Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 25, 2026

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells
11:56

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells

Published on: September 28, 2017

Circadian timing in cancer treatment: the biological foundation for an integrative approach

Christopher G Lis1, James F Grutsch, Patricia Wood

  • 1Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Midwestern Regional Medical Center, Zion, IL 60099, USA. christopher.lis@mrmc-ctca.com

Integrative Cancer Therapies
|March 24, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Cancer treatment outcomes for patients over 50 remain poor. Timed administration of chemotherapy, known as chronochemotherapy, may improve survival by increasing treatment efficacy and reducing toxicity.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Chronobiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cancer mortality rates for adults over 50 have stagnated despite treatment advancements.
  • Current cytotoxic chemotherapy shows limited efficacy in improving survival for the majority of adult cancer patients.
  • Existing treatments are often ineffective in dramatically improving survival outcomes in adult cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of circadian-timed chemotherapy to enhance cancer treatment efficacy.
  • To explore increasing evidence suggesting improved therapeutic index with phase-specific cytotoxic agent administration.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing evidence on chronochemotherapy.
  • Analysis of in-vitro and animal model data for cytotoxic agents.
  • Evaluation of clinical outcomes related to timed drug administration.

Main Results:

  • Cytotoxic agents demonstrate in-vitro and in-vivo efficacy.
  • Few agents have significantly improved adult cancer survival rates.
  • Evidence suggests phase-specific administration can increase the therapeutic index.

Conclusions:

  • Circadian-timed chemotherapy offers a promising strategy to improve cancer treatment outcomes.
  • Optimizing drug administration timing can enhance the efficacy of current therapies.
  • Further research into chronochemotherapy is warranted for adult cancer patients.

More Related Videos

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures06:53

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures

Published on: November 11, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation02:19

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent years,...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response01:15

Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response

Circadian rhythms are cyclic changes that are crucial in plasma drug concentrations. Various standard circadian parameters, including core body temperature, heart rate, and other cardiovascular factors, directly impact disease states and the therapeutic response to drug therapy.
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Cancer Therapies02:49

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...