Nickoloff BJ, editor: Melanoma Techniques and Protocols: Molecular Diagnosis, Treatment, and Monitoring, 366 pp, Totowa, NJ, Humana Press, 2001 ($125.00).

This book, in accordance with the editor's intent, is a cutting-edge summary of the most important advances regarding melanoma with particular emphasis on the biologic, immunologic, pathologic, and genomic aspects of the disease. Despite the heavy focus on molecular principles, the book is designed with practical application in mind and provides information that is clear and useful to readers who are not melanoma experts. The numerous contributing authors are from around the globe and were selected based on their forward-thinking perspectives as well as their close links to the clinical practice of medicine.

The book is divided into four major sections pertaining to melanoma: biology, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients with the disease. Laboratory techniques (e.g., isolation of tumor suppressor genes, induction of melanocytic lesions) are described in step-wise detail throughout the book. Virtually all imaginable topics pertaining to melanoma, from etiology to immunocytochemistry to gene therapy, are discussed in this book. Each topic is clearly and abundantly referenced in journal format, particularly useful for readers who wish to learn more about specific details. The book is divided into 20 chapters, and, although the index is scanty, each chapter is subdivided with bold, descriptive titles that facilitate easy recognition of topics of interest. Many useful tables appear throughout the book and provide readers with important “at-a-glance” summaries, lists, and comparisons.

This book is comprehensive yet succinct and will serve as a valuable reference text for laboratory personnel, researchers, and physicians (particularly pathologists, oncologists, and surgeons who frequently encounter melanoma). The book presents what is currently known about melanoma while also providing readers with a look toward the future of the disease.