Expert review of anticancer therapy
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · May 2008
ReviewImmunotherapy against angiogenesis-associated targets: evidence and implications for the treatment of malignant glioma.
Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from previously existing vasculature, is a requirement for tumor growth and metastasis. The first US FDA-approved drugs targeting angiogenesis have shown potential in the treatment of malignant gliomas. Immunotherapy as a treatment modality lends itself well to specifically targeting angiogenesis in tumors and may represent a powerful tool in the treatment of malignant gliomas. This review focuses on developments in immunotherapy targeting angiogenesis and tumor-vascular-specific endothelial cells using a variety of immunotherapeutic strategies including monoclonal antibodies and conjugated immunotoxins, as well as cellular, peptide, DNA and dendritic cell vaccines.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Apr 2008
ReviewProgress and challenges in the adjuvant treatment of stage II and III colon cancers.
Whereas the benefit of adjuvant 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin have been well established in resected stage III colon cancer, a significant benefit for patients with stage II disease has been more difficult to demonstrate. More recently, oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy with regimens such as oxaplatin plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin have been shown to improve disease-free and overall survival in these stage III patients. This review will discuss the development of adjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer, focusing on recent progress and particular topical issues related to its use in this disease, such as the use of surrogate end points for overall survival in contemporary clinical trials.
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Substantial progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma at the cellular level, leading to the development of several new agents in the treatment of melanoma. The focus of this review is to summarize the emerging therapies and investigational agents in the treatment of melanoma over the last 5 years.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Mar 2008
ReviewNerve-sparing techniques in open and laparoscopic prostatectomy.
Open and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is a safe and effective treatment for organ-confined prostate cancer with excellent cancer control and quality of life outcomes. We present current nerve-sparing techniques used in open, laparoscopic and robot-assisted prostatectomy to maximize postoperative potency. ⋯ These techniques serve to minimize injury without compromising oncologic outcomes. In combination with postoperative pharmacological and mechanical recuperative approaches, nerve-sparing surgery has made an impact in postprostatectomy quality of life.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Feb 2008
ReviewCapecitabine plus oxaliplatin for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
Based on improved safety and efficacy results, advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment has recently shifted from intravenous bolus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) monotherapy to standard combinations of prolonged intravenous 5-FU infusion with either oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) or irinotecan (FOLFIRI). Capecitabine, a rationally designed oral fluoropyrimidine that is converted into 5-FU preferentially at the tumor site, could replace infusional 5-FU as the mainstay of combined chemotherapy treatment for metastatic CRC. Evidently, oral medication obviates the drawbacks of prolonged intravenous infusion. ⋯ Capecitabine has the potential to replace 5-FU/LV as the optimal combination partner for oxaliplatin at a higher cost. Capecitabine and oxaliplatin concomitantly with radiation therapy has been evaluated before surgery in rectal cancer treatment. The combination of capecitabine and oxaliplatin, with or without bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody blocking VEGF, is also being evaluated in early stage colon cancer.