It is a very special honour for me to be able to present this handbook of medical oncology, which under diverse headings and origins covers such a vast spectrum of experience. I be lieve the reader will be struck in particular by the impressive volume of information available, especially with regard to childhood tumours, which represent, today, an immense "lab oratory of hope." It is in this very field that we oncologists have been able to obtain the most consoling results in recent years. I feel sure that all those who read these chapters will find that their oncological competence is...