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Gene Regulation and Targeted Therapy in Gastric Cancer Peritoneal Metastasis: Radiological Findings from Dual Energy CT and PET/CT
10:28

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Published on: January 22, 2018

Current status of targeted therapies in advanced gastric cancer

Ferdinando De Vita1, Francesco Giuliani, Nicola Silvestris

  • 1Oncologia Medica, Seconda Università di Napoli, Via S.Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, Italia. fernandodevita@yahoo.it

Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets
|March 27, 2012
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

New targeted therapies are emerging for metastatic gastric cancer, offering hope beyond chemotherapy. Research highlights agents targeting EGFR and HER2, showing promise for improved patient survival.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Gastrointestinal Oncology
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy

Background:

  • Chemotherapy is standard for metastatic gastric cancer but offers limited survival benefits.
  • Despite advancements, overall survival remains suboptimal, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Identifying new molecular targets is crucial for improving treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review novel molecular pathways and targeted therapies for gastric cancer.
  • To discuss the potential of agents targeting EGFR, angiogenesis, cell cycle, and apoptosis.
  • To evaluate the clinical impact of emerging targeted agents in gastric cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on molecular pathways in gastric cancer.
  • Analysis of therapeutic strategies including EGFR inhibitors and anti-angiogenic agents.
  • Evaluation of clinical trial data for novel agents targeting specific molecular pathways.

Main Results:

  • Targeted therapies, including EGFR and VEGF/VEGFR inhibitors, show promising activity.
  • The ToGA trial demonstrated improved survival with trastuzumab in HER2-positive gastric cancer.
  • Accurate human EGF receptor (HER)2 testing is essential for patient selection.

Conclusions:

  • Targeted therapies, particularly those inhibiting EGFR and VEGF/VEGFR, offer new hope.
  • HER2-targeted therapy (trastuzumab) combined with chemotherapy improves survival in HER2-positive gastric cancer.
  • Ongoing trials with novel agents are critical for advancing gastric cancer treatment.

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