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Targeted Therapy for Cancer in the Genomic Era

Anosheh Afghahi1, George W Sledge

  • 1From the Division of Medical Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.

Cancer Journal (Sudbury, Mass.)
|July 30, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Cancer genomics advanced targeted therapies, but immunotherapy, particularly checkpoint blockade, shows promise for complex, high-mutation cancers. This new approach may overcome limitations of current targeted treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Genomics
  • Immunotherapy

Background:

  • Cancer genomics has yielded successful targeted therapies like imatinib and trastuzumab.
  • Targeted therapies are highly effective for less complex tumors.
  • Efficacy of targeted therapies is limited in complex cancers with genomic chaos and multiple pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evolution of cancer therapeutics from targeted therapies to immunotherapy.
  • To highlight the potential of cancer immunotherapy for managing complex tumors.
  • To discuss the suitability of checkpoint blockade inhibitors for high mutational burden cancers.

Main Methods:

  • Review of advancements in cancer genomics and targeted therapy development.
  • Analysis of the limitations of targeted therapies in carcinogen-induced cancers.
  • Exploration of the emergence and potential of cancer immunotherapy, specifically checkpoint blockade.

Main Results:

  • Targeted therapies are highly successful for certain cancers but have limitations.
  • Cancers with genomic chaos are driven by multiple pathways, limiting targeted therapy success.
  • Cancer immunotherapy, especially checkpoint blockade, is well-suited for tumors with high mutational burden.

Conclusions:

  • Cancer immunotherapy represents a promising alternative to current targeted approaches.
  • Checkpoint blockade inhibitors are particularly effective for tumors with significant genomic disarray.
  • Ongoing clinical trials are expected to further define the role of immunotherapy in cancer treatment.

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