Merkel Cell Carcinoma – Current State and the Future
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare type of skin cancer. It is the first human cancer known to be associated with a polyomavirus. The vast majority of publications are case reports. Our goal is to discuss practical suggestions for the treatment, based on our clinical experience and a review of the literature. Surgery is the initial treatment of choice. Radiotherapy is used as primary or adjuvant treatment. The chemotherapeutic approach follows that of neuroendocrine neoplasms, using cisplatin and etoposide. Researchers are looking into other active drugs which have been used for melanoma including temozolomide, and PD-1 ...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - December 30, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Editorial: Current Treatments for Skin Cancer
(Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews)
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - December 30, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Meet Our Editorial Board Member
(Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews)
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - December 30, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Anti-cancer Potential of Phyto-alkaloids: A Prospective Review
Cancer is characterized as the second leading cause of death worldwide despite several therapies. In this regard, numerous researchers around the world are working on synthetic and natural products for the discovery of novel effective anticancer agents. Plants have been used in the treatment of various diseases and they have also shown tremendous potential in the treatment of cancer. This mini review has focused on the plant-based alkaloids, isolated from various parts of plants. These anticancer compounds have been found to be active against various types of cancer cells. Further research in this area may lead to better a...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - October 4, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Therapeutic Immunoconjugates. Which Cytotoxic Payload: Chemotherapeutic Drug (ADC) or Radionuclide (ARC) ?
Over the last decade, Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) have gained a great success due to their documented clinical efficacy and manageable toxicity. Generally the word “drug” is associated with a chemotherapeutic drug, however “drug” can also be associated with other cytotoxic payloads such as radionuclides, termed more specifically, Antibody Radionuclide Conjugates (ARCs) for radioimmunotherapy (RIT). A large number of clinical studies have evaluated both ADCs and ARCs in varied indications. This review collected the clinical results of 11 studies including 598 patients treated with 6 ADCs and 9 studies including ...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - October 4, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Emerging Endocrine Therapies in the Treatment of HR-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide and the most common cause of cancer mortality in women. Seventy percent of breast cancers overexpress the estrogen (ER) and/or the progesterone receptor (PgR) making anti-endocrine therapies the most commonly used worldwide for this disease. These therapies are of low toxicity and low cost since most of them are off-patent and therefore very valuable in the armamentarium against this common form of breast cancer. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMS), selective estrogen receptor down-regulators (SERDS), and aromatase inhibitors (estrogen synthetase) in...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - October 4, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Overcoming Chemotherapy Resistance in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
High grade serous (HGS) cancer of the ovary (OC) is a lethal malignancy with advanced stage disease remaining incurable. HGS OC is sensitive to platinum based chemotherapy with complete responses being frequent, but relapses are inevitable, with resistance invariably emerging. Deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of HGS OC with new sequencing techniques shows that aberrations in the BRCA pathway may play a major role. Changes in the homologous recombination pathway and DNA repair may play a role in platinum resistance. This review article describes various approaches that have been studied in the management of chemothe...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - October 4, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Epidemiology, Clinical Presentations, Histology, Polyomavirus Involvement, and Management
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive cutaneous malignancy with neuroendocrine origin. The rarity of the tumor and variable clinical presentation make the diagnosis especially challenging. The tumor grows rapidly and lymph node metastasis occurs early in the disease course. The etiology is related to prior UV exposure, immunosuppression, and polyomavirus infection. The 2008 discovery of an infectious cause for the majority of Merkel cell carcinoma cases sparked more research into the pathogenesis of the tumor and possible therapeutic options. Although there has been recent improvement, there is a lack of uniform con...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - October 4, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Deep Inspiration Breath-hold (DIBH) Technique to Reduce Cardiac Radiation Dose in the Management of Breast Cancer
With advances in diagnosis and treatment, breast cancer has become an increasingly survivable disease with a growing population of long-term survivors. As an essential component of breast conservation therapy, radiotherapy is a standard treatment for many women with stage I/II breast cancer. Cardiac radiation exposure has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Among these are coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, and pericardial disease. Microvascular changes and accelerated atherosclerosis are likely the primary underlying mechanisms of radiation induced cardiovascula...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - October 4, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Editorial
(Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews)
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - October 4, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Acknowledgements to Reviewers:
(Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews)
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - March 28, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Current Strategies and Future Directions in Classification and Treatment of Uterine Sarcomas
Uterine sarcomas comprise endometrial stroma tumors (EST) and uterine leiomyosarcomas (ULMS), with ESTs accounting for less than 2% and ULMS accounting for approximately 1% of uterine neoplasms. Recent classifications of ESTs denote as many as four categories: benign endometrial stromal nodule (ESN), low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS), high-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (HGESS), and undifferentiated uterine sarcomas (UUS). The designation UUS has been suggested to encompass undifferentiated endometrial sarcomas (UES) and undifferentiated uterine sarcomas of other tissue origins. The prognosis for ESS is good...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - March 28, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Treatment of High-Grade Pelvic-Type Serous Carcinomas (Ovary, Fallopian Tube and Peritoneum): Current Therapeutic Paradigms, Prospects, and Challenges
Ovarian cancer represents the second most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, with an estimated 22,000 new diagnoses and 14,000 deaths attributed in 2014 [1]. While the term loosely encompasses a large and varied assortment of malignancies, greater than 90% of ovarian cancers are epithelial carcinomas. Again within this category, there are a number of different histologic subtypes however, 60-70% of ovarian cancers are high-grade serous carcinomas. Overall, high-grade serous carcinomas account for 90% of deaths due to ovarian cancer. Early stage diagnosis has good prognosis with a predicted 5-year survival rate...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - March 28, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Treatment of Uterine Carcinomas
Uterine epithelial cancers are the most common type of gynecologic cancer in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimated 53,000 new cases of uterine cancers in 2014 with 8,600 deaths from advanced or recurrent cases, 99% of which are endometrial cancer. The 5-year survival rate of low-stage, low-grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma is greater than 90%. In contrast, advanced stage endometrioid adenocarcinomas and Type II (serous and carcinosarcoma) endometrial cancers have a much poorer prognosis, with the 5-year survival rate of advanced stage uterine carcinosarcoma as low as 9%. Together, these endometrial cance...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - March 28, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
Understanding Trastuzumab Resistance in HER2 Positive Breast Cancer and Further Therapeutic Options
Trastuzumab has been clearly demonstrated to improve overall survival for both early and metastatic HER2 positive breast cancer. However, despite the improved clinical outcomes seen with the addition of HER2 targeted therapy to conventional cytotoxic agents, the response rates remain between 30-55% and the majority of patients with advanced breast cancer experience disease progression within 1 year. In this review article, we provide a summary of the key mechanisms of resistance to trastuzumab, including the truncated form of HER2 (p95HER2), compensatory up-regulation of receptor cross-talk, genetic mutations and aberranci...
Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - March 28, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research
