[Targeted biological treatment of solid tumours]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Pharmacology

Context:

• The evolution of targeted biological treatments began with hormonal receptor discovery and tamoxifen use.
• Advances in understanding metastasis, cell communication, and signaling have driven the development of molecularly targeted therapies.
• Clinical effectiveness of targeted therapy is established in phase III studies for various advanced solid tumors.

Purpose:

• To review the development and clinical application of targeted biological treatments.
• To highlight the challenges in implementing targeted therapy due to a lack of reliable efficacy predictors.
• To emphasize the future direction of personalized medicine through comprehensive molecular characterization.

Summary:

• Targeted molecular biological treatments directly impact key tumor cell structures, expanding pharmacotherapeutic options for breast, colorectal, lung, kidney cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma, and GIST.
• Current selection relies on morphological, immunohistochemical, and partial molecular tumor profiling.
• Identifying reliable predictors of targeted drug efficacy is crucial for full implementation and is an active area of clinical research.

Impact:

• Targeted therapies have significantly expanded treatment options for patients with advanced and metastatic solid tumors.
• The identification of predictive biomarkers is essential for maximizing the clinical benefit of targeted agents.
• Future advancements in targeted therapy depend on comprehensive molecular profiling of both primary tumors and metastases for precise patient selection.