing cancer risk.”
Cancer is traditionally viewed as a disease of the genome, driven by accumulated DNA point mutations, translocations, deletions, and amplifications. However, tumorigenesis also comes along with abnormalities in cellular identity, different responsiveness to internal and external stimuli and major changes in the transcriptome, all of which are based on epigenetic dysregulation.
The 13 chapters of the book provide a general overview on cancer, explore the molecular basis and cellular aspects of cancer, and explain the concepts of an efficient therapy against cancer. In addition to elucidating the present understanding of cancer biology, the book combines basic biology with clinical examples drawn from daily oncology practice, contributed by Dr. Velleuer. This also includes how to live with cancer.
The contents of the textbook are linked to lecture courses that were are and continue to be lectured by Professor Carlberg at the University of Eastern Finland. This book also relates to the books Gene Regulation and Epigenetics: How Science Works, Aging: How Science Works, Molecular Immunology: How Science Works and Nutrigenomics: How Science Works, also authored by Professor Carlberg.
Carsten Carlberg is Professor of Biochemistry at the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Eastern Finland. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of gene regulation by nuclear hormones, with a particular emphasis on vitamin D. His current projects investigate epigenome-wide effects of vitamin D on the human immune system, especially in the context of cancer and aging. Eunike Velleuer is a medical doctor specialized in pediatric hemato-oncology. She currently serves as Senior Physician at the Children’s Oncology Department, Helios Clinic Krefeld, and as Research Associate at the University of Düsseldorf in Germany. Her clinical expertise centers on Fanconi anemia, a cancer predisposition syndrome. Her research interests focus on the early detection and prevention of oral squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, Dr. Velleuer is committed to strengthening patient resilience and exploring innovative approaches to achieve long-term patient empowerment.
For further information, please contact:
Professor Carsten Carlberg, [email protected]
Carlberg, Carsten and Velleuer, Eunike. Cancer Biology: How Science Works. Springer International Publishing, 2026. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-18589-1
