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Molecularly targeted therapy for advanced gastrointestinal noncolorectal cancer treatment: how to choose? Past,

Olga Nigro1, Claudio Chini, Ilaria Proserpio

  • 1Department of Medical Oncology, ASST Sette Laghi, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy.

Anti-Cancer Drugs
|April 30, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Precision medicine offers new targeted therapies for gastrointestinal cancers beyond chemotherapy. This review evaluates completed studies on targeted therapies to guide future clinical practice and drug approvals.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Gastrointestinal cancer remains a major global health challenge, with conventional chemotherapy offering limited survival benefits.
  • Advances in molecular biology have identified specific targets in gastrointestinal noncolorectal cancers, leading to the development of targeted therapies.
  • Precision medicine aims to improve treatment outcomes by targeting specific molecular pathways and kinases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review completed studies on targeted therapies for gastrointestinal malignancies.
  • To identify currently accepted targeted therapies in clinical practice.
  • To determine which targeted therapies require further validation for guideline inclusion.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of clinical trials and completed studies on targeted therapies for gastrointestinal cancers.
  • Analysis of molecular targets including EGFR, c-MET, IDH, FGFR2, BRAF, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and NTRK.
  • Evaluation of targeted agents such as small-molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies.

Main Results:

  • Targeted therapies have shown promise but with a mixed history of success and failure in gastrointestinal malignancies.
  • Several targeted agents (e.g., EGFR inhibitors, antiangiogenic agents) are available or in clinical trials.
  • The efficacy and optimal use of various targeted therapies require further investigation and confirmation.

Conclusions:

  • Targeted therapies represent a significant advancement in treating gastrointestinal cancers, complementing traditional chemotherapy.
  • Further research is needed to establish the definitive role of many targeted agents in clinical practice.
  • This review provides insights for oncologists to design future clinical trials and optimize precision medicine strategies.

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