Book excerpt: Highly Commended in the category of Oncology at the British Medical Association Awards 2019 The accessible guide to the principles behind new, more targeted drug treatments for cancer Written for anyone who encounters cancer patients, cancer data or cancer terminology, but have no more than a passing knowledge of cell biology. A Beginner's Guide to Targeted Cancer Treatments provides an understanding of how cancer works and the many new treatments available. Using over 100 original illustrations, this accessible handbook covers the biology and mechanisms behind a huge range of targeted drug treatments, including many new immunotherapies. Dr Vickers translates a complex and often overwhelming topic into something digestible and easily understood. She also explains what cancer is, how it behaves and how our understanding of cancer has changed in recent years. Each chapter takes the reader through how new cancer drugs work and their benefits and limitations. With the help of this book, readers will be able to better understand more complex, in-depth articles in journals and books and develop their knowledge. This vital resource: Offers the latest insights into cancer biology Provides a broad understanding of how targeted cancer treatments work Describes many of the new immunotherapy approaches to cancer treatment, such as checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-modified T cells Helps readers feel confident discussing treatment options with colleagues and patients Provides an overview of which treatments are relevant to each of the most common solid tumours and haematological cancers, and the rationale behind them Demystifies the jargon – terms such as the EMT, cancer stem cells, monoclonal antibodies, kinase inhibitors, angiogenesis inhibitors etc. Explains the resistance mechanisms to many new treatments, including issues such as the way cancer cells diversify and evolve and the complex environment in which they live