Expert review of anticancer therapy
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Apr 2012
ReviewROS1 as a 'druggable' receptor tyrosine kinase: lessons learned from inhibiting the ALK pathway.
ROS1 is one of 58 receptor tyrosine kinases, and one of two orphan receptor tyrosine kinases where its ligand is unknown. ROS1 is evolutionarily related to ALK. ROS1 rearrangement was discovered in glioblastoma in 1987, in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in 2007, and in cholangiocarcinoma in 2011. ⋯ Although ROS1 shares only 49% amino acid sequence homology with ALK in the kinase domains, several ALK inhibitors have demonstrated in vitro inhibitory activity against ROS1. With the recent US approval of crizotinib, a multi-targeted ALK/MET kinase inhibitor, for the treatment of ALK-rearranged NSCLC, attention has turned to ROS1-rearranged tumors, especially NSCLC. The next few years should witness a rapid pace of clinical research in ROS1-rearranged tumors utilizing available ALK inhibitors.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Mar 2012
ReviewImproving end-of-life care for head and neck cancer patients.
Despite improvements in the treatment of head and neck cancer, many patients still succumb to their disease. A litany of medical, psychosocial and ethical challenges arise in managing the end-of-life experiences within this patient population. ⋯ Clinical decision-making for patients dying of head and neck cancer requires proactive consideration of quality of life, functionality, symptom control and other patient-centered objectives, and frequently benefits from palliative care team involvement. Additional research aimed toward optimizing the end of life experience of head and neck cancer patients and their families is greatly needed.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Feb 2012
ReviewTherapeutic potential of irreversible electroporation in sarcoma.
Irreversible electroporation is a newly developed nonthermal tissue ablation technique in which certain short-duration electrical fields are used to permanently permeabilize the cell membrane to disrupt cellular homeostasis. This disruption of cellular homeostasis initiates apoptosis, which leads to permanent cell death. ⋯ Each of these sarcomas present in different ways, exhibit different behaviors and prognoses, and present unique therapeutic challenges. In this article, a series of recently conducted irreversible electroporation treatment for sarcomas based on local nonthermal ablation are summarized, and the therapeutic potential of this newly developed technique is assessed.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Feb 2012
ReviewFosaprepitant for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
For patients receiving cancer chemotherapy, the ongoing development of antiemetic treatment is of significant importance. Patients consider nausea and vomiting among the most distressing symptoms of chemotherapy, and as new antiemetics have been very successful in prevention of vomiting, agents effective against nausea have become one of the major unmet needs. ⋯ Fosaprepitant (intravenous prodrug of aprepitant) given as a single intravenous dose of 150 mg can replace the aprepitant 3-day oral regimen. This article focuses on the development and clinical application of fosaprepitant.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Jan 2012
ReviewTreatment of elderly patients with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer.
Every thoracic oncologist could be considered a geriatric oncologist as the median age of presentation with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer is 71 years. Subgroup analyses and population-based studies suggest similar benefits to treatment of the fit elderly compared with younger patients. ⋯ Comprehensive geriatric assessment can augment the standard examination in defining the strengths and weakness of the elderly patient who is considering chemotherapy. In the future, biochemical assessment of physiologic age may further aid this assessment.