This exciting new book presents the first comprehensive overview of clinical trials of camptothecins, a new class of anticancer agents. Camptothecins are synthetic and semisynthetic derivatives of a plant alkaloid that inhibit a cellular enzyme and trigger a cascade of events leading to programmed cell death. Special attention is given to the adverse effects of camptothecin treatment, as well as to prevention and control. The book boasts contributions by some of the most respected authorities in camptothecin research, who have Conducted much of the pre-clinical work which helped to renew interest in camptothecins Discovered and identified the natural product camptothecin and synthesized most of the anlogues Discovered the mechanism of camptothecin cytotoxicity