Cancer Biology and Its Treatment Modalities: A Brief Historical Perspective

Abstract

For thousands of years, tremendous amount of research has been carried out to understand one of the leading causes of death – cancer. Being known for its complexity, researchers have put tremendous efforts in acquiring every bit of knowledge that is required to understand the distinct aspects of tumor biology, progression, invasion, and metastasis. These include understanding the tumor physiology, developing different detection techniques, as well as identifying the genetic roots of the disease. This in turn would help in unraveling the signaling circuitry that regulates intercommunication within the tumor microenvironment. The main objective of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive overview of the different historic events that have taken place in the field of cancer research. Besides, it also briefly describes the different hallmarks of cancer that have been put forth to elaborate the different mechanisms adapted by cancer cells for their survival and progression.