This book contains conference presentations regarding the regulation of eicosanoid enzymes and, in particular, cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenases, and phospholipases. The new field of isoprostanes is also represented.

Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference held in Hong Kong, October 4-7, 1995

This volume represents a collection of contributions from the 6th International Conference on Eicosanoids and Other Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation, and Related Diseases held in Boston from September 12-15, 1999. The mission of this meeting was to bring together senior and junior investigators to both announce and examine their recent advancements in cutting-edge research on the roles and actions of lipid mediators and their impact in human physiology and disease pathogenesis. The meeting focused on new concepts in these areas of interest to both clinicians and researchers. The program included several outstanding plenary lectures and presentations by leading experts in the fields of cancer and inflammation. In addition, the Boston meeting presented three Young Investigator awards, one in each of the major focus areas. The meeting was exciting and proved to be very memorable. The program was developed with an emphasis on recent advances in molecular and of lipid mediators relevant in cellular mechanisims involved in the formation and actions inflammation and cancer. Plenary lectures were presented by Prof. Bengt Sammuelsson (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm; 1982 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine) and Prof. E. 1. Corey (Harvard University; 1990 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry). Both of these plenary lectures were held on Day 1, which set an exciting tone for this meeting. Immediately following these plenary lectures, three simultaneous breakout sessions were held, one of inflammation, a second on cancer and synthesis of novel inhibitors, and a third on enzymes-lipoxygenases/cyclooxygenases and inhibitors.

In recent decades eicosanoids have been attracting an increasing amount of attention as a result of their important physiological roles in many areas of biology and medicine. The eicosanoids comprise the prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes and are products of arachidonic acid, an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid stored in tissue phospholipids. Disturbances of eicosanoids and their metabolic products play a regulatory role in many types of cell injuries and diseases. One of the most exciting areas of eicosanoid research pinpoints their participation in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation. Eicosanoids form a link between different fields of research into such areas as cancer, inflammation and radiation-induced injury. This link provided the impetus for the development of the conference series of which the present volume represents the proceedings of the Second International Conference, held in Berlin in October 1991.

Over one hundred contributions detail advances in the molecular and cellular biology of eicosanoid production, as well as their role in signal transduction. One of the most exciting developments explored within this collection of articles is the expression of the novel isoform of cyclooxygenase (cox-2), which may play a large role in the development of anti-inflammatory drugs.

This volume contains the proceedings of the First International Conference on Eicosanoids and Other Bioactive Lipids in Cancer and Radiation Injury held in Detroit, Michigan on October 11-14, 1989. The program consisted of 83 oral and 29 poster presentations, 74 of which are included in these proceedings. The major sponsors of the conference were the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, located in Bethesda, Maryland, the Radiation Oncology Research and Development Center of the Gershenson Radiation Oncology Center, Harper Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and Schering AG of West Germany. Eighteen other organizations provided additional support. The conference was unique in its attempt to link the eicosanoid and lipid researchers in the radiobiology and cancer disciplines. The diverse roles that eicosanoids and other bioactive lipids play in these biological phenomena including the participation of lipid oxidation in conversion of procarcinogens, positive and negative modulation of tumor growth, immunomodulation, tissue injury, and yet protection and enhancement of cancer therapy, necessitated scientific interaction to sort out and understand these complex and sometimes contradictory observations. The success of this effort is reflected not only through these proceedings, but also through the decision to continue the conference series with a second meeting to be held in Berlin between September 17-21, 1991.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.

Colorectal cancer is a collective term for a heterogeneous group of diseases. In a large proportion of cases, the condition is attributable to genetic predisposition. Those directly involved in the treatment of patients with cancer of the large bowel are confronted to an increasing degree with the genetic aspects of the disease. In familial and hereditary forms of the disorder periodic screening of the close relatives of the patients can in principle prevent disease and death from colorectal cancer. Presymptomatic diagnosis by means of DNA technology is now possible in many cases of familial adenomatous polyposis. Genetic diagnosis will be increasingly important for the identification of high-risk groups. This book summarizes those aspects of the genetics of colorectal cancer that are important for clinical pracice. It has been stated that clinicians can contribute to the goal of reducing mortality from cancer by asking each patient about his or her family history of cancer. The aim of this book is to provide a guideline for the management of those situations in which the family history of colorectal cancer is found to be positive.

The sixth annual research conference of the American Institute for Cancer Research was held August 31 and September 1, 1995, at the Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washing ton, DC. In view of the promising leads in the diet/nutrition and cancer research field, the conference was devoted to "Dietary Phytochemicals in Cancer Prevention and Treatment. " The number of sessions was increased over that in previous conferences in order to accommodate the topics of interest. The conference overview, entitled "Plants and Cancer: Food, Fiber, and Phytochemicals," provided a framework for the following sessions. In addition, the attendees were reminded that for several decades epidemiologists have noted a lower risk of lung, esophageal, stomach, and colon cancer in populations consuming diets high in fruits and vegetables. However, isolation and ingestion of individual protective factors are not the preferred action since the complexity of the food and the matrix in which nutritional factors are embedded are important. The individual sessions then provided more insight as to why eating fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of cancer. The first of these sessions was on "Isothiocyanates" that induce both the Phase I and Phase II enzymes that increase detoxification and conjugation reactions, thus causing more rapid removal of any xenobiotic or carcinogen. Thus, less carcinogen is available for interaction with DNA or other critical cellular macromolecules.