Cancer through the Lens of Evolution and Ecology

Cancer cells exist in an ever-changing “ecology” and are subject to evolutionary pressures just like any species in nature. This edited book explores the following themes: 1) how the dynamics of mutation, epigenetics, and gene expression noise are sources of genetic diversity; 2) how scarce resources influence cancer therapy resistance; 3) how predator-prey dynamics are mirrored in immune-cancer cross-talk; 4) how cancer cells parallel niche construction theory; 5) how changing fitness landscapes enable cancer growth; and 6) how cancer cells interact within the body. The book is a resource for understanding cancer as a disease of multicellularity grounded in evolutionary principles. By using this knowledge, researchers are starting to exploit these behaviors for treatment paradigms.

Key Features

• Bridges disciplines exemplifying the ways disparate fields create new perspectives when integrated.
• Offers insights from leading scholars in cancer biology, ecology and evolutionary biology.
• Provides a timely recognition by oncologists that evolutionary paradigms are crucial for breakthroughs in cancer treatment.
• Integrates basic and applied sciences of oncology and evolutionary biology.