ALTERATIONS OF THE DENDRITIC CELL SYSTEM IN CANCER -- The Central Role of Dendritic Cells in Immunity -- Dendritic Cells in Cancer: Emergenceof the Discipline -- Tumor-Infiltrating Dendritic Cells: The Pathologist's Perspective -- Functional Defects of Dendritic Cells in Cancer -- General Properties of Dendritic Cell Populations in Cancer -- Elimination of Dendritic Cells in Cancer -- Mechanisms of Dendritic Cell Dysfunction in Cancer -- Tumor-Derived Factors Responsible for Dendritic Cell Dysfunction -- Tumor-Derived Exosomes as Dendritic Cell Modulators -- Signaling Pathways Mediating Dendritic Cell Dysfunction in Cancer -- A Role for STAT3 in Dendritic Cell Regulation by Tumor-Derived Factors -- Tumor-Associated Inflammation and Impact on Dendritic Cell Function -- Changes in Dendritic Cells in Cancer and Aging -- Stress, Immunity and Dendritic Cells in Cancer -- Cancer Therapy and Dendritic Cell Immunomodulation -- Role of Dendritic Cells in Tumor Escape -- Role of IDO in Dendritic Cell Differentiation and Function in Cancer -- Dendritic Cells: From Inducers of Specific T-Cell Responses to Promoters of Angiogenesis -- Protumorigenic Function of Dendritic Cells -- Dendritic Cell Maturation Versus Polarization in Tumor Escape -- Dendritic Cells in Cancer: Clinical Aspects -- Trafficking of Dendritic Cells in the Tumor Environment -- Dendritic Cells in Tumor-Draining Lymph Nodes -- Dendritic Cell Vaccines in Cancer: Obstaclesto Overcome -- How Best to Generate Dendritic Cells from Patients with Cancer and How Best to Use them for Immunotherapeutic Purposes -- Genetically Modified Dendritic Cells in Cancer Immunotherapy -- Dendritic Cell Tumors -- Future Directions in Dendritic Cell Research in Cancer. Significant features of cancer are suppression and redirection of the immune response, which allow for tumor development and growth in the previously immune competent host. Central to development of immune responses are dendritic cells, and unsurprisingly these cells are strongly impacted by tumors and factors derived from them, as well as by other conditions associated with tumor progression or cancer treatments. Further, as some of the frontline strategies for treatment of cancer involve immunotherapy with ex vivo cultured or in vivo modulated dendritic cells, it becomes imperative to understand how dendritic cells interact with and are affected by the tumor microenvironment. "Dendritic Cells in Cancer," edited by Michael R. Shurin and Russell D. Salter, presents thorough analyses of the complex biology of the tumor-dendritic cell relationship, and offers insights into how cancer treatments may benefit from furthering our understanding in this area.