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Updated: Sep 20, 2026

In Vivo Immunofluorescence Localization for Assessment of Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibody Biodistribution in Cancer Research
Published on: September 16, 2019
Trends in cancer therapy: role of monoclonal antibodies
Kristi V Schmidt1, Barbara A Wood
1Department of Clinical Research, Maine Center for Cancer Medicine and Blood Disorders, Scarborough, ME, USA.
Objectives:
To discuss the scientific rationale for the use of monoclonal antibodies in cancer treatment and distinguish the unique characteristics of selected monoclonal antibodies.
Data Sources:
Published scientific papers, abstracts, review articles, and book chapters.
Conclusion:
The continued discovery of intrinsic antigens/epitopes specific to malignant cells and the science of immune cell activation demonstrates the durability of monoclonal antibodies as mainstream immunotherapy.
Implications For Nursing Practice:
With the success of monoclonal antibodies used in clinical practice, oncology nurses need to continue to increase their knowledge and competency. Monoclonal antibodies target tumor-associated antigens in both solid and hematologic tumors. It is imperative that nurses be familiar with specific aspects of each antibody infusion they administer.
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