Scientific advances of the past quarter century have vastly expanded our knowledge and understanding of the biologic, aetiologic and molecular mechanisms responsible for neoplasia. Significant progress has been made in designing specific therapies for certain tumours, with improved outcomes. In this volume, Rosenthal and Rotman have assembled a series of chapters with a unifying theme of exploring the scientific basis of chemotherapy and irradiation therapy. Clinical significant synergistic therapeutic interactions between chemotherapy and irradiation therapy are highlighted. The reader is provided with an overview of the theoretical and experimental basis for irradiation-chemotherapy interactions in the first chapter, co-authored by the editors. Subsequent chapters address the pharmacokinetics of radiosensitizing agents, and explore the optimization of schedules for infusional therapy with concomitant radiation. Highlights of this volume include several chapters which provide useful overviews of the newest and most promising molecular approaches to cancer treatment: apoptosis as a target of therapeutic development; use of antiangiogenesis agents in cancer treatment; gene therapy and its applications to chemo-radiation therapy of cancer; and tumour suppression gene inactivation by SV40 mediated transformation. Generalist physicians and specialists will find this text to be a useful resource that can provide answers to questions asked by patients, and that can help direct the clinician to appropriate sources for further inquiry in this most important and rapidly changing field.