Biosynthetic Products for Cancer Chemotherapy

Fortunately the scientific and medical literature related to cancer chemo therapy is now expanding rapidly. While this is most excellent for future cancer treatment prospects, it is becoming more difficult for all the resear chers in chemotherapy-bio-organic chemists involved with the discovery of new anticancer drugs, biologists and pharmacologists developing these new drugs, and physicians doing the clinical research-to keep abreast of current achievements in these disciplines so vitally important to effective cancer treatment. The purpose of Volumes 1 and 2 of this work was to provide useful reviews of current progress in discovery and clinical applica tion of new biosynthetic cancer chemotherapeutic drugs. Volume 1 gave a general view of the cancer problem and cancer treatment using biosynthetic products, based on literature available through December 1975. Volume 2 included mainly the first summary of plant and animal biosynthetic antineoplastic and/or cytotoxic constituents to April 1976. The survey comprising this third volume has been divided into two sections. Section A provides an extension of the Volume 2 data on plant and animal antineoplastic and/or cytotoxic constituents to July 1977. The introduction to Section A brings the summary of such biosynthetic products to literature available November 1, 1977. Section B incorporates a summary of data of essentially all previously isolated and characterized marine animal constituents irrespective of biological activity.