Emerging drugs for endometrial cancer

From the dualistic classification that divides endometrial cancer (EC) into two types with distinct underlying molecular profiling, histopathology and clinical behavior, arises a deeper understanding of the carcinogenesis pathways. EC treatment comprises different and multimodal therapeutic approaches, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy or combinations of novel drugs; however, few of these regimens have truly improved progression-free or survival rates in advanced and metastatic settings.

We reviewed the main molecular pathways involved in EC carcinogenesis through a wide literature search of novel compounds that alone or in combination with traditional drugs have been investigated or are currently under investigation in randomized clinical trials.

The molecular therapies mainly discussed in this review are potential therapeutic candidates for more effective and specific treatments. In the genomic era, a deeper knowledge about molecular characteristics of cancer provides the hope for the development of better therapeutic approaches. Targeting both genetic and epigenetic alterations, attacking tumor cells using cell-surface markers overexpressed in tumor tissue, reactivating antitumor immune responses and identifying predictive biomarkers represent the emerging strategies and the major challenges.