[Molecular target therapy: a milestone on the road for curing cancer]

Molecular target therapy (MTT), using chemicals of low molecular weight, monoclonal antibodies, and/or polypeptides to interfere with specific signal pathways in cancer cells, causes inhibition of tumor progression. Clinical evidence has demonstrated that MTT has promising potential in not only killing tumors but also inducing tumor cells differentiate into normal cells, leading to cure of the patients. Furthermore, MTT leads to potent inhibition of oncogenic signals. The delay of tumor progression makes the patients "survival with tumor". Thus, in the future it is possible that cancer become a chronic disease much like diabetes and hypertension. This article reviewed the theory on molecular target therapy, its features and future direction.