Book excerpt: This excellent new book summarizes the whole range of systemic cancer therapies, explaining their mode of action and potential side-effects, as well as their clinical applications. It is divided into three sections. The first tackles the theoretical basis of cancer chemotherapy: following an historical introduction, the different treatment modalities are explained in the context of basic tumor biology. The text then moves on to the subject’s practical aspects and covers dosing and drug delivery together with an extensive discussion of possible side-effects. Finally, Priestman looks at chemotherapy in the management of cancers. The book has a consistency of style which makes a wealth of complex information both readily accessible and easily understandable.