Summary of key facts Professor Paul Ehrlich is credited with introducing the concept of cancers as non-self and proposing the concept of tumor immune surveillance in 1909. Evidence for tumor immunity was suggested by early animal tumor transplantation experiments carried…
Summary of key facts The innate immune system is the host’s first line of immune defense against challenges of the environment. The innate immune system response is a nonrestricted, rapid response. Innate immunity is required for the establishment of adaptive…
Summary of key facts The complement system is a key component of the innate immune system, responsible for facilitating immune defense mechanisms, regulating inflammation, and maintaining tissue homeostasis. The complement system is a proteolytic cascade, comprising more than 50 highly…
Summary of key facts Immunoglobulins (Igs) are the soluble mediators of antigen recognition. An Ig that is capable of specifically binding an antigen is termed an antibody . Immunoglobulins range in molecular weight from 150 kD to 900 kD and…
Summary of key facts The lymphatic system is a complex, blind-ended vascular tree distinct and separate from the blood circulatory system. Lymphatics facilitate tissue fluid homeostasis, nutrient uptake, and immune functions. Lymphatic vessels and lymphatic endothelial cells have unique features…
Introduction Epidemiology and Etiology Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a distinct geographic and ethnic distribution, which is a result of a multifactorial etiology. NPC is rather rare in many parts of the world such as North America, but it is considered…
Introduction Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and the second most common in females worldwide. The main causes of failure for treatments are local recurrence and distant metastases, especially when vital organs such as…
Introduction The most common adult intracranial neoplasms are metastatic brain tumors. Metastatic tumors account for approximately 20–40% of all brain tumors and outnumber primary brain tumors 10 to 1 ( ). Two hundred thousand new cases of metastatic brain tumors…
Introduction Kidney cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in Western communities and accounts for almost 3% of worldwide adult malignancies. Each year worldwide, around 270 000 cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed and 116 000 people die from the disease.…
Introduction The standard approach to locally advanced esophageal carcinoma has evolved in recent years and currently involves the use of a multimodality approach with the use of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation followed by esophagectomy. Although the treatment goal is to…