Novel cancer therapies: More efficacy, less toxicity and improved organ preservation

Abstract

Novel approaches to the treatment of cancer include techniques such as gene therapy, antiangiogenic therapy, monoclonal antibodies either alone or linked with radioactive isotopes or cytotoxins, cancer immunotherapy and vaccines, oligonucleotides and antisense technologies as well as anticancer drugs targeting single metabolic processes, enzymes or oncoproteins. However, substantial improvements are also being made in more conventional cancer treatment modalities. These comprise radiotherapy given concomitantly with chemotherapy, which appears to improve treatment results in a number of common types of human cancer. Other important advances include conformal and intensity-modulated radiation therapy, which may allow for higher target doses with little or no increase in toxicity. Stereotactic radiation therapy for extracranial targets is also being developed, as well as biologically targeted radiation therapy, in which targeting is based on metabolic pathways or carrier molecules, such as boronated compounds in boron neutron capture therapy or monoclonal antibodies in radioimmunotherapy. Sentinel node biopsy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer represent advances in surgery and cancer chemotherapy, which may also allow for a greater chance for organ and tissue preservation without a loss in treatment efficacy.