Molecular biotechnology has in recent years produced significant advances in finding tumor markers useful in diagnosis and in the assessment of disease progression and prognosis. In Molecular Analysis of Cancer, leading researchers in the field describe in step-by-step detail their best state-of-the-art molecular techniques for elucidating the biochemical processes associated with human cancer. Among the techniques presented for identifying chromosomal rearrangements are fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), spectral karyotyping (SKY), comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), microsatellite analysis, PCR and RT-PCR, and DNA fingerprinting. Additional methods include SSCP, DGGE, the nonisotopic RNase cleavage assay, and the protein truncation assay and DNA sequencing for identifying mutations. Techniques for the analysis of gene expression include microarray technology and differential display. All these techniques are of great value for identifying genes that are central to cancer development and progression.
Comprehensive and state-of-the-art, Molecular Analysis of Cancer not only offers today's researcher a deeper understanding of cancer's molecular pathogenesis, but also provides a detailed examination of each of the major methodologies needed to detect and analyze its associated genetic abnormalities.
