Antimetabolites and Cancer

Abstract

This symposium presents opinions on antimetabolites in cancer that were held in 1953; some of them have since been abandoned. The book does, however, bring together in one volume important material presented by outstanding investigators. The first paper, by Weinhouse, summarizes much of our present knowledge of metabolism in the normal and malignant cell in a clear form for those not well versed in biochemistry and thus paves the way for better comprehension of the succeeding technical papers. Most of the other papers are so technical that they are of little value to those not working directly in the field of laboratory science. This is not a criticism of the various essayists but a reflection on the embryonic state of the control of clinical cancer with antimetabolites. The only clinical paper presented is that of Burchenal, which summarizes briefly the clinical use of folicacid antagonists and 6-mercaptopurine in the treatment